This article attempts to analyse Alevi cosmology within heterodox Islamic tradition. The main primary source is a recording made in 2009 in Istanbul. The Alevi creation myth (told by a 92-year-old man from the Dersim [Tunceli] region) ofers a remarkable combination of symbols and an interpretation of why mankind was created. The role Archangel Gabriel fulfls from the beginning to the creation of the frst man, and the notion of ‘looking for a second one’ as the cause of creation, are the most striking features of this myth. The story has given me the opportunity to explore the cosmological views of certain Shi’i sects. Interesting parallels with the cosmological speculations of Ismailis cannot be underestimated. The Alevi studies mainly focus on the period after the thirteenth century. Analysis of this creation myth, on the other hand, in which Archangel Gabriel plays the leading role, leads us, at least on theological matters, to reconsider the formation and circulation of ‘heretical’ ideas from the tenth to the thirteenth century in the Middle East in general and in Seljuk realms in particular.
For the PDF of the article, click here. Source: Gezik, E. (2015). How Angel Gabriel Became Our Brother of the Hereafter (On the Question of Ismaili Influence on Alevism). British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 43(1), 56–70. https://doi.org/10.1080/13530194.2015.1060154
