The Circumcision Ceremony at The Folk Culture of Adiyaman and the Reflection of Kirve Culture onto the Society

Kirve is the person who bears the right of fatherhood as much as a real father by taking the boy on his lap to be circumcised. This can be rendered as an offer of kinship by one part based on the level of intimacy and friendship between two close persons, which cannot traditionally be declined. Kirve is distinguished from among those who have not any kinship ties; thus, it is intended to build such a tie with the person to be offered. This relation arrives at such a further degree that the to-be-kirve person is the spiritual father of the child to be circumcised and it is forbidden to make marriages with any member of the kirve’s family. This situation originates from the traditional traditions and customs to, rather than religious beliefs of the society. These kinship tie and the related prohibitions are due to the blood to be shed before the kirve, and this blood is adopted as the indicatory of kinship tie. The kirvehood and circumcision ceremony is still alive at present in Adıyaman, and the respect fed to the social values that this culture has created seems to rise day by day. Though the application field on which the ceremony is held displays some changes, the value to these gatherings given by the society remains the same. Kirvehood is the share of problems and responsibilities. Kirves are together with the families which they build a kinship through kirvehood on bad and good days, at weddings and festivals, and they exchange ideas on significant matters and share various responsibilities. Also, it is known that kirvehood gives valuable contributions to the resolution of such some problems as blood feud.

Keywords

Kirve, Circumcision, Adıyaman, Tradition, Folk Culture