Qewl

Qewl ( Kurmanji قەول qewl ) is a genre of sacred hymns of the Yazidis , through which the religious knowledge of the Yazidis is passed on. The Qewls are passed on from generation to generation by the Qewal priestly caste, and are presented at religious ceremonies.

language

For the most part, almost all sacred texts of the Yazidis, to which the Qewls belong, are recited in Kurmanji. But there are also some in Arabic , these are from Sheikh Adi .

rite

Qewls are performed by the Qewal priests for various religious rites. In addition, the duff or the shebab, traditional Yazidi instruments, are played. The reciting of the Qewls does not aim to be understood by the believers, but to perform a sacred act. Qewls are sung in Lalisch to the Sema, as part of the Erefat, and the forty summer days. They are performed in villages for the Tawusgerran, during the Tiwaf and at every funeral. While the Qewls are being presented, the audience must be quiet and nobody is allowed to leave the room.

Content and function

The contents of the Qewls deal, among other things, with cosmogonic history, the early Yezidi community, divine miracles and the lives of saints and role models. Beliefs and philosophies are derived from this. In addition, Qewls contain instructions and landmarks for believers. However, since most of the Yazidis have little knowledge of Qewls, their validity for norms is questionable. When interpreting the Qewls one has to pay attention to who the text is addressed to. Some words are repeated more than once to emphasize their meaning. Qewls are metaphorical and lyrical when compared to other religious texts. The language of the texts is poetic Kurmanji mixed with Arabic, Turkish or Persian loan words. Because some of these words are ambiguous and their meaning can only be understood through the correct interpretation of the hymns, the Qewals can be viewed as a code, which requires a great understanding of Yezidi culture and the languages ​​used to decipher them. Like other narrative forms of the Yazidis, Qewals serve to pass on traditions. In addition, however, a connection with a higher reality can also be established. Since the Qewals are passed on orally, it is difficult to give an exact indication of the time when the Qewals were created. However, the content and the language can historically be examined for the origin of their emergence. Most of the Qewls' authors lived in the 12th and 13th centuries. Their names are usually included in the texts. They include authors such as Sheikh Fekhrê Adiyan, Pir Reshê, Heyran, Derwêsh Qatan, Babekrê Omera, Hesedê el-Tewrî, Dawidî bin Derman, Sheikh Obekir, Dewrêsh Hebîb, Kochek Jem, Derwêsh Qotik, Sheikh Havez Jeziri, Derwêsh Tewrîiri , Pir Khidir, Gavanê Zerza, Lawikê Pir, Ereb begî.

Classification and structure

The Yazidi tradition of oral transmission has many different genres, which differ in the content and function of the texts. The criteria for classifying the various genres are not strict. For example, a text in Armenian Yazidis can belong to a different genre than in Iraqi. Genres other than Qewals include Beyts (poems), Duʿa (prayer) or Cirok (legends, myths). Almost all Qewals, Du'as and Beyts consist of several stanzas, which usually have three verses. But that too can vary. Some texts have stanzas with two, four, five, seven and sometimes nine or twelve verses. The first and last stanzas are mostly different from the rest of the text. Almost all texts end with the sentence “Em kêm in, Xwedê yî temam e” (We are not perfect, God is perfect). Yazidi poems and hymns have very variable meters and rhymes. These can change even within a text. The meters and rhymes of the Yazidi texts are not the same as in Persian or Arabic lyrical compositions, since the orally transmitted texts have different requirements than the written Persian or Arabic ones. Most Yazidi religious texts are published without a refrain. However, in most Qewls and other Yazidi texts there is a refrain behind each stanza. The refrain indicates the division of a text and sometimes signals a change in the melody. Qewls and Beyts are the longest poems of the Yazidis. Usually a qewl has between 25 and 45 stanzas. But there are also qewls with 117, 137 and one with 160 stanzas. The Qewls also differ from one another. Qewlên Civatê deals with social issues, Qewlên Nesîhetê (Şîretên Dinyayî) are qewls who give advice. Berane Qewls are the most important Qewls because they contain the most important information about religion. Berane Qewls may only be learned from Qewals or other clergymen after they have demonstrated their ability to recite and interpret Qewls. You must first memorize the Berane Qewls. They are only allowed to interpret these after a certain period of time.

Publication of Qewls

Since the Yazidis attach a mysterious meaning to written religious texts and because some Yazidis believe that people go blind, they should be read, and until the 1970s only a few Qewls were put on paper. In Armenia, the first texts were written by the brothers Ordikhane Jelil and Celile Celil and in Iraq by Khalil Jindy Rashow, Bedelê Feqîr Hejî, and Khidir Pîr Silêman, which led Yazidis and scholars to draw new attention to the Qewls. The Qewls are becoming more popular due to the larger number of publications and the decline in illiteracy among the Yazidis. This is especially the case with young interested Yazidis, as the printed versions are considered good sources of information about their traditions. This led to the fact that the Qewls are now regarded as a kind of counterpart to the central works of other well-known religions such as the Bible or the Koran. Several Qewls were published on the Internet around 2004, leading to opposition among Yazidi clergymen. Publishing the texts is an insult and a degradation. The publication of the Qewls and other Yazidi texts make it possible for a larger number of Yazidis to read and interpret them. This also led to a new interpretation of the texts, as especially young educated Yazidis can now interpret the texts for themselves and their lives with contacts to followers of other religions.

Qewal caste

The Qewals, "the reciter", are a caste of priests whose job it is to recite the Qewls at religious festivals. The Qewals come from two families, the Dimlis, who speak Kurmanji, and the Tazhis, who speak an Arabic dialect. Qewals are trained for their tasks by part of the Adari Sheikhs. The training begins at a young age and includes lessons in reading and writing or learning the duff and shebab instruments. After the training, the qewals undergo an inspection by the Baba Sheikh . With the increasing textualization nowadays, the tradition of the Qewals is more and more in the hands of volunteers.

Qewl fakes

There are many Qewl forgeries on the Internet, these mostly come from Kurdish authors to assimilate the Yazidis and to convey nationalistic content. Pieces of music and books containing these forgeries have also been published. Only later did they appear on the Internet. Some of these forgeries claim that the Yazidis were Zoroastrians . Some examples of fake qewls are:

• Qewlê Zerdeşt (Hymn of Zarathustra ), note: this incorrectly refers to the founder of the religion of Zoroastrianism , but Yezidism does not know any founder.

• Qewlê Newroz (Hymn of Nouruz ), note: this incorrectly means the Kurdish New Year festival Newroz, but the Yezidi New Year festival is Çarşema Sor (Red Wednesday).

• Qewlê Êzîd (hymn of the Yazid), note: this incorrectly means the caliph Yazid ibn Muawiya , but Siltan Ezid has a different meaning in Yazidis.

• Qewlê Mezin (Great Hymn), Note: The same applies here as mentioned above, Siltan Êzîd is represented here as Yazid ibn Muawiya.

An example of Qewl

Beyta Heyî Malê	The Beyt of Oh Home	The Beyt Oh home
Qewl in Kurdish	English translation	German translation
"1 Heyî Mala min, heyî Mala min, Mala Bavê min, Teyîrekî Enqerî nave,	"Oh my home, oh my home, my Father's Home, There is a bird Enqer in it,	Oh my home, oh my home, mine My father's home There's a bird enqer in there
Ser piştê 366 cot silave	There are 366 pairs of greetings on its back.	There are 366 greeting couples On its back
2 Şêxekî bînin şêx be, Pîrekî bînin pîr be, Talibî zane, ji Mala Baba be, 70 govek bavê xa da ulma be.	Bring a Sheikh, [who] would be the [real] Sheikh Bring a Pîr, [who] would be the [real] Pîr, The known follower, [who] would be from the Father's Home, [Who] would be known in his lineage in the 70th generations.	Bring a sheikh who is the [real] Sheikh would be Bring a Pîr [which] the [real] Pîr would be The well-known follower [which] of would be the father's home [Which] in his line in the seventieth generation would be known.
3 Bira xêra Xudê ra Derê Reşbelekê veke, Belgê belgevêzê bixûne.	Let him in the name of God Open the doors of [the book] Resh- Belek , Read the leaf of plantain leaves.	Leave him in the name of God Open the doors [of the book] Resh Belek , read the plantain leaf.
4 Bira mi ra bêje: B'era Emenê çend keşkûl avî nav e, Orta 'erd-'ezman da çend gav e.	Let him tell me: How many keshk of water has the Ocean of Emen How many steps are between the earth and the heaven.	Let him tell me: How many keshkuls water has The ocean of Emen How many steps are there between the Earth and heaven
5 Heyî Malê, heyî Malê, heyî Mala Babanê, heyî lê, heyî malê, heyî malê ... Serê Dura elîf û bî ne, Serê lala elîf û bî ne.	Oh Home, oh Home, oh the Father's Home, Oh home, oh home ... On the Pearls 116 are A and B, On the rubies are A and B.	Oh home, oh home, oh father's home Oh home, oh home ... On the pearls are A and B On the rubies are A and B.
6 Teyrê Enqer Durre 'erşê' ezmîne, You melek lê xulîqîne, Yek bû nûra 'ezmîne, B'erê giran dimeyîne.	The Bird Enqer is the Pearl of the vault of heaven Two angels are created from it, One became the Light of the Earth, [Who] makes the great ocean coagulate [coalesce].	The Vogel Enger is the pearl of the Vault of heaven, Two angels are made of him One became the light of the earth [Which] coagulates the great oceans.
7 Yek çira çar qulba ye, Sitûna çar dîna ye, Çerxa felekê dorê dizivirîne, ba ye.	[Another] one is a luminary of four directions [of the world], Pillar of four religions, [He] turns the wheel of Fortune, [he] is [like] the wind.	Another is a heavenly body from the four directions [of the world], Pillar of four religions, [He] turns the wheel of fortune [he] is [like] the wind.
8 Heyî Malê, heyî Malê ... Serê Dura elîf û ba ne, Serê lala elîf û ba ne. Extiyarê rûniştine, Koçekê ser darê piya about dawastane, Fexrê gulî nûr e li 'ezman e	Oh home, oh home ... On the Pearls are A and B, On the rubies are A and B. Old people are singing, Kochek s stand on the trees. Fekhr of Gulî is a light in the Heaven.	Oh home, oh home ... On pearls A and B on rubies A and B. Old people sit, Kochek s stand in the trees. Fekhr of Gulî is a light in heaven.
9 Heyî Mala min, heyî Mala min, Serê Dura elîf û bî ne, Serê lala elîf û bî ne. Extiyarê rûniştine, Koçekê ser darê piya about dawastane, Roj me derket ji 'erşê girane, Bû çira boyî her çar qulbane, Sitûn boyî her çar dînane. "	Oh my home, oh my home On the Pearls are A and B, On the rubies are A and B. Old people are sitting, Kochek s stand on the trees. Our sun came out from the heavy Thrones, Became the Luminary of all four sides / directions, A Pillar for all four religions. "	Oh my home, oh my home on the pearls are A and B, on the rubies are A and B. Old people sit, Kochek s stand in the trees. Our sun came out of the heavy throne, became the celestial body of all four directions, One pillar for all four religions.

literature

• Dulz, Irene (2001): The Yazidis in Iraq. Between "model village" and escape. Hamburg: LIT (studies on the contemporary history of the Middle East and North Africa edited by Camilla Dawletschin-Linder, Helmut Mejcher (historical seminar, University of Hamburg) and Marianne Schmidt-Dumont (German Overseas Institute, Hamburg, vol. 8).

• Izady, Mehrdad R. (2009, cop. 1992): The Kurds. A concise handbook. London, New York: Taylor & Francis.

• Kreyenbroek, Philip G. (1995): Yezidism - its background, observances and textual tradition. Lewiston [u. a.]: E. Mellen Press (Texts and studies in religion, v. 62).

• Kreyenbroek, Philip G .; Jindy Rashow, Khalīl (2005): God and Sheikh Adi are perfect. Sacred poems and religious narratives from the yezidi tradition. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.

• Kreyenbroek, Philip G .; Marzolph, Ulrich; Yarshater, Ehsan (2010): Oral Literature of Iranian Languages, Companion II. Kurdish, Pashto, Balochi, Ossetic, Persian and Tajik. London: IB Tauris & Co (History of Persian Literature A, Vol XVIII).

• Omarkhali, Khanna (2011): Yezidi religious oral poetic literature. Status, formal characteristics, and genre analysis: With some examples of Yezidi religious texts. In Scrinium 7 (2), pp. 144-195. DOI: 10.1163 / 18177565-90000247.

• Savucu, Halil (2016): Yeziden in Germany. A religious community between tradition, integration and assimilation. Marburg: Tectum Verlag (Scientific articles from the Tectum Verlag. Religionswissenschaften series, Volume 9).

• Spät, Eszter (2008): Religious Oral Tradition and Literacy among the Yezidis of Iraq. In Anthropos 103 (2), pp. 393-403. Available online at http://www.jstor.org/stable/40467419.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Irene Dulz: The Yezidis in Iraq: between "model village" and escape . LIT Verlag Münster, 2001, ISBN 978-3-8258-5704-2 ( google.de [accessed on January 27, 2018]).
2. ↑ Philip G. Kreyenbroek: Oral Literature of Iranian Languages: Kurdish, Pashto, Balochi, Ossetic, Persian and Tajik: Companion Volume II: History of Persian Literature A . IBTauris, 2010, ISBN 978-0-85771-814-3 ( google.de [accessed on January 27, 2018]).
3. ^ Mehrdad R. Izady: The Kurds: A Concise Handbook . Taylor & Francis, 1992, ISBN 978-0-8448-1727-9 ( google.de [accessed January 27, 2018]).
4. ↑ Kreyenbroek, Philip G .; Jindy Rashow, Khalīl (2005), p. 47.
5. ↑ Kreyenbroek, Philip G .; Jindy Rashow, Khalīl (2005), p. 47.
6. ↑ Savucu, Halil (2016), p. 177
7. ↑ Omarkhali, Khanna (2011), p. 156
8. ↑ Omarkhali, Khanna (2011), p. 156
9. ↑ Kreyenbroek, Philip G .; Jindy Rashow, Khalīl (2005), p. 50.
10. ↑ Omarkhali, Khanna (2011), p 160
11. ↑ Omarkhali, Khanna (2011), p 160
12. ↑ Omarkhali, Khanna (2011), p. 150.
13. ↑ Omarkhali, Khanna (2011), p 151
14. ↑ Omarkhali, Khanna (2011), p. 154
15. ↑ Omarkhali, Khanna (2011), p. 154
16. ↑ Omarkhali, Khanna (2011), p 146
17. ↑ Omarkhali, Khanna (2011), S. 146th
18. ↑ Kreyenbroek, Philip G .; Jindy Rashow, Khalīl (2005), p. 46
19. ↑ Eszter Spät (2008), p. 369
20. ↑ Kreyenbroek, Philip G .; Jindy Rashow, Khalīl (2005), p. 46
21. ↑ Omarkhali, Khanna (2011), p. 148.
22. ↑ Eszter Spät (2008), p. 396
23. ↑ Kreyenbroek, Philip G. (1995), p. 132
24. ↑ Kreyenbroek, Philip G. (1995), p. 132.
25. ↑ Thomas Batsching, Tim Riedel: Refugees in the company: Practical guidelines for a successful hiring and integration . Haufe-Lexware, 2017, ISBN 978-3-648-09589-8 ( google.de [accessed on January 28, 2018]).
26. ↑ Şefik Tagay, Serhat Ortaç: The Ezidis and the Ezidism. (PDF) In: State Center for Political Education Hamburg. Retrieved January 28, 2018 . 
27. ↑ Omarkhali, Khanna (2011), pp. 193-195.
28. ↑ Omarkhali, Khanna (2011), pp. 193-195.