Part of a series on the Yazidi religion Yazidism |
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Yazidi literature is literature produced by the Yazidi people. Although Yazidi literature has traditionally been primarily oral, many Yazidi texts have been transcribed since the 1970s. Kurmanji is the main language used. [1]
Unlike the other major religions of the Near East, Yazidism does not have a standardized canon of religious texts, since religious knowledge is traditionally transmitted orally. [2]
Some of the largest text collections of Yazidi literature have been compiled by Philip G. Kreyenbroek (2005) [3] and Khanna Omarkhali (2017). [4] Other compilations of various Yazidi texts are those of Christine Allison (2001) [2] and Teimuraz Avdoev, a Georgian Yazidi. [5]
This section contains a comprehensive list of Yazidi oral religious texts as compiled by Omarkhali (2017). [4]
Yazidi oral religious poetry can be categorized into the following categories. [4]
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Qesîdes of the Pîrs:
Qesîdes of the Sheikhs:
Mishabet texts are sermons:
Çîrok and Çîvanok texts are stories or narratives:
Dastan texts are tales:
This section lists Yazidi oral religious texts that have been translated into English.
Some representative samples of Yazidi oral religious poetry transcribed and compiled by Khanna Omarkhali (2017) include the following. [4]
Yazidi literature compiled by Philip G. Kreyenbroek (2005): [3]
Philip G. Kreyenbroek (1995) includes the following Yazidi texts: [1]
In Islam, duʿāʾ is a prayer of invocation, supplication or request, asking help or assistance from God. Duʿāʾ is an integral aspect of Islamic worship and spirituality, serving as a direct line of communication between a believer and Allah. Unlike the formal five daily prayers (Salah) which have specific timings and rituals, duʿāʾ is more flexible and can be made at any time and in any place. Through duʿāʾ, Muslims affirm their dependence on Allah and their trust in His wisdom and mercy.
In Western ritual magic, invocations are a field involving communicating or interacting with certain incorporeal, supernatural spirits. Invocation may take the form of:
Tawûsî Melek is one of the central figures of the Yazidi religion. In Yazidi creation stories, before the creation of this world, God created seven Divine Beings, of whom Tawûsî Melek was appointed as the leader. God assigned all of the world's affairs to these seven Divine Beings, also often referred to as the Seven Angels or heft sirr.
Yazidism, also known as Sharfadin, is a monotheistic ethnic religion that originated in Kurdistan and has roots in a western Iranic pre-Zoroastrian religion directly derived from the Indo-Iranian tradition. It is followed by the mainly Kurdish-speaking Yazidis and is based on belief in one God who created the world and entrusted it into the care of seven Holy Beings, known as Angels. Preeminent among these Angels is Tawûsî Melek, who is the leader of the Angels and who has authority over the world.
‘Adī ibn Musāfir was a Yazidi sheikh who is also considered a Yazidi saint. The Yazidis consider him as an avatar of Tawûsî Melek, which means "Peacock Angel". His tomb at Lalish, Iraq is a focal point of Yazidi pilgrimage.
Kurdish literature is literature written in the Kurdish languages. Literary Kurdish works have been written in each of the Six main languages: Zaza, Gorani, Kurmanji, Sorani, Laki and Southern Kurdish. Balül was a 9th century poet and religious scholar of the Yarsani faith is the first well-known poet who wrote in Gorani Kurdish. Moreover Ali Hariri (1009–1079) from the Hakkari region is one of the first well-known poets who wrote in Kurmanji Kurdish.
Yazdânism, or the Cult of Angels, is a pseudohistoric pre-Islamic religion with claimed ties relating to a Mithraic religion of the Kurds. The term was introduced and proposed by Kurdish and Belgian scholar Mehrdad Izady to represent what he considers the "original" religion of the Kurds.
Sheikh or Malak Fakhr ad-Dīn is a holy figure venerated in Yazidism, he is considered one of the Seven Divine Beings, to all of whom God assigned the World's affairs, and his earthly incarnation is considered one of the four sons of Ezdina Mir along with Nasirdin, Sheikh Shems, and Sejadin, who are the respective ancestors and patriarchs of the four Şemsanî Sheikh lineages and are considered to have been avatars of the angelic beings. Fexredîn is considered the personification of the Moon, while his brother, Sheikh Shems is the personification of the Sun.
Yazidis, also spelled Yezidis, are a Kurdish-speaking endogamous religious group who are indigenous to Kurdistan, a geographical region in Western Asia that includes parts of Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran. The majority of Yazidis remaining in the Middle East today live in Iraq, primarily in the governorates of Nineveh and Duhok.
Bashiqa is a town situated at the heart of the Nineveh plain, between Mosul and Sheikhan, on the edges of Mount Maqlub.
Mahad is a village located in the Shekhan District of the Dohuk Governorate of Kurdistan Region in Iraq. The village is located 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) southeast of Ain Sifni in the Nineveh Plains. Mahad is populated by Yazidis.
The persecution of Yazidis has been ongoing since at least the 12th century. Yazidis are an endogamous and mostly Kurmanji-speaking minority, indigenous to Kurdistan. The Yazidi religion is regarded as "devil-worship" by Muslims and Islamists. Yazidis have been persecuted by the surrounding Muslims since the medieval ages, most notably by Safavids, Ottomans, neighbouring Muslim Arab and Kurdish tribes and principalities. After the 2014 Sinjar massacre of thousands of Yazidis by ISIL, which started the ethnic, cultural, and religious genocide of the Yazidis in Iraq, Yazidis still face discrimination from the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government.
There is a social organizational structure in the Yazidi community. There are three main castes, namely the Mirids, the Sheikhs, and the Pirs. Furthermore, there are positions for dignitaries in the Yazidi hierarchy.
Sheikh Shems or Melek Shams ad-Din is a holy figure venerated in Yazidism, he is considered one of the Seven Divine Beings, to all of whom God assigned the World's affairs, and his earthly incarnation is considered one of the four sons of Ezdina Mir along with Nasirdîn, Fexredîn, and Sicadîn, who are the respective ancestors and patriarchs of the four Şemsanî Sheikh lineages.
Ezdina Mir or Ezdine Mir is a Yazidi holy figure who was the father of Sheikh Shems, Fexredîn, Nasirdin, and Sejadin, making him the ancestor of all Şemsanî Sheikhs. According to Yazidi oral traditions, Sheikh Adi is said to have met Ezdina Mir when he first went to Lalish. He was married twice, first to Sitiya Zin, who was the daughter of Sheikh Adi, he later also married Sitiya Ereb.
Shehîd ibn Jerr is the name for Seth in Yazidism.
The Yazidi New Year (Sersal) is called Çarşema Sor or Çarşema Serê Nîsanê in Kurmanji. It falls in spring, on the first Wednesday of the April and Nîsan months in the Julian and Seleucid calendars, i.e. the first Wednesday on or after 14 April according to the Gregorian calendar.
The Cejna Cemayê is a Yazidi festival that takes place annually from 6 October to 13 October, in honor of the Sheikh Adi. It is an important time for cohesion and includes an annual pilgrimage to the tomb of Sheikh Adi in Lalish, along with many important ceremonies throughout the festive days.
Pîr Xidir Silêman was a Kurdish-Yazidi writer, teacher and parliamentarian. He was born 1952 in the town of Ain Sifni in Shekhan, Iraq. He completed his secondary education in Shekhan in 1970 and studied Kurdish language and literature at the University of Baghdad. In 1974-1975, he worked as a translator for Dengê Kurdistan Radio and in 1977 he became Kurdish language teacher in Shekhan. In 1979, he joined Kurdish Writers' Union, of whom he became the president from 1991 to 1997, making him the first Yazidi to run the Union. He was also the editor-in-chief for their magazine. From 1992-1997, he was the president of Lalish Cultural Center, which he co-founded and was established in 1993 to archive and preserve Yazidi culture and history. He also edited for Lalish Magazine, which was owned by him until his death. In 2005, he became a member of Kurdistan Parliament. On 14–15 November 2021, he suffered a stroke at his home in Shekhan and was taken to Azadi Hospital in Duhok, where he died some hours later due to heart attack.