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Whirling Dervish - TurkeyThis whirling dervish was filmed in October 2001 at Sarihan, near to Göreme in south central Turkey. His spinning is a religious act, part of the broader Sufi tradition which began within Islam in the eighth century. Some Sufis claim that their experience leads them towards the heart of all religions. A whirling dervish, or Semazen, believes that his turning brings him into closer union with God. His right hand is raised towards God and his left hand is pointed to the earth, conveying God’s spiritual gifts to humanity.
The turning of the whole body in this way is seen as a way of participating willingly in God’s natural order of things. It is a way of ‘remembering’ God. One dervish leader recently said: “The purpose of life is to remember Allah [God]. Every electron and proton is whirling around a nucleus, as the planets whirl around the sun – and all of them are chanting for Allah. Even your heartbeat is chanting Al-lah, Al-lah.” Glossary of terms
The whirling dance is known as the Semâ. Sufis like to sing and listen to music as an expression of their devotion to God. Read this description of the dance You can read a fascinating, illustrated account of the dance here: http://www.sufism.org/society/sema/index.html Look at the clothes worn by the dervishes. The head-dress is like a tombstone for the self, or ego, and the white skirt a shroud. Some see the white skirt as representing the sky, or the spiritual realm. By removing his black cloak the dancer journeys towards maturity through the stages of the Semâ.
The whirling is from right to left, pivoting around the heart, so
embracing all of creation with love.
The reed flute (‘ney’) plays a special part in Mevlevi music. The human heart is seen as a reed; suffering and pain produce the holes which make it into a flute where the god of love can play.
Read about Mevlâna Jalalu’ddin Rumi
Suggested activities: Think of ways in which dance and music can take us ‘out of ourselves’. How do these affect our emotions and feelings? Think of different examples of the ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ we experience in our lives. How does religion help people live on a different level? Investigate other ways in which dance is used in religious worship. Explore images of God as a dancer or musician,e.g. Krishna the flute player; Shiva Nataraja; Jesus as ‘Lord of the dance’. Look at these web sites: http://www.kirkdale113.freeserve.co.uk/lordof.htm http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/o/r/lordoftd.htm http://www.users.bigpond.com/troy-kim/lord_of_the_dance.html
Nataraj: Shiva as Lord of the Dance for teachers. http://radiant.org/shiva/index3.html The British Museum - Shiva Nataraja
http://www.koausa.org/Gods/God2.html Bampfa Berkeley ExhibitsI - Indian
Whirling dervish dolls, originally designed by Sermin Tan Izmir, Turkey, are available from World Home Imports at www.worldhomeimports.com
This page last updated 15 July 2003
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It
is a fact that in the natural world there are many things that revolve
or circulate, such as electrons and protons in atoms, the blood in our
bodies, the movement of the earth and stars.
