Adaptation of Yazidi Processional Rituals in the European Diaspora: Practices in Germany and Sweden

This encyclopedia entry surveys the scholarly literature on the adaptation of Yazidi processional rituals within European diaspora contexts, focusing on Germany and Sweden.

Processional rituals (Kurmanji: şewra) are organized ceremonial walks that move participants between sacred sites, embodying communal memory and theological narratives.

Pronunciation & orthography

Kurmanji spelling: şewra. Arabic‑script: شورا. Cyrillic (used historically in Soviet‑era Kurdish publications): шевра. IPA: /ˈʃeʊ.ra/. Common English misspellings include “shavra” and “shevra”.

Main exposition

Historical background of diaspora‑driven change

Large‑scale emigration from the Sheikhan valley began in the 1990s, intensifying after the 2014 ISIS genocide (Lund University 2026). These movements created new community hubs in European cities where traditional sacred geography could not be reproduced verbatim.

Swedish adaptation: the case of Borlänge

In Borlänge, Sweden – home to one of the largest Yazidi diaspora clusters in Western Europe – the community has established the Zahmanê Êzîdîa Li Dalarna cemetery (Lindqvist). Fieldwork shows that processional rites originally performed around the Lalish valley are now staged around the cemetery, with participants walking a linear route that symbolically mirrors the pilgrimage to Lalish (Lindqvist). The cemetery thus functions as a “portable sacred space” where oral narratives, music, and incense are reproduced in a Scandinavian setting.

German adaptation: urban and institutional mediation

In Germany, Yazidi communities have negotiated access to municipal parks and cultural centers to stage processions. According to Kokaisl, Hejzlarová, and Kreisslová, diaspora institutions – such as cultural associations and refugee support NGOs – facilitate the logistics of ritual routes, allowing processions to intersect public squares while preserving the ritual’s spatial logic (Kokaisl et al.).

Mechanisms of change: vernacular stability

The concept of “vernacular stability” describes how religious meaning survives through embodied memory, improvisation, and everyday practice rather than through fixed institutional structures (“Faith in displacement” 2025). Processional rituals exemplify this: the core sequence of songs, invocations, and pauses remains intact, while the surrounding material conditions (e.g., streets, cemeteries) shift.

Ritual space and diaspora memory

Both Swedish and German Yazidis anchor processional routes in locally meaningful sites – cemeteries, community halls, or public parks – while invoking the sacred geography of Lalish through chants and symbolic gestures. This dual anchoring sustains a sense of continuity across displacement (Kokaisl et al.).

In the oral tradition

Qewl verses that prescribe the order of pilgrimage steps are recited during processions, providing a lyrical map that guides participants even when the physical landscape has changed. A typical stanza declares:

“From the hill of the sun we walk, bearing the light of the Peacock; each step recalls the path of the Seven Angels.”

These verses are transmitted orally and adapted locally, demonstrating the fluidity of the oral corpus (“Faith in displacement” 2025).

Scholarly disagreement

Kokaisl, Hejzlarová, and Kreisslová argue that diaspora conditions fundamentally transform Yazidi ritual structures, creating new forms of authority and spatial meaning (Kokaisl et al. 2024). Other scholars maintain that the core theological content of the processions remains unchanged, emphasizing continuity over transformation (Lindqvist). The debate centers on whether diaspora‑induced innovations represent rupture or resilience.

Common misconceptions

Regional variation

In the Sinjar region, processions still follow ancient routes to Lalish; in Sheikhan, they incorporate local shrines. Syrian and Turkish Yazidis, where they remain, use modest village pathways. In the diaspora, Swedish Yazidis centre rites around cemeteries, while German Yazidis utilise public parks and cultural centers, reflecting differing municipal policies and community organization (Lindqvist; Kokaisl et al.).

Timeline

Data table