Yazidism

Last updated

Yazidism
Êzdiyatî  
ئێزدیتی
Pilgrims and festival at Lalish on the day of the Yezidi New Year in 2017 06 (cropped).jpg
Pilgrims celebrating the Yazidi new year festival at Lalish, Iraq
Type Ethnic religion
Classification Iranian religions [1] [2]
Scripture Yazidi Book of Revelation, Yazidi Black Book
Theology Monotheistic
Mir Hazim Tahsin or Naif Dawud [3]
Baba Sheikh Sheikh Ali Ilyas [4]
Language Kurmanji (Kurdish)
Headquarters Lalish
Origin12th century
Kurdistan
Membersc. 1,000,000–1,500,000 [5] [6]
Other name(s)Şerfedîn

Yazidism, [lower-alpha 1] also known as Sharfadin, [lower-alpha 2] [7] [8] [9] [10] is a monotheistic ethnic religion [11] [12] [13] [14] that originated in Kurdistan [15] and has roots in a western Iranic pre-Zoroastrian religion directly derived from the Indo-Iranian tradition. [16] 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. [7] [17] [18] Preeminent among these Angels is Tawûsî Melek (also spelled as Melek Taûs), who is the leader of the Angels and who has authority over the world. [7] [18] [19]

Contents

History

Principal beliefs

Yazidi shrine of Mame Reshan, partially destroyed by ISIL, in the Sinjar Mountains. Views around the Yezidi shrine of Mame Reshan after its destruction by the Islamic State, in the Shingal mountains overlooking Shingal 06.jpg
Yazidi shrine of Mame Reshan, partially destroyed by ISIL, in the Sinjar Mountains.

Yazidis believe in one God, to whom they refer as Xwedê, Xwedawend, Êzdan, and Pedsha ('King'), and, less commonly, Ellah and Heq. [2] [10] [17] [7] [20] According to some Yazidi hymns (known as Qewls), God has 1,001 names, or 3,003 names according to other Qewls. [21] [22] In Yazidism, fire, water, air, and the earth are sacred elements that are not to be polluted. During prayer Yazidis face towards the Sun, for which they were often called "sun worshippers". The Yazidi myth of creation begins with the description of the emptiness and the absence of order in the Universe. Prior to the World's creation, God created a dur (white pearl) in spiritual form from his own pure Light and alone dwelt in it. [23] First there was an esoteric world, and after that an exoteric world was created. Before the creation of this world God created seven Divine Beings (often called "Angels" in Yazidi literature) to whom he assigned all the world's affairs; the leader of the Seven Angels was appointed Tawûsî Melek ("Peacock Angel"). [7] [18] [24] The end of Creation is closely connected with the creation of mankind and the transition from mythological to historical time. [10] [19] [17]

Tawûsî Melek

Melek Taus, the Peacock Angel. This emblem features Tawuse Melek in the center, the Sumerian digir on the left, and the domes above Sheikh 'Adi's tomb on the right. Pavaangyal.jpg
Melek Taûs, the Peacock Angel. This emblem features Tawûsê Melek in the center, the Sumerian diĝir on the left, and the domes above Sheikh 'Adī's tomb on the right.
Tawusi Melek depicted as a peacock inside the display case on the grave of a Yazidi believer, cemetery of the Yazidi community in Hanover. Yesidisches Graberfeld Stadtfriedhof Hannover Lahe Pfau im Schaukasten auf dem Grab von Yezidi Suleiman Daoud.jpg
Tawûsî Melek depicted as a peacock inside the display case on the grave of a Yazidi believer, cemetery of the Yazidi community in Hanover.

The Yazidis believe in a divine Triad. [7] [18] [24] The original, hidden God of the Yazidis is considered to be remote and inactive in relation to his creation, except to contain and bind it together within his essence. [7] His first emanation is Melek Taûs (Tawûsî Melek), the Peacock Angel, who functions as the ruler of the world. [7] [18] [24] The second hypostasis of the divine Triad is the Sheikh 'Adī. The third is Sultan Ezid. These are the three hypostases of the one God. The identity of these three is sometimes blurred, with Sheikh 'Adī considered to be a manifestation of Tawûsî Melek and vice versa; the same also applies to Sultan Ezid. [7] Yazidis are called Miletê Tawûsî Melek ("the nation of Tawûsî Melek"). [25]

Muslims and Christians have erroneously associated and identified the Peacock Angel with their own conception of the unredeemed evil spirit Satan, [7] [18] [24] [26] : 29  [27] a misconception which has incited centuries of violent religious persecution of the Yazidis as "devil-worshippers". [7] [18] [24] [28] [29] Persecution of Yazidis has continued in their home communities within the borders of modern Iraq. [7] [18] [30]

Yazidis, however, believe Tawûsî Melek is not a source of evil or wickedness. [7] [18] [24] They consider him to be the leader of the archangels, not a fallen angel. [7] [24] [26] [27]

The Yazidis of Kurdistan have been called many things, most notoriously 'devil-worshippers', a term used both by unsympathetic neighbours and fascinated Westerners. This sensational epithet is not only deeply offensive to the Yazidis themselves, but quite simply wrong. [31] Non-Yazidis have associated Melek Taûs with Shaitan (Islamic/Arab name) or Satan, but Yazidis find that offensive and do not actually mention that name. [31]

Holy figures

Quba Mere Diwane is the largest temple of the Yazidis in the world, located in the Armenian village of Aknalich. The temple is dedicated to Melek Taus and the Seven Angels of Yazidi theology. Jezida templo en aknalico.jpg
Quba Mêrê Dîwanê is the largest temple of the Yazidis in the world, located in the Armenian village of Aknalich. The temple is dedicated to Melek Taûs and the Seven Angels of Yazidi theology.

Yezidis believe in Seven Angels, considered the emanations of God, who, In Yazidi creation stories, were created by God from his own light (nûr) before the creation of this world. God assigned all of the world's affairs to these seven Angels and Tawûsê Melek was appointed as the leader. The angels are also referred to as Heft Sirr ("the Seven Mysteries"). In this context, they have, so to speak, a part of God in themselves. Another word that is used for this is sur or sirr (literally: 'mystery'), which denotes a divine essence from which the angels were created. [32] This pure divine essence called Sur or Sirr has its own personality and will and is also called Sura Xudê ('the Sur of God'). [33] This term refers to the essence of the Divine itself, that is, God. The Angels share this essence from their creator who is God. [32] In religious literature, these Angels are sometimes referred to as Cibrayîl, Ezrayîl, Mîkayîl, Şifqayîl, Derdayîl, Ezafîl, and Ezazîl. [34] The leader of these Angels is known as Tawûsê Melek, and the others are better known by the names of their earthly incarnations/representations: Fexreddin, Sheikh Shems, Nasirdin, Sejadin, Sheikh Obekr, and Shex Hesen (Şêxsin). [35] [36] [37]

The Yazidi pantheon contains a total of 365 holy figures venerated by Yazidis, [38] designated by various special terms including Xudan, Xas, Mêr and Babçak. According to Yazidi beliefs, God is almighty and absolute, and the Xudans are a part of His power, moreover, in relation to nature, Yazidis believe in Xudans for most of natural elements and phenomena and they are regarded as divine powers that have control over these phenomena. In Yazidi mythology, the Xudans appeared after the creation of the world for the four elements of nature and their manifestations. [39]

Sheikh 'Adī

Entrance to the Yazidi Temple in Lalish Dergehe perestgeha Lalishe 1 2012.JPG
Entrance to the Yazidi Temple in Lalish

One of the important figures of Yazidism is Sheikh 'Adī ibn Musafir. Sheikh 'Adī ibn Musafir settled in the valley of Laliş (some 58 kilometres (36 mi) northeast of Mosul) in the Yazidi mountains in the early 12th century and founded the 'Adawiyya Sufi order. He died in 1162, and his tomb at Laliş is a focal point of Yazidi pilgrimage and the principal Yazidi holy site. [40] Yazidism has many influences: Sufi influence and imagery (especially taken from Mansur al-Hallaj) [41] can be seen in the religious vocabulary, especially in the terminology of the Yazidis' esoteric literature, but most of the theology, rituals, traditions, and festivals remains non-Islamic. Its cosmogony for instance has many points in common with those of ancient Iranian religions. [42] [43] [44] [45] [2]

Rebirth and concept of time

Yazidis believe in the rebirth of the soul. Like the Ahl-e Haqq, the Yazidis use the metaphor of a change of garment to describe the process, which plays an exceptional role in Yazidi religiosity and is called the "change of [one's] shirt" (kirasgorîn). There is also a belief that some of the events from the time of creation repeat themselves in cycles of history. In Yazidism, different concepts of time coexist: [10]

In Yazidism, the older original concept of metempsychosis and the cyclic perception of the course of time is harmonised and coexists with the younger idea of a collective eschatology. [10]

Cosmogony and beginning of life

The Yazidi cosmogony is recorded in several sacred texts and traditions. It can therefore only be inferred and understood through an overall view of the sacred texts and traditions. The cosmogony can be divided into three stages:

  1. Enzel – the state before the pearl burst (dur).
  2. Developments immediately after the burst – cosmogony II
  3. The creation of the earth and man – anthropogony [47] [48]

The term Enzel is one of the frequently mentioned terms in the religious vocabulary and it comes up numerous times in the religious hymns, known as Qewls. For instance, in Qewlê Tawisî Melek:

"Ya Rebî ji Enzel de her tuyî qedîmî" (English: Oh, Creator of the Enzel, you are infinite) [49]

And Dûa Razanê:

Ezdayî me, ji direke enzelî me (English: I am a follower of God, I come from an "enzelî" pearl) [49]

Thus, the term Enzel can also be referred to as a "pure, spiritual, immaterial and infinite world", "the Beyond" or "the sphere beyond the profane world". The Enzel stage describes a spaceless and timeless state and therefore illustrates a supernatural state. In this stage, initially there is only a God, who creates a pearl out of his own light, in which his shining throne (textê nûrî) is located.

Qewlê Bê Elif:

Padşê min bi xo efirandî dura beyzaye – My King created the white pearl from himself

Textê nûrî sedef – The shining throne in the pearl [49]

The Yazidi qewls mention the universe as having originated from a white pearl that existed in pre-eternity. At the beginning of the time prior to the creation, God emerged from the cosmic pearl, which rested on the horns of a bull that stood on the back of a fish. After God and the pearl separated, the universe burst out of the pearl and became visible as waves rippled across from pearl to form the primeval Cosmic Ocean. [21] As the pearl burst open, the beginning of the material universe was set in motion. Mihbet (meaning 'love') came into being and was laid as the original foundation, colours began to form, and red, yellow and white began to shine from the burst pearl.

The Yazidi religion has its own perception of the colours, which is seen in the mythology and shown through clothing taboos, in religious ceremonies, customs and rituals. Colours are perceived as the symbolizations of nature and the beginning of life, thus the emphasis of colours can be found in the creation myth. The colors white, red, green and yellow in particular are frequently emphasized. White is considered the color of purity and peace and is the main colour of the religious clothing of the Yazidis. [50] [2] [48]

Yazidi accounts of the creation differ significantly from those of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), since they are derived from the Ancient Mesopotamian and Indo-Iranian traditions; therefore, Yazidi cosmogony is closer to those of Ancient Iranian religions, Yarsanism, and Zoroastrianism. [51] [52]

Yazidi sacred texts

The religious literature of Yazidis is composed mostly of poetry which is orally transmitted in mainly Kurmanji and includes numerous genres, such as Qewl (religious hymn), Beyt (poem), Du‛a (prayer), Dirozge (another kind of prayer), Şehdetiya Dîn (the Declaration of the Faith), Terqîn (prayer for after a sacrifice), Pişt perde (literally 'under the veil', another genre), Qesîde (Qasida), Sema‛ (literally 'listening'), Lavij, Xerîbo, Xizêmok, Payîzok, and Robarîn. The poetic literature is composed in an advanced and archaic language where more complex terms are used, which may be difficult to understand for those who are not trained in religious knowledge.[ citation needed ] Therefore, they are accompanied by some prosaic genres of the Yazidi literature that often interpret the contents of the poems and provide explanations of their contexts in the spoken language comprehensible among the common population. The prosaic genres include Çîrok and Çîvanok (legends and myths), and Dastan and Menal Pîrs (interpretations of religious hymns). [53] [1] Yazidis also possess some written texts, such as the sacred manuscripts called mişûrs and individual collections of religious texts called cilvê and Keşkûl, although they are rarer and often safekept among Yazidis. [54] Yazidis are also said to have two holy books, Book of Revelation and Black Book whose authenticities are debated among scholars. [1]

Holy books

The Yazidi holy books are claimed to be the Book of Revelation and Black Book. Scholars generally agree that the manuscripts of both books published in 1911 and 1913 were forgeries written by non-Yazidis in response to Western travellers' and scholars' interest in the Yazidi religion; however, the material in them is consistent with authentic Yazidi traditions. [1] True texts of those names may have existed, but remain obscure. The real core texts of the religion that exist today are the hymns known as qawls; they have also been orally transmitted during most of their history, but are now being collected with the assent of the community, effectively transforming Yazidism into a scriptural religion. [1] The sacred texts had already been translated into English by the early 20th century. [55]

Qewl and Beyt

A very important genre of oral literature of the Yazidi community consists of religious hymns, called Qewls, which literally means 'word, speech' (from Arabic qawl). The performers of these hymns, called the Qewal , constitute a distinct class within the Yazidi society. They are a veritable source of ancient Yazidi lore and are traditionally recruited from the non-religious members of other Kurdish tribes, principally the Dumilî and Hekarî. [56] [18] [10] The qewls are full of cryptic allusions and usually need to be accompanied by čirōks ('stories') that explain their context. [1]

Mishur

Mishurs are a type of sacred manuscripts that were written down in the 13th century and handed down to each lineage (ocax) of the Pirs; each of the manuscripts contain descriptions of the founder of the Pir lineage that they were distributed to, along with a list of Kurdish tribes and other priestly lineages that were affiliated with the founder. The mishurs are safekept among the families of Pirs in particular places that are designated for their safekeeping; these places are referred to as stêr in Kurmanji. [57] According to the Yazidi tradition, there are a total of 40 mishurs which were distributed to the 40 lineages of Pirs. [10]

Festivals

Yazidi New Year festival at Lalish (18 April 2017) celebrating the start of the new year which begins the following day. Pilgrims and festival at Lalish on the day of the Yezidi New Year in 2017 21.jpg
Yazidi New Year festival at Lalish (18 April 2017) celebrating the start of the new year which begins the following day.

Yazidi New Year

The Yazidi New Year (Sersal) is called Çarşema sor ("Red Wednesday") [23] or Çarşema Serê Nîsanê ("Wednesday at the beginning of April"). [58] It falls in spring, on the first Wednesday [59] 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. [60] [61]

Feast of Êzî

Yazidis celebrating a Yazidi ceremony called Tawwaf in the town of Bashiqa in Iraq. A Yazidi ceremony called Tawwaf in the town of Baashiqa in Iraq.jpg
Yazidis celebrating a Yazidi ceremony called Tawwaf in the town of Bashiqa in Iraq.

One of the most important Yazidi festivals is Îda Êzî ("Feast of Êzî"), which is celebrated in commemoration of the divine figure Sultan Ezid. Which every year takes place on the first Friday on or after 14 December. Before this festival, the Yazidis fast for three days, where nothing is eaten from sunrise to sunset. The Îda Êzî festival is celebrated in honor of God and the three days of fasting before are also associated with the ever shorter days before the winter solstice, when the Sun is less and less visible. With the Îda Êzî festival, the fasting time is ended. The festival is often celebrated with music, food, drinks and dance. [62]

Tawûsgeran

Another important festival is the Tawûsgeran , where Qewals and other religious dignitaries visit Yazidi villages, bringing the sinjaq, sacred images of a peacock symbolizing Tawûsê Melek. These are venerated, fees are collected from the pious, sermons are preached and holy water and berat (small stones from Lalish) distributed. [63] [64]

Feast of the Assembly

Tomb of Sheikh 'Adi' (Sex Adi) in Lalish Lalish.jpg
Tomb of Sheikh 'Adī' (Şêx Adî) in Lalish

The greatest festival of the year is the Cêjna Cemaiya ('Feast of the Assembly'), which includes an annual pilgrimage to the tomb of Sheikh 'Adī' (Şêx Adî) in Lalish, northern Iraq. The festival is celebrated from 6 October to 13 October, [65] in honor of the Sheikh Adi. It is an important time for cohesion. [66]

If possible, Yazidis make at least one pilgrimage to Lalish during their lifetime, and those living in the region try to attend at least once a year for the Feast of the Assembly in autumn. [67]

Tiwaf

Tiwafs are yearly feasts of shrines and their holy beings which constitute an important part of Yazidi religious and communal life. Every village that contains a shrine holds annual tiwafs in the name of the holy being to which the shrine is dedicated. [68] [69]

Religious practices

Prayers

Prayers occupy a special status in Yazidi literature. They contain important symbols and religious knowledge connected with the Holy Men, God, and daily situations. The prayers are mostly private and as a rule they are not performed in public. Yazidis pray towards the sun, [70] usually privately, or the prayers are recited by one person during a gathering. The prayers are classified according to their own content. There are:

Purity and taboos

The Chel Mera Temple, or "40 Men Temple", on the highest peak of the Sinjar Mountains in northern Iraq. The temple is so old that no one remembers how it came to have that name, but it is believed to derive from the burial of forty men on the mountaintop site. YezidiTemple.JPG
The Chel Mera Temple, or "40 Men Temple", on the highest peak of the Sinjar Mountains in northern Iraq. The temple is so old that no one remembers how it came to have that name, but it is believed to derive from the burial of forty men on the mountaintop site.

Many Yazidis consider pork to be prohibited. However, many Yazidis living in Germany began to view this taboo as a foreign belief from Judaism or Islam and not part of Yazidism, and therefore abandoned this rule. [72] Furthermore, in a BBC interview in April 2010, Baba Sheikh, the spiritual leader of all Yazidis, stated that ordinary Yazidis may eat what they want, but the religious clergy refrain from certain vegetables (including cabbage) because "they cause gases". [73]

Some Yazidis in Armenia and Georgia who converted to Christianity, still identify as Yazidis even after converting, [74] but are not accepted by the other Yazidis as Yazidis. [75]

Customs

Baptism of a Yazidi child in Lalish Baptizma ezidiyan.jpg
Baptism of a Yazidi child in Lalish

Children are baptised at birth and circumcision is not required, but is practised by some due to regional customs. [76] The Yazidi baptism is called mor kirin (literally: 'to seal'). Traditionally, Yazidi children are baptised at birth with water from the Kaniya Sipî ('White Spring') at Lalish. It involves pouring holy water from the spring on the child's head three times. [77] [78]

Religious organisation

The Yazidis are strictly endogamous; [79] [80] members of the three Yazidi castes, the murids, sheikhs, and pirs, marry only within their group. [27]

There are several religious duties that are performed by several dignitaries, such as the Mir Hejj (Prince of the Pilgrimage), Sheikh el-Wazir (who oversees the sanctuary of Sheikh Shems at Lalish), Pire Esbiya (treasurer of the sanctuary of Sheikh Shems at Lalish), Mijewir (local shrine custodian), Baba Chawush (guardian of the sanctuary of Sheikh Adi), and others. [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tawûsî Melek</span> Angelic Being, one of the central figures of the Yazidi religion

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.

<i>Yazidi Black Book</i> Holy text

The Yazidi Black Book is one of two books written in the style of a holy book of the Yazidis in their native Kurmanji tongue, the other being the Yazidi Book of Revelation. The authenticity of these two books has been questioned. Dr. Frederick Forbes visited Sinjar in 1838 and ascribed the authorship of the Yazidi Black Book to Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir. It is believed that the content of the Yazidi Black Book is a fusion of authentic Yazidi traditions and beliefs with Western forgeries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir</span>

‘Adī ibn Musāfir was a Sunni Muslim 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.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yazidis</span> Ethnoreligious group or Kurdish minority primarily from northern Iraq

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.

The Yazidism in Russia refers to believers of Yazidism in Russia. This community is part of the Yazidis who emigrated to Russia from the Armenian and Georgian parts of the Soviet Union after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. In 2009, the Yazidis were recognized as a religious community in Russia.

Khanna Omarkhali, also known as Khanna Usoyan, is a Yezidi-Kurdish religion researcher.

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 Sejadin or Sejad 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 Nasirdîn, Sheikh Shems, and Fexredîn, who are the respective ancestors and patriarchs of the four Şemsanî Sheikh lineages and are considered to have been avatars of the angelic beings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasirdîn</span> Yazidi holy figure

Sheikh Nasirdin, Melek Nasirdin or Naṣir ad-Dīn is a holy figure venerated in Yezidism, 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 Sheikh Shems, Fakhraddin, and Sejadin, who are the respective ancestors and patriarchs of the four Şemsanî Sheikh lineages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheikh Shems</span> Yazidi holy figure

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheikh Mand</span> Yazidi saint

Sheikh Mand or Sheikh Mend was a 13th-century Yazidi saint. He is the son of Şêx Fexredîn and thus belongs to the Şemsanî lineage of sheikhs. His sister was Khatuna Fekhra, revered today as one of the most important Yazidi female saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khatuna Fekhra</span>

Khatuna Fekhra is a holy Yazidi female figure who is venerated as the Xudan of women and children as well as patron of childbirth and pregnancy.

Sheikh Obekr or Obekir 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 13th century earthly incarnation is considered the founding patriarch of the Qatani lineage of Sheikhs.

Shehîd ibn Jerr is the name for Seth in Yazidism.

Sultan Êzîd is a divine figure in the Yazidi religion. Although many scholars consider his name to be derived from that of the second Umayyad caliph Yazid I, Yazidis consider him to be a separate figure unconnected to the historical Yazid I. Yazidis typically consider him to be part of a triad of divine emanations of God, though he is sometimes also considered to be identical with the angel Melek Tawus, and thus a manifestation or emanation of God.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yazidi New Year</span> Yazidi festival

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.

References

  1. ↑ Kurdish: ئێزدیتی, romanized: Êzdîtî, or Êzdiyatî
  2. ↑ Kurdish: شهرفهدین, romanized: Şerfedîn, lit.  'Religion of Honor'
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Allison, Christine (20 September 2016) [20 July 2004]. "YAZIDIS i. GENERAL". Encyclopædia Iranica . New York: Columbia University. doi:10.1163/2330-4804_EIRO_COM_1252. ISSN   2330-4804. Archived from the original on 17 November 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Kreyenbroek, Philip G. (1995). Yezidism: its Background, Observances, and Textual Tradition. Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press. ISBN   978-0-7734-9004-8.
  3. ↑ "Yezidis divided on spiritual leader's successor elect rival Mir".
  4. ↑ "The Yazidis are still struggling to survive". The Economist. 2020-12-10. ISSN   0013-0613 . Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  5. ↑ Lamb, Christina (2020-09-22). Our Bodies, Their Battlefields: War Through the Lives of Women. Simon and Schuster. p. 24. ISBN   978-1-5011-9917-2.
  6. ↑ "Aziz Tamoyan blames unknown forces for crippling history and culture of Yazidis". armenpress.am. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Asatrian, Garnik S.; Arakelova, Victoria (2014). "Part I: The One God - Malak-Tāwūs: The Leader of the Triad". The Religion of the Peacock Angel: The Yezidis and Their Spirit World. Gnostica. Abingdon, Oxfordshire: Routledge. pp. 1–28. doi:10.4324/9781315728896. ISBN   978-1-84465-761-2. OCLC   931029996.
  8. ↑ Rodziewicz, Artur (2018). "The Nation of the Sur: The Yezidi Identity Between Modern and Ancient Myth". In Bocheńska, Joanna (ed.). Rediscovering Kurdistan's Cultures and Identities. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 272. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-93088-6_7. ISBN   978-0-415-07265-6.
  9. ↑ "مه‌زارگه‌هێ شه‌رفه‌دین هێشتا ژ ئالیێ هێزێن پێشمه‌رگه‌ی ڤه ‌دهێته‌ پاراستن" (in Kurdish). Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Omarkhali, Khanna (2017). The Yezidi religious textual tradition, from oral to written : categories, transmission, scripturalisation, and canonisation of the Yezidi oral religious texts: with samples of oral and written religious texts and with audio and video samples on CD-ROM. Harrassowitz Verlag. ISBN   978-3-447-10856-0. OCLC   994778968.
  11. ↑ Taneja, Preti (2007). Assimilation, Exodus, Eradication: Iraq's Minority Communities Since 2003. Minority Rights Group International. p. 13. ISBN   978-1-904584-60-5.
  12. ↑ Chapman, Chris; Taneja, Preti (2009). Uncertain Refuge, Dangerous Return: Iraq's Uprooted Minorities. Minority Rights Group International. p. 8. ISBN   978-1-904584-90-2.
  13. ↑ Muscati, Samer; Watch (Organization), Human Rights (2009). On Vulnerable Ground: Violence Against Minority Communities in Nineveh Province's Disputed Territories. Human Rights Watch. p. 18. ISBN   978-1-56432-552-5.
  14. ↑ Sorenson, David (2018-10-03). An Introduction to the Modern Middle East, Student Economy Edition: History, Religion, Political Economy, Politics. Routledge. p. 82. ISBN   978-0-429-96271-4.
  15. ↑ Omarkhali, Khanna; Kreyenbroek, Philip G. (2016). "Yezidism and Yezidi Studies in the early 21st century". Kurdish Studies. 4 (2): 122. doi:10.33182/ks.v4i2.424.
  16. ↑ (1) Turgut, Lokman. Ancient rites and old religions in Kurdistan. OCLC   879288867. (2) Kaczorowski, Karol (2014). "Yezidism and Proto-Indo-Iranian Religion". Fritillaria Kurdica. Bulletin of Kurdish Studies (3–4). (3) Foltz, Richard (2017-06-01). "The "Original" Kurdish Religion? Kurdish Nationalism and the False Conflation of the Yezidi and Zoroastrian Traditions". Journal of Persianate Studies. 10 (1): 87–106. doi:10.1163/18747167-12341309. ISSN   1874-7094. (4) Omarkhali, Khanna (2009–2010). "The status and role of the Yezidi legends and myths: to the question of comparative analysis of Yezidism, Yārisān (Ahl-e Haqq) and Zoroastrianism: a common substratum?". Folia Orientalia. 45–46: 197–219. OCLC   999248462. (5) Kreyenbroek, Philip G. (1995). Yezidism--its Background, Observances, and Textual Tradition. Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press. ISBN   978-0-7734-9004-8.
  17. 1 2 3 Açikyildiz, Birgül (2014-12-23). The Yezidis: The History of a Community, Culture and Religion. I.B.Tauris. ISBN   9780857720610.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Allison, Christine (25 January 2017). "The Yazidis". Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.013.254. ISBN   9780199340378. Archived from the original on 11 March 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  19. 1 2 Maisel, Sebastian (2016-12-24). Yezidis in Syria: Identity Building among a Double Minority. Lexington Books. ISBN   9780739177754.
  20. ↑ Omarkhali, Khanna (December 2009). "Names of God and Forms of Address to God in Yezidism. With the Religious Hymn of the Lord". Manuscripta Orientalia International Journal for Oriental Manuscript Research. 15 (2).
  21. 1 2 3 Kreyenbroek, Philip (2005). God and Sheikh Adi are perfect: sacred poems and religious narratives from the Yezidi tradition. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. ISBN   978-3-447-05300-6. OCLC   63127403.
  22. ↑ Kartal, Celalettin (2016-06-22). Deutsche Yeziden: Geschichte, Gegenwart, Prognosen (in German). Tectum Wissenschaftsverlag. ISBN   9783828864887.
  23. 1 2 Rodziewicz, Artur (December 2016). Asatrian, Garnik S. (ed.). "And the Pearl Became an Egg: The Yezidi Red Wednesday and Its Cosmogonic Background". Iran and the Caucasus . 20 (3–4). Leiden: Brill Publishers in collaboration with the Caucasian Centre for Iranian Studies (Yerevan): 347–367. doi:10.1163/1573384X-20160306. eISSN   1573-384X. ISSN   1609-8498. JSTOR   44631092. LCCN   2001227055. OCLC   233145721.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Asatrian, Garnik S.; Arakelova, Victoria (January 2003). Asatrian, Garnik S. (ed.). "Malak-Tāwūs: The Peacock Angel of the Yezidis". Iran and the Caucasus . 7 (1–2). Leiden: Brill Publishers in collaboration with the Caucasian Centre for Iranian Studies (Yerevan): 1–36. doi:10.1163/157338403X00015. eISSN   1573-384X. ISSN   1609-8498. JSTOR   4030968. LCCN   2001227055. OCLC   233145721.
  25. ↑ Asatrian, Garnik S.; Arakelova, Victoria (2014-09-03). The Religion of the Peacock Angel: The Yezidis and Their Spirit World. Routledge. ISBN   978-1-317-54428-9.
  26. 1 2 van Bruinessen, Martin (1992). "Chapter 2: Kurdish society, ethnicity, nationalism and refugee problems". In Kreyenbroek, Philip G.; Sperl, Stefan (eds.). The Kurds: A Contemporary Overview. London: Routledge. pp.  26–52. ISBN   978-0-415-07265-6. OCLC   919303390.
  27. 1 2 3 Açikyildiz, Birgül (2014). The Yezidis: The History of a Community, Culture and Religion. London: I.B. Tauris & Company. ISBN   978-1-784-53216-1. OCLC   888467694.
  28. ↑ Li, Shirley (8 August 2014). "A Very Brief History of the Yazidi and What They're Up Against in Iraq". The Atlantic .
  29. ↑ Jalabi, Raya (11 August 2014). "Who are the Yazidis and why is Isis hunting them?". The Guardian .
  30. ↑ Thomas, Sean (19 August 2007). "The Devil worshippers of Iraq" . The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 2022-01-12.
  31. 1 2 Allison, C. (1998). "The Evolution of the Yezidi Religion. From Spoken Word to Written Scripture" (PDF). The Evolution of Yezidi Religion - From Spoken Word to Written Scripture. Vol. 1. ISIM, Leiden. p. 14.{{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  32. 1 2 Spät, Eszter (2009). "Late Antique Motifs in Yezidi Oral Tradition" (PDF). Central European University . p. 71.
  33. ↑ Rodziewicz, Artur (2018). "The Nation of the Sur: The Yezidi Identity Between Modern and Ancient Myth". In Bocheńska, Joanna (ed.). Rediscovering Kurdistan's Cultures and Identities. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 259–326. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-93088-6_7. ISBN   978-0-415-07265-6.
  34. ↑ Авдоев, Теймураз (2011). Историко-теософский аспект езидизма [Historical and Theosophical Aspect of Yezidism] (in Russian). Э.РА. p. 314. ISBN   978-5-905016-967.
  35. ↑ Murad, Jasim Elias (1993). The Sacred Poems of the Yazidis: An Anthropological Approach. University of California, Los Angeles.
  36. ↑ Kreyenbroek, Philip G. (1995). Yezidism--its Background, Observances, and Textual Tradition. Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press. ISBN   978-0-7734-9004-8.
  37. ↑ Açikyildiz, Birgül (2019-12-17). The Yezidis: The History of a Community, Culture and Religion. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. ISBN   978-1-350-14927-4.
  38. ↑ Spat, Eszter (2016-10-08). "Hola Hola Tawusi Melek, Hola Hola Şehidêt Şingalê: Persecution and the Development of Yezidi Ritual Life". Kurdish Studies. 4 (2): 155–175. doi:10.33182/ks.v4i2.426. ISSN   2051-4891.
  39. ↑ Aysif, Rezan Shivan (2021). The Role of Nature in Yezidism. Göttingen: Göttingen University Press. pp. 94, 107. doi:10.17875/gup2021-1855. ISBN   978-3-86395-514-4. S2CID   246596953.
  40. ↑ Late Antique Motifs in Yezidi Oral Tradition by Eszter Spät. Ch. 9 "The Origin Myth of the Yezidis" section "The Myth of Shehid Bin Jer" (p. 347)
  41. ↑ Rodziewicz, Artur (2022), Hosseini, S. Behnaz (ed.), "The Mystery of Essence and the Essence of Mystery: Yezidi and Yaresan Cosmogonies in the Light of the Kitab al-Tawasin", Yari Religion in Iran, Singapore: Springer Singapore, pp. 103–187, doi:10.1007/978-981-16-6444-1_6, ISBN   978-981-16-6443-4, S2CID   247034058 , retrieved 2022-03-08
  42. ↑ Turgut, Lokman. Ancient rites and old religions in Kurdistan. OCLC   879288867.
  43. ↑ Kaczorowski, Karol (2014). "Yezidism and Proto-Indo-Iranian Religion". Fritillaria Kurdica. Bulletin of Kurdish Studies (3–4).
  44. ↑ Foltz, Richard (2017-06-01). "The "Original" Kurdish Religion? Kurdish Nationalism and the False Conflation of the Yezidi and Zoroastrian Traditions". Journal of Persianate Studies. 10 (1): 87–106. doi:10.1163/18747167-12341309. ISSN   1874-7094.
  45. ↑ Omarkhali, Khanna (2009–2010). "The status and role of the Yezidi legends and myths: to the question of comparative analysis of Yezidism, Yārisān (Ahl-e Haqq) and Zoroastrianism: a common substratum?". Folia Orientalia. 45–46: 197–219. OCLC   999248462.
  46. ↑ Agustí., Allison, Christine, ed. Joisten-Pruschke, Anke, ed. Wendtland, Antje, ed. Kreyenbroek, Philip G., 1948- Alemany i Vilamajó (2009). From Daena to Din : religion, Kultur und Sprache in der iranischen Welt: festschrift für Philip Kreyenbroek zum 60. Geburtstag. Harrassowitz. ISBN   978-3-447-05917-6. OCLC   1120653126.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  47. ↑ Franz, Erhard (2004). "Yeziden - Eine alte Religionsgemeinschaft zwischen Tradition und Moderne" (PDF). Deutsches Orient-Institut.
  48. 1 2 Omarkhali, Khanna; Rezania, K. (2009). "Some reflections on the concepts of time in Yezidism". In Christine Allison; Anke Joisten-Pruschke; Antje Wendtland (eds.). From Daēnā to Dîn Religion, Kultur und Sprache in der iranischen Welt.
  49. 1 2 3 Авдоев, Теймураз (2020). NEWŞE DÎNÊ ÊZÎDIYAN ЕЗИДСКОЕ СВЯЩЕНОСЛОВИЕ THE YEZIDI HOLY HYMNES.
  50. ↑ "Schöpfungsmythos – Êzîpedia" (in German). Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  51. ↑ Richard Foltz Religions of Iran: From Prehistory to the Present Oneworld Publications, 01.11.2013 ISBN   9781780743097 p. 221
  52. ↑ Omarkhali, Khanna (2009–2010). "The status and role of the Yezidi legends and myths. To the question of comparative analysis of Yezidism, Yārisān (Ahl-e Haqq) and Zoroastrianism: a common substratum?". Folia Orientalia. 45–46.
  53. 1 2 Omarkhali, Khanna (2011-03-20). "YEZIDI RELIGIOUS ORAL POETIC LITERATURE: STATUS, FORMAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND GENRE ANALYSIS: With some examples of Yezidi religious texts". Scrinium. 7–8 (2): 144–195. doi: 10.1163/18177565-90000247 . ISSN   1817-7530.
  54. ↑ Bocheńska, Joanna, ed. (2018). Rediscovering Kurdistan's Cultures and Identities. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-93088-6. ISBN   978-3-319-93087-9.
  55. ↑ ""Devil worship"; the sacred books and traditions of the Yezidiz" (PDF).
  56. ↑ Cheung, Johnny (28 October 2016). "Qewl | Yezidi Stories" . Retrieved 2021-06-02.
  57. ↑ Pirbari, Dimitri; Mossaki, Nodar; Yezdin, Mirza Sileman (2019-11-19). "A Yezidi Manuscript:—Mišūr of P'īr Sīnī Bahrī/P'īr Sīnī Dārānī, Its Study and Critical Analysis". Iranian Studies. 53 (1–2): 223–257. doi:10.1080/00210862.2019.1669118. ISSN   0021-0862. S2CID   214483496.
  58. ↑ Авдоев, Теймураз (2017-09-05). Историко-теософский аспект езидизма (in Russian). Litres. ISBN   9785040433988.
  59. ↑ Rodziewicz, Artur (March 2020). "The Yezidi Wednesday and the Music of the Spheres" . Iranian Studies. 53 (1–2): 259–293. doi:10.1080/00210862.2019.1654287. ISSN   0021-0862. S2CID   211672629.
  60. ↑ "Das êzîdîsche Neujahr" (PDF).
  61. ↑ Bozarslan, Hamit; Gunes, Cengiz; Yadirgi, Veli, eds. (2021-04-22). The Cambridge History of the Kurds (1 ed.). Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108623711. ISBN   978-1-108-62371-1. S2CID   243594800.
  62. ↑ Urban, Elke (2019-07-24). Transkulturelle Pflege am Lebensende: Umgang mit Sterbenden und Verstorbenen unterschiedlicher Religionen und Kulturen (in German). Kohlhammer Verlag. ISBN   9783170359383.
  63. ↑ Kreyenbroek, Philip G. (2009). Yezidism in Europe: Different Generations Speak about Their Religion. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. ISBN   9783447060608.
  64. ↑ Maisel, Sebastian (2016-12-24). Yezidis in Syria: Identity Building among a Double Minority. Lexington Books. ISBN   9780739177754.
  65. ↑ Guest (2012-11-12). Survival Among The Kurds. Routledge. ISBN   9781136157363.
  66. ↑ Yousefi, Hamid Reza; Seubert, Harald (2014-07-22). Ethik im Weltkontext: Geschichten - Erscheinungsformen - Neuere Konzepte (in German). Springer-Verlag. ISBN   9783658048976.
  67. ↑ Açikyildiz, Birgül (2014-12-23). The Yezidis: The History of a Community, Culture and Religion. I.B.Tauris. ISBN   9780857720610.
  68. ↑ Spat, Eszter (2016-10-08). "Hola Hola Tawusi Melek, Hola Hola Şehidêt Şingalê: Persecution and the Development of Yezidi Ritual Life". Kurdish Studies. 4 (2): 155–175. doi:10.33182/ks.v4i2.426. ISSN   2051-4891.
  69. ↑ Kreyenbroek, Philip G. (1995). Yezidism--its Background, Observances, and Textual Tradition. Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press. p. 75. ISBN   978-0-7734-9004-8.
  70. ↑ Maisel, Sebastian (2016-12-24). Yezidis in Syria: Identity Building among a Double Minority. Lexington Books. ISBN   9780739177754.
  71. ↑ Lair, Patrick (19 January 2008). "Conversation with a Yazidi Kurd". eKurd Daily. Archived from the original on 23 January 2008. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  72. ↑ Halil Savucu: Yeziden in Deutschland: Eine Religionsgemeinschaft zwischen Tradition, Integration und Assimilation Tectum Wissenschaftsverlag, Marburg 2016, ISBN   978-3-828-86547-1, Section 16 (German)
  73. ↑ "Richness of Iraq's minority religions revealed", BBC. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  74. ↑ "Population (urban, rural) by Ethnicity, Sex and Religious Belief" (PDF). Statistics of Armenia. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  75. ↑ Aghayeva, Elene Shengelia, Rana (2018-09-06). "Georgia's Yazidis: Religion as Identity - Religious Beliefs". chai-khana.org. Retrieved 2019-08-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  76. ↑ Parry, O. H. (Oswald Hutton) (1895). "Six months in a Syrian monastery; being the record of a visit to the head quarters of the Syrian church in Mesopotamia, with some account of the Yazidis or devil worshippers of Mosul and El Jilwah, their sacred book". London : H. Cox.
  77. ↑ "Yazidis ii. Initiation in Yazidism" . Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  78. ↑ Kreyenbroek, Philip G. (2009). Yezidism in Europe: Different Generations Speak about Their Religion. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. ISBN   978-3-447-06060-8.
  79. ↑ Açikyildiz, Birgül (2014-12-23). The Yezidis: The History of a Community, Culture and Religion. I.B.Tauris. ISBN   9780857720610.
  80. ↑ Gidda, Mirren (8 August 2014). "Everything You Need to Know About the Yazidis". TIME.com. Retrieved 2016-02-07.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.