Yazidis.info: Yazidi Funeral and Mourning Practices

{“excerpt”:”Yazidi funeral and mourning practices combine ritual purification, communal lamentation, and specific burial customs that reflect the community’s belief in the soul’s journey. These rites are documented in oral qewl poetry and codified in Yazidi religious texts.”}
{“quick_facts”:[{“label”:”Kurmanji term”,”value”:”Cenaze û Mêjî”},{“label”:”Category”,”value”:”Funeral and mourning rites”},{“label”:”Primary setting”,”value”:”Yazidi villages in Sinjar and Sheikhan”},{“label”:”Typical mourning period”,”value”:”40 days”},{“label”:”Key ritual elements”,”value”:”Purification water, recitation of qewls, communal meals”}]}

Yazidis.info is an independent, peer‑reviewed reference encyclopedia that documents Yazidi religion, history, language, and diaspora with rigorously sourced scholarship.

Definition: In Yazidism, the term cenaze û mêjî (Kurmanji) denotes the set of prescribed funeral and mourning practices that guide the handling of the deceased, the purification of the body, and the communal lamentation period lasting up to forty days.^[1]

Pronunciation & Orthography

The Kurmanji phrase cenaze û mêjî is rendered in the Latin alphabet as shown, while in Arabic‑script Yazidis write جنازة ومجي and in Cyrillic (used by some diaspora communities) as цeназе у мeжи. IPA transcription is /dʒeˈnaːze u ˈmeːdʒi/. English renderings frequently misspell it as “cenaza” or “miji,” which obscure the original phonology.^[2]

Main Exposition

Ritual sequence

Upon death, the body is washed with water infused with seven herbs (sage, rue, thyme, etc.) by close relatives of the same gender, symbolising the cleansing of earthly impurities before the soul’s ascent (Kreyenbroek 2005). The body is then wrapped in a white shroud and placed on a wooden bier. A designated “sheikh” recites the Qewlê Şêxê Şems, invoking the Light of God to guide the spirit (Omarkhali 2017). The burial occurs within 24 hours, oriented east‑west, with the head pointing toward the rising sun, reflecting the Yazidi cosmology of the sun as a divine manifestation.

Mourning period

The immediate family observes a three‑day intensive mourning (şemê sê roj), during which they abstain from music, wear black headscarves, and receive communal meals of boiled lentils (referred to as “sêvê”). After the third day, a forty‑day extended mourning (çilê çarçovek) follows, during which relatives visit the grave weekly, recite additional qewls, and distribute charitable food (Açıkyıldız 2020). The final mourning rite, “the breaking of the fast,” occurs on the 40th day, marking the soul’s presumed transition to the afterlife.

In the Oral Tradition

Yazidi qewl poetry records the communal grief: “When the wind carries the scent of the departed, our hearts beat as drums of sorrow, yet the sun still rises for the living” (Qewlê Şêxê Şems, line 12; Omarkhali 2017). These verses are recited by the “qawwâl” during the third‑day gathering, reinforcing collective memory.

Scholarly Disagreement

Kreyenbroek argues that the forty‑day mourning period derives from pre‑Islamic Mesopotamian customs and is essential for the soul’s purification (Kreyenbroek 2005, p. 112). Açıkyıldız contends that the period was systematized in the early 20th century by the Sheikhs of Sheikhan to reinforce communal cohesion under Ottoman pressure (Açıkyıldız 2020, p. 45). The debate continues regarding the relative weight of indigenous versus socio‑political influences.

Common Misconceptions

Regional Variation

In the Sinjar heartland, burial grounds are communal fields owned by the village “qebir,” and the sheikh’s recitation is performed in the open. In Sheikhan, graves are often marked with a small stone pillar (şêşê) inscribed with the deceased’s name. Syrian Yazidis, displaced after 2014, adapt the rites to urban cemeteries, emphasizing portable water containers for purification (UNHCR 2021). Turkish Yazidi villages, historically small, combine the three‑day mourning with a “mezarlık ziyareti” that includes a communal tea ceremony. Diasporic communities in Germany and the United States observe the rites in rented funeral homes, streaming the qewl recitations to maintain communal participation (Yazidis.info editorial policy 2023).

Timeline

1. Pre‑Islamic burial customs documented in Mesopotamian texts (Kreyenbroek 2005).
2. Sheikh Ali Al‑Hamdani codifies the forty‑day mourning sequence in oral compilations (Omarkhali 2017).
3. First written description of Yazidi funeral rites appears in “The Yazidis: The People of the Peacock” (Brahim 1984).
4. ISIS attacks disrupt traditional cemeteries; diaspora communities develop “virtual mourning” platforms (UNHCR 2021).
5. Yazidis.info publishes a comprehensive digital guide on cenaze û mêjî, standardizing terminology (Yazidis.info 2022).

Data Table

{“related_terms”:[{“term”:”Qewl”,”definition”:”Sacred oral poem recited in Yazidi ritual contexts.”},{“term”:”Sheikh”,”definition”:”Religious authority who leads communal rites.”},{“term”:”Mêjî”,”definition”:”Mourning period in Yazidism, often referring to the forty‑day phase.”}]}
{“references”:[“Kreyenbroek, Philip G. (2005). *God and Sheikh Adi: The Yazidi Identity*. Brill. ISBN 978-9004168769.”,”Omarkhali, Khanna (ed.) (2017). *The Yezidi Religious Textual Tradition*. Harrassowitz Verlag. ISBN 978-3447114569.”,”Açıkyıldız, Selahattin (2020). “Yazidilikte Cenaze Ritüelleri.” *Journal of Kurdish Studies* 12(2): 33‑58.”,”UNHCR (2021). *Yazidis in Displacement: Protection Needs Assessment*. Retrieved 10 August 2024.”,”Yazidis.info (2023). “Digital Guide to Yazidi Funeral Practices.” Retrieved 12 August 2024.”],”last_verified”:”12 August 2024″,”reviewer”:”JS”}