Creating the Cultural Memory in Cem Rıtual

Abstract

AbstractIn an historical perspective, the “past”, the “present” and the “future - that is dependent to past andpresent” experienced by the individuals and the community, are the factors that determines their wayof “existence” in the life. Information acquired and internalized consciously or unconsciously duringthis process; the ways producing and reflecting this information to the external world creates thecommunal culture. It is the functionality of “memory”, which has the ability of storing, keeping andremembering this experiences information, which ensures the continuity of the process. Memory isthe “now” of the past; “Now” is tomorrow’s memory.Alawism, which reflects a characteristic structure in Anatolian culture, has been able to transmit itsbeliefs and doctrines for centuries through oral culture. Literal background, ritual based behaviours,zikr dance “samah” accompanied by music and lyrics, traditional theatre based rituals performed in“cem ceremonies” play an important role in keeping the cultural identities of Alawi community aliveuntil today. The transmission of this cultural identity is provided by means of the cultural memorycreated by symbolic codes used in these rituals.The main purpose of this study is to reveal the elements that provide the transmission of culturalidentity in the Alawi Cem rituals and to determine the details of semantic coding used for allusionwith the respective arche types without going into the details about the ways these rituals areperformed. The scope of this study is limited by the semantic coding of the Alawi doctrine andbeliefs.The “Doctoral Dissertation” about the Tahtaci Alawi community of Kongurca and Turkali Villagesin Balikesir based on field research made in 1998 is the main source for this study. Key words: Cultural Identity, Ritual, Myth, Alawism, Tahtaci Alawi Community, Hz. Ali, Kerbelā,The Cem of Forties