The Role of Qewlê Çarşema Sor in Yazidi New Year Rituals and Theology

This entry offers a scholarly overview of the Qewlê Çarşema Sor, the central hymn of the Yazidi New Year, and its multifaceted role within ritual practice and theological thought.

Qewlê Çarşema Sor (Kurmanji: Çarşema‑sor) is the sacred hymn recited on the eve of the Yazidi New Year, encapsulating the community’s cosmogonic narrative and directing the ceremonial actions of the Red Wednesday celebration.

Pronunciation & orthography

Kurmanji spelling: Qewlê Çarşema Sor. Arabic‑script rendering used in Lalish manuscripts: قەولێ چارشەمە سۆر. Cyrillic variant (historical Soviet‑era Kurdish texts): Кевле Чаршема Сор. IPA: /qɛwlɛ t͡ʃɑɾʃeˈmɑ soɾ/. Common English misspellings include “Qawl‑Red Wednesday” and “Qewl‑Carshama Sor”.

Main exposition

Cosmogonic symbolism of the Pearl

The hymn opens with the image of a luminous Pearl that breaks into coloured fragments, a motif identified by Rodziewicz as representing the transition from primordial darkness to the first steps of creation (1). This Pearl metaphor underlies the entire Red Wednesday rite, where coloured eggs symbolize the shattered Pearl and the emergence of a ordered world.

Ritual performance during Çarşema Sor

On the Tuesday evening preceding the New Year, Yazidis boil and colour eggs, bake the ceremonial sawuk bread, and visit graves (2). The recitation of Qewlê Çarşema Sor accompanies the mixing of eggs with clay and flowers, an act that reenacts the Pearl’s fragmentation and recombination (1). The hymn’s verses are chanted at the entrance of the sacred Zemzem spring in Lalish, where participants receive blessings before climbing the surrounding hills.

Theological significance

Beyond its ritual function, the qewl articulates a theological narrative in which the Pearl embodies Tawûsê Melek’s first act of illumination. By singing the hymn, the community affirms the continuity of divine order and re‑establishes the covenant between humanity and the celestial hierarchy (3).

Integration in the liturgical calendar

Çarşema Sor marks the transition from the “dark of indefiniteness” to the “new world” phase of the Yazidi cosmological cycle (1). Consequently, the hymn is performed not only on the New Year but also during other rites that invoke renewal, such as the spring planting festivals in Sheikhan.

In the oral tradition

The qewl is transmitted orally by designated qewwal (hymn‑singers) who memorize the verses through repetitive performance. The oral corpus preserves slight melodic variations across regions, yet the core text remains stable.

“The Pearl, bright as the morning sun, shattered into many colours; from each fragment the world is born.”

—excerpt from the traditional recitation, as recorded by field researchers in Lalish (1).

Scholarly disagreement

Kreyenbroek argues that the Pearl motif should be read as a metaphor for the primordial “white” (pure) state of existence, emphasizing a monistic interpretation of Yazidi cosmology (3). Omarkhali, however, contends that the hymn reflects a dualistic worldview where the Pearl’s breaking signals the emergence of both light and darkness, a reading supported by comparative analysis of other qewls (4). Rodziewicz focuses on the performative aspect, suggesting that the egg‑breaking ritual is a later accretion that re‑interprets the ancient myth in agrarian terms (1).

Common misconceptions

Regional variation

In the Sinjar heartland, the hymn is sung in a slower, chant‑like mode, while in Sheikhan the tempo is faster and includes spontaneous melismatic ornamentation. Syrian Yazidis incorporate additional verses praising local saints, and Turkish communities sometimes substitute the traditional sawuk bread with regional pastries. Diaspora congregations in Europe tend to translate the qewl into Latin script for younger members, yet retain the original melody (3).

Timeline

Data table