WHAT IS A WHIRLING DERVISH?

Maybe you have heard the expression in a phrase such as, “She raced through the mall like a whirling dervish.” So what would that mean?

It refers to the movement of men as they twirl around while in a trance-like religious state. It is possible to watch these real whirling dervishes in Istanbul, where the twirling movements they make are an ecstatic state that creates an atmosphere for prayer. These men practice Sufism, which is considered a philosophy within the Islam religion.

Watching the whirling dervishes’ physical way of showing their love of the divine is mesmerizing. They enter the room individually: 4 musician/chanters, 3 whirling dervishes, and one senior statesman. The musicians take their places at one side of the room and the men stand in a line on the other side.

After kneeling briefly on the floor, the men rise and remove their black cloaks before moving to the center of the room in response to the music and chants from the opposite side of the room.

As the tempo of the chants increases, the men begin to twirl quickly in circles with their eyes closed and faces fixed in trance-like expressions. They are wearing collarless white jackets with white shirts underneath, black cummerbunds, long white skirts with white pants under them, and black dancing shoes.

They twirl rapidly in tight circles, and the long white skirts flare out around them. As the men move in a circular direction constantly twirling with their eyes closed, it seems inevitable that they will bump into each other. Somehow this does not happen, and they maintain the rapid twirling pace for eight minutes.

After pacing slowly in a square pattern with occasional stops to bow, they begin a second round of twirling that lasts about five minutes. Again, they repeat the slow pacing around the square before stepping to the side and putting their black cloaks on once more. They kneel and then slowly rise and exit one by one just as they entered.

It is an inspiring experience to observe this spiritual offering beyond the fundamental beliefs of Islam. The ritual of the whirling dervishes is said to personify looking for love, peace, and the harmony of coming together in unison. The Persian poet, Rumi, is credited with the origin of the whirling dervishes in the 13th century.

Have you ever seen a religious ritual dance that made an impression on you?