Chamari: Representations of Death in Kurdish Worldview

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Persian Language and Literature, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

2 Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

This study explores the Chamari ritual, one of the death-related ceremonies in Kurdish culture, which is performed uniformly among Kurds of the Zagros, Taurus, and Mesopotamian regions. The research begins with an examination of the etymology and structure of the ritual, followed by an analysis of specific ritual acts and a narrative regarding its origin. The aim is to elucidate the Kurdish perception of death through a symbolic interpretation of the ritual and to offer a new perspective on the role of death within the Kurdish cultural and intellectual framework. Employing a qualitative approach grounded in symbolic and mythological analysis—particularly through the conceptual lens of Mircea Eliade—this study collects data from written sources, oral narratives, and field observations. The findings reveal that the Chamari ritual, through a complex human-cosmic symbolism, expresses the human condition via the language of vegetal life and encompasses those religious notions connected to the mystery of plant-based existence—a sacred mystery that governs the origin of life, sustenance, and death. This ritual is performed to facilitate the return of the deceased and reflects a religious worldview in which death is not the end of life, but rather a transition that enables rebirth. In this understanding, death serves not as a conclusion, but as a prelude to renewed existence.

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History

  • Receive Date: 01 August 2025
  • Revise Date: 16 May 2026
  • Accept Date: 30 May 2026

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