A funeral and a wedding —Experiencing death and life among the Circassian
SOUTHERN RUSSIA Spring 2008
A Glimpse at an Adygh Hat, and into the Adygh Heart
When I think of men wearing bowler hats, I think of comic actors like Laurel and Hardy or the stereotypical “proper English gentlemen.” So I was surprised one day to look out my window and see twenty Adygh men standing in a neighbor’s yard wearing bowler hats. I learned that Adygh men wear bowlers when they pay their respects to the family of someone who has died.
My neighbor was in charge of the funeral for his older brother and the 40 days of mourning that followed. Every day for 40 days he donned his bowler hat and opened his gates for visitors, even when no visitors came. During the first days of mourning I heard loud wailing, but was told that Adygh shed no tears because of the belief that tears would delay their loved one’s entrance into heaven.
On the last day of mourning I was invited to join the men for lunch and to meet one of the local religious leaders. Everyone was cordial even though I was the only one not wearing a bowler hat. In the course of our discussion that day, the religious leader observed, “Christianity is nothing but a political religion.”
This perception of Christianity, widely held in this region, grows out of the historical tensions between the Adygh and the Russians. The Adygh, along with all the Circassian tribes, have resisted Russian political control. Christianity is viewed as a Russian religion, while Islam is considered the traditional Circassian faith. Many Adygh fear that identifying with Jesus means turning their back on a vital part of their cultural identity.
- Pray that followers of Jesus living among the Circassians would find ways to present Jesus and the Scriptures in a way that build up Circassian culture rather than demean it.
- Pray that all the Circassian tribes—Adygh, Kabardian, Shapsug and Cherkess, would know how much God loves to hear their praises in their own heart language.
Proposing Marriage … Adygh Style
Spring is in the air in Adyghea. Down the city’s main road, there is the triumphant sound of … car horns? A band of compact cars goes whizzing by with bright green Adyghe flags waving out the windows. Young Adyghe men hang out the windows laughing, hooting and hollering. They’ve kidnapped the bride! This ancient tradition is revisited on the streets of this modern city just about every week in the spring and summer. The bridegroom and friends “capture” the young lady, and take her to the bridegroom’s home, sometimes truly to the bride’s surprise. In the past, this was a means of elopement. If the bride’s parents objected to the marriage, the union could have led to a blood feud. Now, it is usually a nod to tradition and an official proposal.
A bride moves in with her in-laws, but is never allowed to see her father-in-law or other male relatives on her husband’s side of the family. So a separate entrance into the house is built and an intricate dance of hiding in various parts of the house and moving from room to room is carried on in order to keep tradition. One of our Circassian friends who is a teacher recently opened his home to his grandson's new bride. We can’t help but smile as we think of them meandering around the house trying to avoid one another! Please pray that this newly married couple would seek God’s face and boldly follow Jesus. Plead for this family of three generations living together in one home. Pray that this verse would be fulfilled in their lives, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household.” —Acts 16:31
Circassians: At a glance
The Circassians are Sunni Muslim, and consist of four main tribal groups—the Adyghs, Cherkess, Kabardians, and Shapsug. There are approximately 100 believers among them, and no known indigenous churches.
Population: 4-6 million—approximately one million still live in the North Caucasus.
*Photos do not depict the people in the story.
Pray for the Circassians
Learn more about the peoples of the former Soviet Union
Dagestan :: Kazakhs :: Kyrgyz :: Muslims of Moscow :: Tatar :: Turkmen :: Uzbek