Books & Edited Volumes by Sara Kuehn
In the first two articles of the statute mention is made of "spiritual tradition" and "encounter ... more In the first two articles of the statute mention is made of "spiritual tradition" and "encounter of different civilisations"
This volume brings together fifteen new perspectives on the angel in primarily Islamic contexts. ... more This volume brings together fifteen new perspectives on the angel in primarily Islamic contexts. The contributions examine the origin, evolution, visual representation, and conceptual elaboration of this vital class of beings that bridges the gap between divine and human realms. A detailed introduction surveys the history of research on this topic and maps out the key contemporary debates. Individual contributions shed light on Hellenistic and ancient Near and Middle Eastern precursors of the angel figure, as well as on Jewish and Christian traditions that can be recognised in the Islamic doctrine of angels. Islamic discourses on the nature, meaning, and types of angels are examined in their specific contexts, and pictured narratives and other elements of visual culture are considered in relation to the textual representation of these entities. The Intermediate World of Angels thus offers a nuanced and varied picture of the angel and provides new insights into the defining characteristics of this class of being and the pivotal role played by the figure of the angel in religious and cultural history.
This volume seeks to explain an enigmatic and paradoxical symbolism common to many of the world r... more This volume seeks to explain an enigmatic and paradoxical symbolism common to many of the world religions, both polytheistic and monotheistic—that of the cavernous maw of a great monster. Drawing on a broad array of comparative evidence, including examples from Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions, it delves on the cross-cultural points of contact that may have contributed to the spread of such zoomorphic hybrids from Turkey, the Caucasus and Iran to the Indian subcontinent.
Straddling the boundaries between popular and textual traditions, the gaping jaws of a great monster is a mythical paradigm of the bivalence of a deep-seated historic force: the yawning orifice of all-consuming death can as well symbolize the power of life or generative power. This dual force can also be reflected in an abbreviated conceptualization visualized on opposite sides of a common axis. The outcome of the symbolic synthesis, which axiomatically unifies such vast, inexorably linked, seemingly irresistible potent forces, thus may suggest different shades of meaning—daunting, and yet again singularly attracting, humbling and at the same time exalting.
Articles & Chapters by Sara Kuehn
This chapter explores the entwined cults of the Christian St George (d. 303) and the Muslim saint... more This chapter explores the entwined cults of the Christian St George (d. 303) and the Muslim saint Sarı Saltuk (d. 1297–1298), both associated with dragonslaying in the religiously fluid borderlands of Eastern Europe. Drawing on Tim Ingold’s concept of “meshwork”, it examines how their overlapping cults and shared sacred sites reveal a dynamic landscape shaped by conquest, pilgrimage, and cultural interweaving. The dragon fight embodies encounters between the human and (super)natural realms, while the mixed veneration of Saltuk and George signals the blurring of confessional boundaries and the emergence of new, generative forms of religious expression.
he opened a [channel] … Heavy stones he tied [to his feet,] And they pulled him down … to the Oce... more he opened a [channel] … Heavy stones he tied [to his feet,] And they pulled him down … to the Ocean Below. He took the plant, and pulled [it up, and lifted it,]
According to many translations (KJV, NRSV, JPS, NJPS, NAS), peacocks appear in the descriptions o... more According to many translations (KJV, NRSV, JPS, NJPS, NAS), peacocks appear in the descriptions of King Solomon's splendor in Kings and Chronicles. There it is stated that Hiram's fleet delivered exotic luxuries to Solomon: "Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks" (1 Kgs 10:22; closely paralleled in 2 Chr 9:21). The term translated "peacocks" (tu¯kkîyîm, appearing only in plural) is clearly a loanword. The term's identification with the resplendent bird was made early on the grounds that the so-called Tarshish fleet traded, directly or indirectly, with the Indian subcontinent and on the grounds that to¯kai is a Tamil word for peafowl. However, Powels notes that to¯kai refers not to the bird itself, but only to "peacock tail" or "something related" (196). The Targums also render the word with t øawwa¯sîn, "peacocks" (Cogan: 320). Other modern translations, such as NIV, prefer to identify tu¯kkîyîm as baboons. This translation follows the Vg. that uses pavos, "baboon" (the LXX departs from the MT here and unfortunately does not provide any clear evidence), though this could be a guess. If one opts for "baboon" one may understand the Hebrew to be a loanword from Old Egyptian ky, "baboon," with a t-preformative seen elsewhere. The immediately preceding "ivory" and "apes," moreover, may link the passage with Egypt as well . Lastly, baboons present a natural partner for apes whereas peacocks seem out of place here. In sum, it is difficult to adjudicate between the two options; while the lover of fine tail plumage has ancient traditions and modern translations to rely on, the presence of peacocks in Solomon's empire, cannot be definitively determined.
In a recent thought-provoking analysis of the iconography on the exterior of the Mantle of Roger ... more In a recent thought-provoking analysis of the iconography on the exterior of the Mantle of Roger II (r. 1105-1154), the Norman ruler of Sicily and southern Italy, William Tronzo has advanced a compelling hypothesis suggesting that the Mantle may actually have been intended to serve as Roger's shroud. This article examines the intriguing but rarely discussed figured silks found within the Mantle's lining to assess whether their iconography aligns with Tronzo's hypothesis, which focuses primarily on the Mantle's exterior. The interior consists of a patchwork of silk fragments inserted into the famous garment as a relic-like lining, revealing a fascinating but often overlooked iconography: knotted serpents. Continuing an earlier practice, the repetition of the knotted serpent motif appears to have been deliberately employed to reinforce a beneficial effect, perhaps invoking the notion of unceasing, everlasting protection. This study contextualizes the richly multivalent symbol of the knotted serpent within the broader realm of southern Italian iconography, as well as its significance in the wider Mediterranean world and beyond. In particular, the research incorporates a fascinating discovery: a previously unnoticed silk fragment from the Afghan province of Samangan, now in the Al-Sabāh Collection in Kuwait. This fragment bears striking similarities to the textiles used in the cloak's lining, further enriching our understanding of its cultural and historical import.
This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.
According to the Tuffāḥ al-arwāḥ wa miftāḥ al-arbāḥ, written around 715/1315, Sarı Saltuq (d. 697... more According to the Tuffāḥ al-arwāḥ wa miftāḥ al-arbāḥ, written around 715/1315, Sarı Saltuq (d. 697/1297) was a notable figure in Balkan history, being recognized as an exceptional dervish-warrior who was instrumental in early Turkish “missionary” activity in Rūmeli. He was associated with both the Rifāʿi and the Ḥaydarī Sufi communities, groups of dervishes known for rejecting traditional Muslim piety and celebrated for their remarkable deeds. Subsequent accounts of Sarı Saltuq that link him to other Sufi communities, particularly the Bektāshī and Saʿdī, shed light on the embellishments that have enriched the layered legends surrounding his numerous miracles. These stories also describe his extraordinary ability to “wear” and embody the identities of various Christian saints. His capacity for multiple embodiments in life persisted even in death, facilitating his association with diverse Sufi gathering places, mausoleums, and memorial sites across Eastern Europe. These places, particularly in Albania, Dobruja, Herzegovina, Kosovo, the Ohrid region, and Eastern Thrace, served as religious borderlands where the realms of Christianity and Islam intersected, interacted and at times “merged.”
Through an examination of visual materiality and ritual landscapes, this study takes a multidimen... more Through an examination of visual materiality and ritual landscapes, this study takes a multidimensional approach to unraveling the nuances of Sufi devotional aesthetics. It explores the convergence of religion and aesthetics, focusing on the sensory dimensions of religious expression. In line with the methodological trends inspired by the 'aesthetic turn,' the aim is to shed light on various facets of ethnographic experience within contemporary Sufi communities in the Balkans. Drawing on insights from a decade of fieldwork, two case studies are presented that illustrate how an immersive, multisensory, and collaborative approach to fieldwork can be effectively used to explore the instrumental role of Sufi mystical experience in shaping devotional aesthetics in the region.
This study examines three of the most iconic sites associated with Islamic mysticism, or Sufism, ... more This study examines three of the most iconic sites associated with Islamic mysticism, or Sufism, in Ottoman Hungary. These are three mausoleums located in Buda, Pécs, and Turbék, near Zigetvár. The first two are the final resting places of the Sufi mystics known as Gül Baba and Idris Baba. The third is Sultan Süleyman’s mausoleum next to a Sufi dervish lodge, the foundations of which were uncovered during recent excavations. The research sheds light on the (embodied) material practices associated with these sites, as well as their sensory engagement and synaesthetic experiences. The bodies of the spiritual leaders, presented in the first two cases, serve as living sites of mystical experiences, both through self destructive acts graphically represented on their bodies, and through bodily miracles such as hypercorporeality, multilocality, and dream visions. The third case concerns the body of a secular and a spiritual leader, the temporary burial of his disemboweled and embalmed body in the mausoleum at Turbék, and the tradition that his heart and entrails were kept in a reliquary-like vessel at the site, which interestingly paralleled contemporary Habsburg customs. Building on Thomas Csordas (1990) and Manuel Vásquez (2011), I explore the role of human and non-human “supernatural” actors interacting in these mystical networks, focusing on the role of their embodiment and materiality, their movement and their physically fragmented bodies.
In the South Asian discourse of Sufism, or Islamic mysticism, 'natural' functions can be transcen... more In the South Asian discourse of Sufism, or Islamic mysticism, 'natural' functions can be transcended and bodily boundaries are permeable. Defying species boundaries, this relational ontology entails a belief in the capacity for bodily transformation, or metamorphosis, from one category of being to another (as from human to nonhuman animal). In turn, both human and animal actors enter into conversation with mediating 'spirits'. To this day, these religious entanglements, passed down through generations, allow Sufi communities in Bangladesh and Pakistan to protect 'sacred' animals at shrines as vital refuges for wildlife species and to make an important contribution to their conservation. The relational dynamics allow for the cultural division between human and non-human life forms (plants, animals, and spirits) to be problematized, and permeable boundaries to be dissolved into liminal and dynamic zones of interaction. Deeply entangled, agents both human and non-human actively participate in shared ritual configurations that take place within and are nourished by a locally embedded Sufi spirituality. Ritual and devotional practices revolve around their intercessory mediation (shafāʿat) with the divine, which endows them with spiritual agency, as they engage in cycles of exchange, such as the practice of taking vows (mannāt). Within the framework of this Sufi-inspired, locally embedded spirituality, it is possible for animals to be genuine agents, to have spiritual 'agency' and to be involved in cycles of exchange.
This chapter follows the traces of Khiḍr and Ilyās (Arab. Khiḍr-Ilyās; Turk. Hıdırellez) and thei... more This chapter follows the traces of Khiḍr and Ilyās (Arab. Khiḍr-Ilyās; Turk. Hıdırellez) and their equation with various interchangeable figures in the Balkans, syntheses that were formed and developed in the context of cultural and religious interactions. Associated with spheres essential for human existence and the seasonal cycle of life, the “Green Men” Khiḍr and Ilyās evoke fertility and the annual renewal of vegetation, phenomena that depend heavily on water. The nature spirits of spring-summer have their counterparts in autumn-winter. They have their origins in the ancient vegetation and water deities, which disappear and reappear cyclically. The calendar was necessarily tied to these natural cycles of return. With the Ottoman expansion into the Balkans, Julian, Gregorian and even Byzantine cultic calendar dates were converted into Ottoman chronologies. This process created “new” mythical coordinates in space and time, which were then applied to the religious geography of Ottoman Balkans. The result was a convergence of sacred geographies, reflected in various intercommunal religious interactions. Popular versions of Islam and Orthodoxy cultivated common saints whose respective feast days not only represented key symbolic turning points in the Ottoman world, but also helped to facilitate a shared intercommunal existence.
The chapter explores the spiritual practice of solitary devotions (khalva) as depicted in medieva... more The chapter explores the spiritual practice of solitary devotions (khalva) as depicted in medieval and early modern visual and textual sources. The findings reflect the interaction with Buddhism during the Islamisation of Eastern Iranian culture. This is evidenced in the Islamic collective term khalvatiyân, or followers of khalva, which is also used to allude to a certain group of Buddhist monks (Persian bakhshî, pl. bakhshiyân, from Sanskrit bhiksu) who practiced rigorous ascetic exercises in seclusion from society. The same designation became an identification marker of the Khalvatî (Turkish Halvetî, from Arabic khalva, ‘seclusion’, ‘retreat’) Sufi path. The close resemblance between the pictorial depictions of the Buddhist monks and the Islamic dervishes led to the adoption of the overall features of wandering Buddhist figures (often characterised by asceticism and religious mendicancy) to portray Islamic antinomian dervishes. In this context, it is of interest to note that several members of the early Khalvatiyya were also known to have led a wandering life and had an antinomian air about them.
Moreover, the ascetic withdrawal from society to the quiet of remote wilderness was of central importance in the order. In particular, the tree as the locus of the paradigmatic ascetic habitat (bayt al-khalva) was exemplified by the ‘founding’ pîr of the Khalvatî order, ʿUmar al-Khalvatî. This finds reflection throughout the Turko-Mongol and Turko-Iranian cultural milieu, in which certain trees were in themselves objects of worship. The time-honoured practice continued well into the Ottoman period, where it was not uncommon for Khalvatî and other dervishes to seek shelter at the foot of a venerable tree, especially for oneiromantic purposes. It became a prominent trope in fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Islamic visual sources, well before the oral narratives of later Khalvatî shaykhs were preserved in seventeenth-century Ottoman hagiographical texts. Significantly, in Sufi teachings, the tree is likened to the perfect human being (al-Insân al-Kâmil) as manifestation of the divine names and attributes.
In this article, I bring premodern and contemporary Bektaşi perspectives to the current ethical d... more In this article, I bring premodern and contemporary Bektaşi perspectives to the current ethical debate on gender equality in the Bektaşi Sufi order. While there is tremendous potential in the historical legacy of Kadıncık Ana, the spiritual successor of Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli (d. ca. 1271), and her peers who served as female spiritual leaders in the proto-Bektaşiyye, the institutionalization of the Bektaşi order resulted in the marginalization of women and their exclusion from certain opportunities and positions in religious practice and leadership. This article explores the spiritual journey of Güllizar Cengiz (today also known as Neriman Aşki Derviș after becoming a Bektaşi “dervish”), including her foundation of an Alevi-Bektaşi cultural institute in Cologne, Germany, in 1997 and the opening of a Bektaşi Sufi lodge (dergah) in the Westerwald near Bonn in 2006. I explore the impact of Hacı Bektaş’s teaching that both men and women have the same spiritual potential to become the ultimately ungendered insan-ı kamil, or spiritually and ethically completed human being. I also discuss the time-honored Bektaşi principle of “moving with the times and staying one step ahead of the times” and how it can inform contemporary understandings of ethical and spiritual prerogatives within Bektaşism.
Albera, D., Kuehn, S. and Pénicaud, M., “Introduction: Religious Sharing, Mixing, and Crossing in the Wider Mediterranean,” Religiographies 1/1: Holy Sites in the Mediterranean, Sharing and Division (2022), 14–21
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Books & Edited Volumes by Sara Kuehn
Straddling the boundaries between popular and textual traditions, the gaping jaws of a great monster is a mythical paradigm of the bivalence of a deep-seated historic force: the yawning orifice of all-consuming death can as well symbolize the power of life or generative power. This dual force can also be reflected in an abbreviated conceptualization visualized on opposite sides of a common axis. The outcome of the symbolic synthesis, which axiomatically unifies such vast, inexorably linked, seemingly irresistible potent forces, thus may suggest different shades of meaning—daunting, and yet again singularly attracting, humbling and at the same time exalting.
Articles & Chapters by Sara Kuehn
Moreover, the ascetic withdrawal from society to the quiet of remote wilderness was of central importance in the order. In particular, the tree as the locus of the paradigmatic ascetic habitat (bayt al-khalva) was exemplified by the ‘founding’ pîr of the Khalvatî order, ʿUmar al-Khalvatî. This finds reflection throughout the Turko-Mongol and Turko-Iranian cultural milieu, in which certain trees were in themselves objects of worship. The time-honoured practice continued well into the Ottoman period, where it was not uncommon for Khalvatî and other dervishes to seek shelter at the foot of a venerable tree, especially for oneiromantic purposes. It became a prominent trope in fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Islamic visual sources, well before the oral narratives of later Khalvatî shaykhs were preserved in seventeenth-century Ottoman hagiographical texts. Significantly, in Sufi teachings, the tree is likened to the perfect human being (al-Insân al-Kâmil) as manifestation of the divine names and attributes.