Kevirê Hêvê

General Information

Also Known As

Kevirê Hêvê shrine, Stone of the Moon, Stone of Hope

Type

Ziyareta

Nahiya (Subdistrict)

Reco

Village or Nearby Villages

Dumilya

Current Status

Intact

Kevirê Hêvê (Stone of Hope) is a shrine of Dumilya.

Ritual Practices & Beliefs

During times of drought, villagers gathered around the stone to pray to God for rain, slaughter chickens or other animals, pour blood onto the stone, collect money, oil, and bulgur, prepare and distribute food, and eat together. People also came there for illness, childlessness, or other wishes.12

One woman recounts that she had suffered for many years from a severe ailment affecting her head and eyes. She had visited doctors in Aleppo and says that nearly two hundred thousand had been spent on treatment without curing her. On a Wednesday, her mother vowed to slaughter a rooster at Kevirê Hêvê. The woman used teberik, blessed material taken from the stone, on her eyes, poured water on them, and drank the water. After she began to feel better, her father brought a rooster the following Wednesday. It was slaughtered on the stone, a drop of its blood was placed on her eye or head, and food was prepared and eaten with others. She says that she recovered within a week and that the event occurred some sixty or seventy years earlier.3

Transcripts

Dumilya (Ax û Welat - Episode 730):

  • 16:09 – The voiceover explains that during droughts, the villagers gather around the Kevirê Hêvê stone inside the village.
  • 17:31 – A resident explains how chickens are sacrificed and blood is poured at the stone.
  • 18:22 – Another resident talks about the history and name of Kevirê Hêvê.
  • 20:22 – A resident begins her account of the long-term head and eye ailment.
  • 20:43 – She describes her mother's Wednesday vow at Kevirê Hêvê.
  • 21:22 – She describes the rooster sacrifice, application of blood, communal food, and recovery.

Dumilya (Ax û Welat - Episode 1110):

  • 17:22 – A resident details the rain-praying and healing vows at Kevirê Hêvê.
  • 18:22 – The name and ancestral memories of Kevirê Hêvê are discussed.

Videography

Dumilya (Ax û Welat - Episode 730): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qNzpMPPfBM

Dumilya (Ax û Welat - Episode 1110): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_1jdYTm2B8

Bibliography

References

  1. Ax û Welat, Episode 730, "Dumilya," published 2017, YouTube video, at 17:22-19:23, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qNzpMPPfBM. Quote: "Ê her jarê baran nebarî, û yek naxweş bî ... tê ber Xwedê û xwa digerînin. Mirîşkekê xwa jar jê dikin, xwînê xwa dirjînin, li ber Xwedê digerin, cem kevirê hêvê em vêra divên. ... Emê lev kûm bin, yanê şqenaetî kê pera don, zeyt do, bilxir do, amê werin. ... Bav di ro şîvê bikin, belav bikin ... emê bixwin jî." English translation: "Whenever rain did not fall, or someone was sick ... they came before God and beseeched Him. They slaughtered a chicken, poured its blood, and prayed before God at what we call Kevirê Hêvê. ... We would gather together; whoever willingly gave money, oil, or bulgur, we would bring it. ... They would make the meal, distribute it ... and we would eat too." ↩

  2. Ax û Welat, Episode 1110, "Dumilya," published 2017, YouTube video, at 16:08-18:22, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_1jdYTm2B8. Quote: "Û dema baran nabarin, gundî li dora kevirekî hêvê ku di nava gunda ye kom dibin. Qurbanekê serjê dikin, û ji Xwedê dixwazin ku baran lê bike. Gundî xwîna qurbanê li ser kevir dikin ... Î her carê baran nebarî, û yek nexweş bî ... Mirîşkekê xwa serjê dikin, xwîna xwa dirjînin ... Emê lev kûm bûn, yanê ji qeneetî kê pere dan, zê dan, bilxur dan ... Ber vî dera şîvê bikin, sawarê çêkin, qelê çêkin û belav kin ... Em dibên kevirê hêvê." English translation: "When rain does not fall, the villagers gather around a stone of hope inside the village. They slaughter a sacrifice and ask God to make rain fall. The villagers put the sacrificial blood on the stone ... Whenever rain did not fall, or someone was sick ... they slaughtered a chicken and poured its blood ... We would gather together; whoever willingly gave money, oil, or bulgur ... They would make dinner here, make bulgur, prepare fried meat, and distribute it ... We call it Kevirê Hêvê." ↩

  3. Ax û Welat, Episode 730, "Dumilya," at 20:22-21:43. Quote: "Nexweşiya min, serçavê min bî. Şêst salan serçavê min gelek bî heraret ... Dextirê Heleb çiqas pir bûn, egerîm. Yekê nêzîkî du sed hezar li min çû. ... Çarşembî. Got min qinyata xwe bi kevirê hêvê kirî. ... Min teberik girt da ser çavê xwe deş. Min av dikir ser, veda xwar. ... Me ferûca xwe anî, me yekûyekî tacmera jerjêkir, li ser kevir. Û xwîna gindî da yekî pîçê xwe, li ser çavê min hîşt. ... Hefta li serê nebî, serçavê min çêbî. ... Şêst sal, heftê sal hene." English translation: "My illness was in my head/eye. For sixty years my head/eye had much fever ... I went around to many doctors in Aleppo. Nearly two hundred thousand was spent on me. ... It was Wednesday. She said, I have put my faith in Kevirê Hêvê. ... I took the blessing and rubbed it on my eyes. I poured water on it and drank it. ... We brought our rooster and slaughtered it carefully on the stone. He put a small drop of its blood on my eye. ... A week had not passed before my head/eye was cured. ... It has been sixty or seventy years." ↩