Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com – In the foothills of Turkish Kurdistan, in eastern Anatolia, there is an unusual tribe called Alevi.

The mysterious Alevi do not only differ in their physical appearance compared to other people living in the region, but their religious beliefs and ceremonies reveal some intriguing aspects worth exploring further. The Alevi worship certain angels and some scholars suggest, they are guardians of Watchers’ secret knowledge. It’s also possible their religion may reveal some secrets behind the legend of Excalibur.

Today’s form of Alevism dates only to the 15^th century, but the roots of these people go back thousands of years.

Unusual Religious Ceremonies of The Alevi

The Alevis take their name from the word alev, meaning fire.

Fire played an important role in their religious beliefs and practices. The Alevi are the second-largest religious community in Turkey, comprising as many as 15 million people who adhere to a mystical branch of Islam that broke off from the main Sunni majority.

History of the Kurds goes back thousands of years.

The Alevi are not Muslims, although they do recognize some avatars or divine incarnations. Many of their religious ceremonies are quite exotic to outsiders. For example, during the important Alevi ceremony known as Ayini Jam, the Alevi insert a sword into the ground to communicate with the universal spirit.

The Alevi have been criticized for allowing women to participate in all ritual gatherings, which is uncommon in the Muslim world.

What Do The Dimili Alevis Know About The Legend Of The Excalibur?

The Dimili Alevis are also known as the Qizilbash, the red-heads. People with red hair are often encountered among the Kurds.

The Dimili Alevis are Sun and Moon worshippers and they also practice the ancient Iranian rite of worshiping the deity represented as a sword stuck into the ground. Greek historian Herodotus (484–c. 425 BC), mentioned this rite was practiced by the Iranic Scythians, and Sarmatians in Ukraine about 2,300 years ago. In his book The Kurds, AvMehrdad Izady points out that the image of the sword stuck in the ground or rock is similar to that of the British Excalibur and King Arthur.

Excalibur/ Still from the BBC’s “Merlin”

“There is a strong possibility that the two are related. In AD 175, Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius assigned a legion of Sarmatians from Pannonia (modern Hungary) to serve in England and Scotland (the Sarmatians’ commanders name was Lucius Artorius Castus!)” This suggests that the “basic elements of the legend may have been introduced into Britain by these Sarmatian settlers and the familiar story of Excalibur may thus be akin to this Dimili Alevi religious practice.”

There are many controversial questions regarding the ethic and religious identity of the Kurds. Many theories have been put forward but there is no definite evidence that could provide us with answers as who these people really are where they came from.

Are The Alevi Guardians Of Secret Knowledge Of The Watchers?

In his book From the Ashes of Angels, Andrew Collins propose the Dimili Alevi are familiar with the secret knowledge of the Watchers. “Had the Daylamite or or Dimili, tribes of Turkish Kurdistan managed to preserve the name of Dilmun or Dilaman from the prehistoric age right down to Medieval times?

More importantly, did the red-headed Alevi tribesmen guard age-old secrets concerning the Watchers’ apparent presence in this region? And what of their home territory, south-west of Lake Van – had this really been the location of Dilmun, the Mesopotamian domain of the immortals, as well as Kharsag, the settlement of the Annage, and Eden, the homeland of the Watchers?” Collins asks.

As Ancient Pages mentioned in another article, little is known about the Watchers, the Fallen Angels who were the “sons of God”.  The subject of the Watchers is controversial, and scholars think the Watchers deliberately ‘created’ the hybrid giants to destroy God’s creation as punishment for being cast out of heaven.

Perhaps by studying the religion of the Alevi we could gain more knowledge about the secrets of the Watchers. (Click to Source)

Written by  Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com

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