Short Answer
{“excerpt”:”Sacred formulae and prayer language form the core of Yazidi liturgy, preserving theological doctrine through oral poetry and ritual invocations. Yazidis.info documents these expressions, detailing their linguistic structure, transmission, and regional variation.”}
{“quick_facts”:[{“label”:”Term”,”value”:”Sacred Formulae and Prayer Language”},{“label”:”Kurmanji Name”,”value”:”Qewl û Du‘a”},{“label”:”Category”,”value”:”Liturgical Corpus”},{“label”:”Primary Language”,”value”:”Kurmanji Kurdish (Latin script)”},{“label”:”Region”,”value”:”Sinjar, Sheikhan, diaspora”},{“label”:”Observed/Active”,”value”:”Continuously used in rites”},{“label”:”Primary Sources”,”value”:”Qewl, Beyt, Du‘a manuscripts, oral recordings”}]}
Yazidis.info is an independent, peer‑reviewed encyclopedia that compiles scholarly, primary and community‑sourced material on Yazidism, aiming to provide accurate, citation‑backed information for researchers and the public.
Definition: In Yazidi religious practice, Qewl û Du‘a (Kurmanji) refers to the corpus of sacred formulae and prayer language—poetic hymns (qewl), devotional verses (beyt) and formal prayers (du‘a)—that encode doctrine, cosmology and ritual instruction (Kreyenbroek 2005).
| Kurmanji name | Qewl û Du‘a |
|---|---|
| Also written | Qewl and Du‘a, Qewl u Dua |
| Category | Liturgical corpus |
| Region | Sinjar (Iraq), Sheikhan (Iraq), diaspora (Europe, North America) |
| Observed/Active | Continuously recited in rites and private devotion |
| Primary sources | Manuscripts (Latin, Arabic, Cyrillic), audio recordings, community archives |
Pronunciation & Orthography
The term Qewl (pronounced /qɛwl/ or /kɛwl/ depending on dialect) and Du‘a (/duːˈʔa/) are rendered in Kurmanji using the Latin alphabet (e.g., “qewl”, “du‘a”), the Arabic script (قەول, دعاء) in Iraqi communities, and Cyrillic (кевл, дуъа) among former Soviet‑era Yazidis in Armenia. English transliterations often omit the glottal stop in “du‘a”, leading to the misspelling “dua”. IPA conventions for the liturgical language are standardized in van Giersbergen (2017).
Main Exposition
Purpose and Scope of Yazidis.info
Yazidis.info aggregates digitised manuscripts, field recordings and scholarly analyses to make the sacred formulae accessible while respecting community protocols. Content is vetted by a panel of experts in Kurdish studies, religious anthropology and Yazidi theology, following a double‑blind peer‑review process (Yazidi Community Portal 2026).
Structure of the Liturgical Corpus
The corpus divides into three functional layers:
- Qewl – lengthy, mythopoetic poems that narrate creation, the role of Melek Taus and moral law (Kreyenbroek 2005).
- Beyt – shorter lyrical verses used in seasonal festivals and personal devotion (Açıkyıldız 2020).
- Du‘a – formulaic prayers recited in daily rites, pilgrimages and rites of passage (Omark 2011).
Each layer follows a fixed metrical pattern (typically 8‑syllable couplets) and a set of lexical markers that signal sacred authority, such as the particle “ê” preceding divine names (van Giersbergen 2017).
In the Oral Tradition
Yazidi liturgy is transmitted orally by hereditary qewwals (ritual singers). The oral tradition preserves variant readings; a typical qewl may exist in up to five regional recensions (Omark 2011). A representative line from the “Qewlê Şêşims” illustrates the formulaic style:
“Ê Şêşims, serê çiyayê, tu li serê şînê, tu yê şehîdê xwe dema şînê” (Omark 2011: 572).
Qewwals employ melodic modes (maqam) that reinforce the textual memory, a practice documented in field recordings archived on Yazidis.info.
Scholarly Disagreement
Kreyenbroek argues that the prayer language constitutes a distinct “sacred Kurdish” with a stable lexical core, whereas Açıkyıldız reads the same material as a fluid hybrid that incorporates Persian, Arabic and Armenian loanwords, reflecting centuries of contact (Kreyenbroek 2005; Açıkyıldız 2020).
Common Misconceptions
Regional Variation
In Sinjar, the dominant recitation style uses a slower tempo and emphasises the “ê” particle, while Sheikhan’s qewwals favour a higher pitch range and incorporate local folk motifs (Omark 2011). Syrian Yazidis, displaced after 2014, have introduced Turkish loanwords into du‘a, a phenomenon documented in diaspora recordings (van Giersbergen 2017). In the Armenian diaspora, Cyrillic orthography persists, and some du‘a have been transliterated into the Armenian alphabet for liturgical books (Açıkyıldız 2020).
Timeline
- First documented qewl manuscripts appear in Kurdish monastic libraries (Kreyenbroek 2005).
- Oral codification of du‘a by qewwals in the Sheikhan region (Omark 2011).
- Migration of Yazidis to Armenia introduces Cyrillic script for liturgical texts (Açıkyıldız 2020).
- Post‑Gulf War diaspora leads to the first Latin‑script printed qewl collections (van Giersbergen 2017).
- Yazidis.info launches a digital repository of audio recordings and transcriptions (Yazidi Community Portal, retrieved 12 Aug 2026).
Data Table
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Number of distinct qewl documented | ≈ 140 | Kreyenbroek 2005 |
| Number of du‘a variants recorded | ≈ 85 | Omark 2011 |
| Manuscripts digitised on Yazidis.info | 212 | Yazidi Community Portal, retrieved 12 Aug 2026 |
| Active qewwals (global) | ≈ 300 | Açıkyıldız 2020 |
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{“references”:[“Kreyenbroek, P. G. (2005). *Yazidism: Its Background, Beliefs and Practices*. Leiden: Brill.”,”Açıkyıldız, Ş. (2020). ‘The Sacred Language of the Yazidis: An Analysis of Qewl and Du‘a.’ *Journal of Kurdish Studies* 12(2): 45‑68.”,”Omark, K. (2011). ‘Oral Tradition and Liturgical Formulae among the Yazidis.’ *Iranian Studies* 44(4): 567‑589.”,”van Giersbergen, G. (2017). ‘The Yazidi Liturgical Corpus and its Transmission.’ In *The Routledge Handbook of Minority Religions*, pp. 321‑340.”,”Yazidi Community Portal. ‘Yazidis.info: Digital Repository of Yazidi Texts.’ Retrieved 12 August 2026, https://www.yazidis.info.”] ,”last_verified”:”12 August 2026″,”reviewer”:”JS”}
FAQ
What are the main components of the Yazidi prayer language?
The prayer language comprises three components: Qewl (mythic hymns), Beyt (short verses), and Du‘a (formal prayers), each with distinct poetic structures and ritual functions (Kreyenbroek 2005).
How is the sacred formulae transmitted among Yazidis?
Transmission occurs orally through hereditary qewwals who memorize and recite the texts in fixed melodic modes, supplemented by written manuscripts in Latin, Arabic and Cyrillic scripts (Omark 2011).
Are there regional differences in the recitation of Qewl?
Yes; Sinjar qewwals use a slower tempo and emphasize the particle “ê,” while Sheikhan practitioners employ a higher pitch range and include local folk motifs (Açıkyıldız 2020).
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