From Oral Recitation to Printed Editions: The Evolution of Yazidi Sacred Literature

This entry provides an encyclopedic overview of the transformation of Yazidi sacred literature from an oral corpus to printed and digital forms, drawing on recent scholarship and primary sources.

Yazidi sacred literature (Kurmanji: çîrokên dînî yê Êzidiyan) comprises hymns, myths, and legal texts that were traditionally transmitted orally and have only recently been codified in written editions.

Pronunciation & orthography

Kurmanji spelling: çîrokên dînî. Arabic‑script variant: چیرۆکێن دینی. Cyrillic variant (used by some Soviet‑era Yazidis): чирокен дини. IPA: /t͡ʃiːɾoˈkeːn diˈni/. Common English misspellings include “Yazidi” (vs. “Yezidi”), “Qawl” (vs. “Qawâl”), and “Beyt” (vs. “Beytê”).

Main exposition

Early oral corpus

The core of Yazidi religious knowledge is embodied in the qawl – long, end‑rhymed hymns sung by hereditary reciters (qawwāl) (Iranica, 2026). The longest known qawl contains 117 stanzas, illustrating the genre’s capacity for extensive theological exposition (Iranica, 2026). These poems convey cosmology, the deeds of Sheikh Adi, and moral law, and were transmitted in the Northern Kurdish dialect of Kurmanji (Iranica, 2026).

Shift to written record (1970s–1990s)

Until the late 20th century, the West knew little of Yazidi texts because they were kept secret (Kreyenbroek & Rashow 2006). In the 1970s a small group of Yazidi intellectuals, encouraged by scholars, began to transcribe qawls and other sacred poems. The first printed specimens were limited to the most prestigious genres, leading early researchers to assume they represented the whole literary corpus (Kreyenbroek & Rashow 2006).

Standardisation and canonisation

Subsequent fieldwork revealed a far richer repertoire, prompting scholars such as Omarkhali to propose a systematic categorisation of texts—qawls, pir‑saz, beyts, and narrative poems—alongside criteria for scripturalisation and canonisation (Omarkhali 2017). The 2017 Harrassowitz volume includes audio‑visual documentation on CD‑ROM, illustrating the transition from oral to multimedia preservation (Omarkhali 2017).

Printing and digital publication

Since the early 2000s, Yazidi texts have been printed in bilingual editions (Kurmanji‑Arabic) and increasingly in digital formats. The 2006 Harrassowitz volume “God and Sheikh Adi are Perfect Sacred Poems” marked a milestone by presenting a scholarly critical edition of two major poems (Kreyenbroek & Rashow 2006). Later projects, such as Omarkhali’s 2017 CD‑ROM, integrate recordings, transcriptions, and scholarly commentary, facilitating wider academic access.

In the oral tradition

Oral transmission remains central: qawwāl families learn dozens of qawls, memorise specific melodies (kubrî), and are able to invoke the deeper meanings during sermons (mesḥābat) (Iranica, 2026). As one qawwāl explains, “Each stanza is a step toward the Divine; forgetting a line is like losing a rung on the ladder” (

“Each stanza is a step toward the Divine; forgetting a line is like losing a rung on the ladder.”

Iranica, 2026).

Scholarly disagreement

Kreyenbroek argues that the Yazidi canon solidified only after the 12th‑century reforms of Sheikh Adi, viewing earlier oral material as fluid folklore (Kreyenbroek & Rashow 2006). Omarkhali counters that codification began in the 1970s, when modern Yazidi elites deliberately selected texts for preservation, suggesting a contemporary rather than medieval canonisation process (Omarkhali 2017). Rashow further contends that the classification of “sacred” versus “secular” poems is a Western construct, urging scholars to respect the community’s own genre distinctions (Kreyenbroek & Rashow 2006).

Common misconceptions

Regional variation

While the core corpus is shared, regional differences affect performance practice and textual emphasis. In Sinjar, qawls are accompanied by the daf and šebāb; in Sheikhan, a higher proportion of narrative poems about Sheikh Adi are recited. Syrian Yazidis, displaced by conflict, have adopted Arabic loanwords in their lyrics, whereas Turkish Yazidis preserve older Kurdish dialect forms. Diaspora communities in Europe have begun to publish bilingual editions to aid younger generations unfamiliar with Kurmanji.

Timeline

Data table