The Whirling Dervish Saints is a must-read for those interested in Sufi dance, the sama, and the legacy of Jalâl al-Dîn Rûmi. Bringing together stories from the mevlevietradition, this book highlights episodes of life, encounters and founding gestures that have shaped the ethics, music and inner choreography of dervishes. Good news: it is freely available online at Internet Archive at this address:
Beyond history, these pages offer a spiritual mapping: they show how rotation, music and listening become tools of transformation. Dance is perceived not as a spectacle, but as a discipline of the heart, based on the presence, breath and respect for a lineage. For readers, artists and researchers, this collection serves as a bridge between memory and contemporary creation.
The book traces scenes where masters and companions embody simple and demanding virtues: patience, generosity, discernment, gratitude. One crosses the figure of Rûmi, the burning presence of Shams de Tabriz, and a whole network of disciples whose relationship to the master is woven through listening and transmission. Each anecdote reveals a pedagogy by example, where a word, a gesture, a silence become teaching.
The medieval tradition is structured around strong images:
These patterns are not just metaphors: they draw a grammaire du mouvement et une manière d’habiter le monde.
Whether you are a dancer, musician, researcher or simply curious, this book gives solid historical landmarks and symbolic . It also sheds light on the link between poetry (divans, ghazals), music (modes, rhythms) and body practice (walk, pivot, offering gesture). In this, it enriches the understanding of today’s rituals and nourishes creativity.
Find the full version in free access on Internet Archive: here
What is the Dervish Oracle?
It is a silent spiral. Each card is a step in an invisible dance where we join the rhythm of the world. The oracle is not static: it vibrates, it breathes, it allows itself to be tamed by slowness.
