The Adyghe Khabze or Circassian Khabze, also known as Khabzism, is the

worldview A worldview (also world-view) or is said to be the fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual or society encompassing the whole of the individual's or society's knowledge, culture, and Perspective (cognitive), point of view. However, whe ...

and

moral code Morality () is the categorization of intentions, decisions and actions into those that are ''proper'', or ''right'', and those that are ''improper'', or ''wrong''. Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of conduc ...

of the

Circassian people The Circassians or Circassian people, also called Cherkess or Adyghe ( Adyghe and ), are a Northwest Caucasian ethnic group and nation who originated in Circassia, a region and former country in the North Caucasus. As a consequence of the Ci ...

. Traditionally associated with

Circassian paganism Circassian paganism, also called Khabzeism or Khabzism, is the ethnic religion of the Circassians. It is based on worshipping the supreme god Theshkhue () and other minor deities under his rule, to each of whom is attributed an element, action or ...

, which itself is no longer dominant in Circassian society, it dictates that a Circassian must always live according to rules defined by the Khabze with little exceptions. Tenets of the Khabze include being especially respectful towards elders and (for men) women; a policy of

endogamous Endogamy is the cultural practice of marrying within a specific social group, religious denomination, caste, or ethnic group, rejecting any from outside of the group or belief structure as unsuitable for marriage or other close personal relatio ...

marriage to protect Circassian culture; and exemplifying the values of truthfulness, honour, and bravery. Though it draws on thousands of years of Circassian history, Khabze is evolving and ever-changing, and is reformed to fit the needs of the Circassian community. This is usually led by a (, ). Khabze, as a set of laws, includes the norms and moral principles that determine an individual's behaviour. It represents social rules in all areas of life. However, the set of rules and regulations of Khabze are not static and were not officially defined in the past. Khabze almost ceased to exist in

Circassia Circassia ( ), also known as Zichia, was a country and a historical region in . It spanned the western coastal portions of the North Caucasus, along the northeastern shore of the Black Sea. Circassia was conquered by the Russian Empire during ...

following the

Circassian genocide The Circassian genocide, or Tsitsekun, was the systematic mass killing, ethnic cleansing, and forced displacement of between 95% and 97% of the Circassian people during the final stages of the Russian invasion of Circassia in the 19th centur ...

, which was perpetrated by the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

in the 19th century. In every Circassian community, a local advisory council known as the Khase can be found. The goal of such councils are to provide Circassians with a place to speak Circassian, engage in Circassian cultural activities, learn about the laws of Xabze, and ask for traditional advice. These advisory councils are coordinated on a local and regional basis, and communicate internationally through the International Circassian Association, which is a member of the

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

-based

Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) is an international organization established to facilitate the voices of unrepresented and marginalized nations and peoples worldwide. It was formed on 11 February 1991 at the Peace Pal ...

. Xabze is sometimes associated with

Circassian nationalism Circassian nationalism is the desire among Circassians Circassian diaspora, worldwide to preserve their heritage and Adyghe Xabze, culture, save Circassian languages, their language from extinction, raise awareness about the Circassian genoc ...

Etymology

"Khabze" (Хабзэ) is a Circassian

compound Compound may refer to: Architecture and built environments * Compound (enclosure), a cluster of buildings having a shared purpose, usually inside a fence or wall ** Compound (fortification), a version of the above fortified with defensive struc ...

made up from хы (''khy''), meaning "vast" or "universe", and бзэ (''bze''), meaning "language".Khabze.info
What is Khabze?
/ref> Thus, its meaning roughly translates to "language of the universe" or "word of the cosmos", perhaps comparable to the concept of ''

Dharma Dharma (; , ) is a key concept in various Indian religions. The term ''dharma'' does not have a single, clear Untranslatability, translation and conveys a multifaceted idea. Etymologically, it comes from the Sanskrit ''dhr-'', meaning ''to hold ...

''. Over time, the word "Khabze" has come to mean "rule", "custom", and "tradition" in the

Circassian language Circassian (; ), also known as Cherkess ( ), is a subdivision of the Northwest Caucasian language family, spoken by the Circassian people. There are two main variants of the Circassian language, defined by their literary standards, Adyghe (; a ...

Traditions

Khabze is a social and moral code. It is one of the oldest products of Circassian history, dating back to at least 3000 BC. The simplest sanction taken against those who act against Khabze is

shunning Shunning can be the act of social rejection, or emotional distance. In a religious context, shunning is a formal decision by a denomination or a congregation to cease interaction with an individual or a group, and follows a particular set of rule ...

, which includes not attending their funeral or wedding, and otherwise ignoring their existence. The goal of a person practicing Khabze is to live as honorably as possible. In Circassian society, the individual who behaves in accordance with Khabze becomes respected in society, and is also consulted at social events. Knowing and practicing Xabze well is very important to Circassians. Khabze also describes traditional dress and its production, household utensils, the means of running a household, the selection of Kabarda horse (, ''Adygesh''), and national holidays. Adyghe Khabze discourages deception and interference in the affairs of other people. It discourages subservience and

genuflection Genuflection or genuflexion is the act of bending a knee to the ground, as distinguished from kneeling which more strictly involves both knees. From early times, it has been a gesture of deep respect for a superior. Today, the gesture is common ...

to those who are powerful. Adyghe Khabze encourages respecting the opinions of others, understanding their situation, helping and protecting the weak, doing good deeds, standing up for the degraded and insulted and living by honest work. The Khabze requires that all Circassians are taught courage, reliability and generosity. Greed, desire for possessions, wealth and ostentation are considered disgraceful by the Khabze code. Klassenzeichen_Tempest

One Circassian tradition requires individuals to stand up when someone enters the room, provide a place for the person entering and allow the newcomer to speak before everyone else during the conversation. In the presence of elders and women, respectful conversation and conduct are essential. Women are especially respected, and disputes are stopped in the presence of women so as to not disturb them. A woman can demand disputing families or people to reconcile and they must obey her request. In accordance with Khabze, hospitality is particularly pronounced among the Circassians. A guest is not only a guest of the host family, but equally a guest of the whole village and clan. Even enemies are regarded as guests if they enter the home, and being hospitable to them as one would with any other guest is a sacred duty. Circassians consider the host to be like a slave to the guest in that the host is expected to tend to the guest's every need and want. A guest must never be permitted to labour in any way, this is considered a disgrace to the host. A key figure in Circassian culture is the person known as the ''themade'', who is often an elder but also the person who carries the responsibility for functions like weddings. This person must always comply with all the rules of Khabze in all areas of their life. People who practice the Khabze rise to ''themade'' status when they attain a certain age. As long as they do not commit a major offense, almost every Circassian will achieve this status eventually. The Khabze cross is often associated with the Tau cross, which resembles the Greek letter 'Tau'. Although the possibility of this claim has not been fully confirmed.

Ancient native beliefs

Before

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

, Khabze was paired with the pagan beliefs of the Circassians. Circassia was one of the places in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

that retained its native religious traditions for the longest time, with almost a continuity between the ancient traditions and the modern religiosity and world-view, which syncretized and maintained many of its native elements, even after Islamization.

Khabzeist-nationalist movement

Xabze is often associated with

. The system was initially shaped around the laws of the Narts in the

nart saga The Nart sagas (; ; ) are a series of tales originating from the North Caucasus. They form much of the basic mythology of the ethnic groups in the area, including Abazin, Abkhaz, Circassian, Ossetian, Karachay- Balkar, and to some extent C ...

, originally orally transmitted, which has heavily contributed to the shaping of Circassian values over the centuries. Although Circassians were historically Christianised and

Islamised The spread of Islam spans almost 1,400 years. The early Muslim conquests that occurred following the death of Muhammad in 632 CE led to the creation of the caliphates, expanding over a vast geographical area; conversion to Islam was boosted b ...

, the period of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

contributed to a severe weakening of religions in the area, especially among the Circassians. During this time and after the fall of the

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

regime, the revival of Khabzeist worldview was supported by Circassian intellectuals, as part of a rise in nationalism and cultural identity in the 1990sPaul Golbe. ''Window on Eurasia: Circassians Caught Between Two Globalizing "Mill Stones", Russian Commentator Says''. On ''Windows on Eurasia'', January 2013. and, more recently as a thwarting force against

Wahhabism Wahhabism is an exonym for a Salafi revivalist movement within Sunni Islam named after the 18th-century Hanbali scholar Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. It was initially established in the central Arabian region of Najd and later spread to oth ...

and other

Islamic extremism Islamic extremism refers to extremist beliefs, behaviors and ideologies adhered to by some Muslims within Islam. The term 'Islamic extremism' is contentious, encompassing a spectrum of definitions, ranging from academic interpretations of Is ...

. On 29 December 2010, a prominent Kabardian Circassian ethnographer and Khabze advocate, Arsen Tsipinov, was murdered by radical Islamist terrorists who had accused him of being a ''

mushrik The Mushrikites ( or , singular ) were the Arab polytheists who committed shirk and opposed the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers, the Muslims, in the early 7th century. Their leaders were mostly from the Quraysh, but others also belong ...

'' (idolatrous disbelief in Islamic monotheism) and months earlier threatened him and others they accused as idolaters and

munafiqun In Islam, the ''munafiqun'' (, , singular , ''munāfiq'') or false Muslims or false believers are a group decried in the Quran as outward Muslims who were inwardly concealing disbelief ("kufr") and actively sought to undermine the Muslim com ...

("hypocrites") to stop "reviving" and diffusing the rituals of the original Circassian pre-Islamic traditions. On 11 May 2018, a book about the Khabze (with focus on the code of conduct, code of honour, and traditions of the Circassian people) entitled 'الاديغة خابزة-العادات الشركسية' or 'Адыгэ хабзэ' (in Circassian) was published in

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

by the International Circassian Cultural Academy's Circassian language teacher Zarema Madin Gutchetl and senior ICCA member Nancy Hatkh.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* Т. М. Катанчиев. ''Адыгэ кхабзэ как кабардинское обыхное право''. Эль-Фа, 2001 * *

External links

Habze Portal

Circassian Association of California Adyghe Khasa
{{Paganism Caucasian Neopaganism Circassians Religious ethics Philosophical schools and traditions Modern paganism in Russia West Asian philosophy