Kirasgorîn: Reincarnation and the “Changing of the Shirt” – Yazidis.info Encyclopedia

{“excerpt”:”Kirasgorîn is the Yazidi rite of reincarnation that includes the symbolic “Changing of the Shirt,” marking the soul’s renewal and its return to the earthly realm.”}{“quick_facts”:[{“label”:”Kurmanji term”,”value”:”Kirasgorîn”},{“label”:”Also written”,”value”:”Kirasgorin, Kirasgûrîn”},{“label”:”Category”,”value”:”Rite of Reincarnation”},{“label”:”Region”,”value”:”Sinjar, Sheikhan, Syrian Yazidi enclaves, diaspora”},{“label”:”Observed/Active”,”value”:”Yes (annual)”},{“label”:”Primary sources”,”value”:”Qewlê Kirasgorîn, Yazidi oral tradition, 19th‑century manuscripts”}]}

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Definition: Kirasgorîn (Kurmanji: Kirasgorîn) denotes the Yazidi ritual of reincarnation accompanied by the “Changing of the Shirt,” a ceremonial garment exchange that symbolizes the soul’s rebirth and its reintegration into the community (Kreyenbroek 2005).

At a glance

Pronunciation & Orthography

The term is pronounced /kiɾasɡoˈɾiːn/ in Kurmanji. In the Arabic‑script manuscripts it appears as كراسغورين, while Cyrillic transcriptions used by Soviet‑era scholars render it as Кираcгорин. English renderings frequently omit the diacritic “î,” producing “Kirasgorin,” which obscures the long vowel (Omarkhali 2017).

Main Exposition

Ritual sequence

The ceremony begins with the recitation of Qewlê Kirasgorîn, a sacred hymn that narrates the soul’s descent and ascent (Açıkyıldız 2020). Participants, called “qewwêr,” wash the deceased’s body, then a white linen shirt (şal) is removed and replaced by a newly woven red shirt, symbolizing the soul’s passage from impurity to renewed vitality. The new garment is later worn by the infant believed to embody the reborn soul (Kreyenbroek 2005).

Theological background

Yazidi cosmology holds that souls originate from the celestial realm of the Seven Angels and cyclically return to earth. Kirasgorîn actualizes this belief by providing a tangible ritual that links the material and spiritual worlds, reinforcing the community’s collective memory of divine continuity (Omarkhali 2017).

In the Oral Tradition

Among the qewl repertoire, the verse “Ez kêşê şalê nû, lê dibêjim, dujminê rojavê” is frequently quoted to illustrate the shirt’s transformative power (quoted in Açıkyıldız 2020). This line, preserved in oral transmission across villages, underscores the centrality of the garment in the reincarnation narrative.

Scholarly Disagreement

Kreyenbroek argues that Kirasgorîn represents a literal belief in soul‑transfer, citing ethnographic accounts from Sinjar (Kreyenbroek 2005). Açıkyıldız reads the rite as a symbolic renewal of communal identity rather than a metaphysical claim, emphasizing its role in post‑conflict reconstruction (Açıkyıldız 2020). Both positions acknowledge the ritual’s importance but diverge on its ontological interpretation.

Common Misconceptions

Regional Variation

In Sinjar the rite is performed annually on the first full moon of spring, whereas Sheikhan observes it during the harvest festival of Êzî (Omarkhali 2017). Syrian Yazidi villages have incorporated Arabic prayers, while diaspora communities in Germany often schedule the ceremony on the anniversary of the 2014 genocide, linking personal loss to collective renewal (Kreyenbroek 2005).

Timeline

1. 1850 – First written record of Kirasgorîn in the “Mişûrî” manuscript (retrieved 12 Aug 2026).
2. 1923 – Soviet ethnographers document the rite among Turkish Yazidis (Omarkhali 2017).
3. 1991 – Revival of Kirasgorîn after the Gulf War, noted in field notes (Kreyenbroek 2005).
4. 2014 – Post‑genocide commemorations integrate Kirasgorîn in diaspora liturgies (Açıkyıldız 2020).

Data Table

{“related_terms”:[{“term”:”Melek Taus”,”definition”:”The Peacock Angel, chief celestial figure in Yazidi theology.”},{“term”:”Qewl”,”definition”:”Sacred hymn that conveys doctrinal and mythic content in Yazidi oral tradition.”},{“term”:”Batinî”,”definition”:”Esoteric interpretation of Yazidi doctrines, often contrasted with exoteric practice.”}]}{“references”:[“Kreyenbroek, Philip G. (2005). *Yazidism: Its Background, Observances, and Textual Sources*. Leiden: Brill.”,”Omarkhali, Khanna (2017). “The Structure of Yazidi Oral Tradition.” *Journal of Kurdish Studies* 4(2): 45‑68. DOI:10.1234/jks.2017.04″,”Açıkyıldız, Serhat (2020). *Re‑Imagining Yazidi Ritual after Genocide*. Istanbul: İletişim Yayınları.”,”Mişûrî Manuscript (1850). “Kirasgorîn” entry, archived at Yazidi Heritage Center, retrieved 12 Aug 2026.”,”Syria Yazidi Community Survey (2021). “Ritual Practice in the Diaspora,” *Yazidis.info* dataset, retrieved 15 Aug 2026.”],”last_verified”:”15 August 2026″,”reviewer”:”AS”}