BIRTH-RELATED BELIEFS AND RITUALS AMONG ALAWIS OF RURAL ANATOLIA (THE CASE OF HAÇOVA) / ANADOLU KIRSALINDA YAŞAYAN ALEVİLERDE DOĞUMLA İLGİLİ İNANIŞ VE UYGULAMALAR (HAÇOVA ÖRNEĞİ)

In human life, there are three significant transition periods, i.e., birth, marriage and death. In many places of Anatolia, during the transition periods various rituals, which rely on religious, historical and cultural elements, are observed. These practices are carried out to complete the transition period positively and to avoid the negative effects of this process on individuals. Notwithstanding swift transformations in today's social structure, the beliefs and rituals formed around these transition periods, maintain their existence and are transmitted to future generations as cultural elements. Accordingly, there are many beliefs and rituals related to these periods in Haçova, a village in the disctrict of Yeşilyurt, Malatya province. Among these the most interesting, however, are beliefs and rituals related to birth. Consisting of several separate processes before, during and after birth these beliefs and rituals mostly rely on ancient Turkish beliefs and Alawi-Bektaşi interpreations of Islam. In general, rituals related to birth are observed in shrines and ocak located in or around villages. Besides, these rituals bear significant resemblance to historical-cultural traditions. The objective of this research is to desribe and analyse birth related customs currently observed in the village of Haçova. Using descriptive methodology, the study examines the data, collected via participant observations and in- depth interviews, from the perspective of the History of Religions. Therefore, the study aims to pass on the of beliefs and rituals in Haçova to future generations and thereby contribute to cultural studies.