Short Answer
This encyclopedia entry surveys the regional diversity of Yazidi Qewl texts, drawing on recent scholarship and field research to present a nuanced picture of their form, function, and transmission.
Qewl (Kurmanji: qewl) are sacred, end‑rhymed hymns composed in the Northern Kurdish dialect that are chanted on solemn religious occasions and serve as the primary vehicle for Yazidi theological knowledge (Omarkhali 2011; Iranica 2023).
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Kurmanji name | qewl |
| Also written | qawl, qâwl |
| Category | Sacred hymn / liturgical poetry |
| Region | Primarily Iraqi Kurdistan, Turkey, diaspora (Europe, North America) |
| Observed/Active | Continuously recited; recorded in modern media since the 1990s |
| Primary sources | Omarkhali 2011, Omarkhali 2017, Rodziewicz 2018, Iranica entry |
Pronunciation & orthography
The term is spelled qewl in the Latin‑based Kurmanji alphabet, قەول in Arabic script, and къевл in Cyrillic‑based Kurdish orthographies. IPA: /qɛwl/. Common English misspellings include “qawl” and “kawl”.
Main exposition
Historical background
Yazidi religious literature has been transmitted orally for centuries, with Qewls occupying a status comparable to holy books in Abrahamic faiths (Rodziewicz 2018). The oral canon was only partially fixed in the early 20th century, when scholars began to record and publish the hymns (Omarkhali 2011).
Transmission mechanisms
Traditionally, hereditary professional reciters known as qawwāl learn a repertoire ranging from a few to over a hundred Qewls, memorising both the text and its specific melody (Iranica 2023). In Iraq, the qawwāl families are concentrated in the Sheikhan and Sinjar districts, while in Turkey they are found in the southeastern provinces of Mardin and Şanlıurfa (Omarkhali 2017). Diaspora communities rely on audio recordings, digital archives, and community workshops to sustain the tradition.
Textual features
Qewls are end‑rhymed, often long (the longest known contains 117 stanzas), and employ a rich metaphorical language that links cosmology, ethics, and ritual practice (Iranica 2023). The language is Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji), but regional variants incorporate Turkish loanwords in Turkey and borrowings from Arabic or Persian in Iraqi contexts.
Regional distinctions
Three major axes of variation have been documented:
- Lexical adaptation: Turkish‑border villages insert Turkish terms for flora, fauna, and everyday objects, whereas Iraqi Qewls retain older Kurdish forms (Omarkhali 2017).
- Melodic modality: The “kubrî” mode is standard in Iraqi recitations, while Turkish reciters often employ a slightly slower tempo and a distinct ornamental style (Rodziewicz 2018).
- Media format: Diaspora Qewls are increasingly disseminated via YouTube, CD‑ROM collections, and smartphone apps, leading to a hybrid oral‑written practice (Omarkhali 2017).
In the oral tradition
Fieldwork in Iraq, Turkey, and the South Caucasus confirms that Qewls function as both theological texts and performative rituals. A typical gathering begins with a short invocation, followed by the chanting of a Qewl accompanied by the daf (tambourine) and šebāb (flute) (Iranica 2023).
“The qawls are chanted to the accompaniment of the ‘sacred’ instruments, the tambourine (daf) and flute (šebāb).” (Iranica 2023)
Scholarly disagreement
Kreyenbroek argues that the core corpus of Qewls is fixed and any regional variation merely reflects performance style, not textual change (Kreyenbroek 2005). Açıkyıldız counters that dialectal insertions constitute genuine textual variants that challenge the notion of a single canonical text (Açıkyıldız 2019).
Common misconceptions
Regional variation
In the Sinjar basin (Iraq) the most frequently performed Qewls are “Qewlê Zebûnî Meksûr” and “Qewlê Bê û Elîf”, both preserving older Kurdish vocabulary. In Turkey, the “Qewlê Şêx‑Umar” includes Turkish lexical items and a distinctive melodic cadence. Diaspora communities in Germany and Sweden have produced recorded compilations that blend traditional instrumentation with contemporary arrangements, and they often teach the hymns using transliteration into Latin script to accommodate younger generations who are less fluent in Kurdish.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| c. 12th century | Earliest oral composition of Qewls (Rodziewicz 2018)3 |
| 1909 | First scholarly collection of Qewls published in Latin transcription (Omarkhali 2011)1 |
| 1990s | Audio recordings of Qewls begin circulating among diaspora (Omarkhali 2017)2 |
| 2015 | Digital archive of Qewl recordings launched, increasing access for diaspora (Omarkhali 2017)2 |
Data table
| Region | Estimated distinct Qewls | Active qawwāl families | Year of most recent codification effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iraq (Sinjar & Sheikhan) | ≈ 851 | ~ 121 | 20142 |
| Turkey (Mardin, Şanlıurfa) | ≈ 603 | ~ 83 | 20162 |
| European diaspora (Germany, Sweden) | ≈ 452 | ~ 5 (community choirs)2 | 20182 |
FAQ
How reliable are the oral recordings of Qewls used in this article?
The recordings come from fieldwork documented by Omarkhali (2017) and Rodziewicz (2018), both of which follow rigorous ethnographic protocols and have been peer‑reviewed.
Do Qewls differ in theological content across regions?
Core doctrines remain consistent; variations are primarily lexical, melodic, and in the selection of hymns, as noted by scholars such as Omarkhali and Rodziewicz.
Can non‑Yazidis access the Qewl repertoire?
Yes, many Qewls have been published in bilingual editions and are available in digital archives, though traditional performance contexts remain community‑restricted.
Leave a Reply