Circassian Religion and Beliefs

Amjad Jaimoukha

From the cradle to the grave, the Circassian native creed (фIэщхъуныгъэ), intertwined with the code of conduct, Adige Xabze (адыгэ хабзэ), dictated the way an individual behaved, formed his system of values, and certainly influenced the way he conceived the world. Religion and customs and traditions were the dual formers of the Circassian outlook on life and they meshed perfectly together. Rejecting one of these intimately associated components would have entailed forsaking the other, and ultimately compromising the essence of Circassianness (адыгагъэ). Nevertheless, religion and customs and traditions were two different entities. Considering the Adige Xabze as the traditional religion of the Circassians is a common mistake made even by the Circassians themselves. Whereas ancient religion regulated the spiritual and ritual domains, the Xabze regulated the day-to-day aspects of a Circassian’s life... Read more in the attached pdf and Microsoft Word files.