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Stoyanov, Yuri (2001) 'Islamic and Christian heterodox water cosmogonies from the Ottoman period-parallels and contrasts.' Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 64 (1). pp. 19-33.

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Abstract

This article explores some important parallels and differences between certain Eastern Christian and Islamic heterodox (Alevi/Kizilbash, Yezidi and Ahl-e Haqq) cosmogonies, which shared and developed old cosmogonic themes such as the ‘primal ocean’ and the ‘earth-diver’-demiurge, and co-existed during the Ottoman period. The investigation reveals that some of the Eastern Christian versions of these cosmogonies have retained their archaic forms, but in most of them the earth-diver is identified with the Devil, a movement towards cosmogonic and religious dualism that could have been effected by both heretical and popular Christian diabology. Conversely, despite the existing traits of dualist and earth-diver cosmogonies in Northern and Central Asian non-Islamic Turkic and related religious traditions, a comparative analysis as demonstrated in this article shows that the Alevi/Kizilbash, Ahl-e Haqq and Yezidi cosmogonies did not absorb or develop these dualist features but rather tried to neutralize them by reinterpreting them in a largely monotheistic framework.

Item Type: Journal Article
Keywords: Christian Heterodoxy, Islamic Heterodoxy: Oral and Literary Traditions, Islamic-Christian Syncretism, Alevism, Bektāşīsm, Turkic and Kurdish Popular Religion and Cosmogonies, Oral Literature, Ottoman Religious and Literary History
SOAS Departments & Centres: Departments and Subunits > School of Languages, Cultures & Linguistics
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religions. Mythology. Rationalism
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BP Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BR Christianity
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BT Doctrinal Theology
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BX Christian Denominations
G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GN Anthropology
G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GR Folklore
H Social Sciences > HS Societies secret benevolent etc
P Language and Literature > PG Slavic, Baltic, Albanian languages and literature
P Language and Literature > PI Oriental languages and literatures
P Language and Literature > PK Indo-Iranian languages and literatures
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion
ISSN: 0041977X
Copyright Statement: © School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 2001
DOI (Digital Object Identifier): https://doi.org/10.1017/s0041977x01000027
Date Deposited: 24 Aug 2023 13:07
URI: https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/id/eprint/39765
Related URLs: https://www.cam ... ECE0C8821DFEE89 (Publisher URL)
Funders: Other

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