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diff --git a/old/60468-h/60468-h.htm b/old/60468-h/60468-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 0a2a00a..0000000 --- a/old/60468-h/60468-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8494 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" /> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of Devil Worship, by Isya Joseph, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.. - </title> - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - <style type="text/css"> - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - -h1 -{ - margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em; - text-align: center; - font-size: x-large; - font-weight: normal; - line-height: 1.6; -} - - h2,h3, h4, h5{ - text-align: center; - clear: both; - } - -div.chapter {page-break-before: always;} - -.half-title { - margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em; - text-align: center; - font-size: x-large; - font-weight: normal; - line-height: 1.6; - } - -/* Paragraphs */ - -p {text-indent: 1em; - margin-top: .75em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .75em; - } - -.nindent {text-indent: 0em;} - -.space-above {margin-top: 6em;} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} - -ul.index { list-style-type: none; } -li.ifrst { margin-top: 1em; } -li.indx { margin-top: .5em; } -li.isub1 {text-indent: 1em;} - -table { - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; -} - - .tdl {text-align: left;} - .tdr {text-align: right;} - .tdh {text-align: justify; padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;} - .tdrb {text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;} - .tdlt {text-align: left; vertical-align: top;} - .tdrt {text-align: right; vertical-align: top} - - -.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ - /* visibility: hidden; */ - position: absolute; - left: 92%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; -} /* page numbers */ - - -.blockquote { - margin-left: 5%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - -.bbox {max-width: 15em; border-style: solid double; - padding: .75em; margin: .75em auto; - text-align: center;} - -.tbox {max-width: 25em; border-style: solid double; - padding: .75em; margin: .75em auto; - text-align: center;} - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.right {text-align: right;} - -.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} -.lowercase { text-transform:lowercase; } - -.small {font-size: small;} - -/* Images */ - -img {border: none; max-width: 100%} -.caption {font-size: smaller; font-weight: bold; - max-width: 36em; margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; text-align: center; - display: block; } - -.figcenter { - margin: 1em auto; - text-align: center; - } - - -/* Footnotes */ - - .footnotes {border: dashed 1px;} - - .footnote { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; - font-size: 0.9em; - } - -.footnote .label { - position: absolute; - right: 84%; - text-align: right; - } - -.fnanchor { - vertical-align: super; - font-size: .8em; - text-decoration: none; - white-space: nowrap - } - -/* Poetry */ - - .poetry-container { - text-align: center; - margin: -1em 0; - } - - .poetry { - display: inline-block; - text-align: left; - } - -.poetry .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} - -.poetry .verse { - text-indent: -3em; - padding-left: 3em; - } - -@media handheld { - .poetry { - display: block; - margin-left: 1em; - } -} - -/* Transcriber's notes */ - -.transnote { - background-color: #E6E6FA; - color: black; - font-size:smaller; - padding:0.5em; - margin-bottom:5em; - font-family:sans-serif, serif; - } - - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Devil Worship, by Isya Joseph - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Devil Worship - The Sacred Books and Traditions of the Yezidiz - -Author: Isya Joseph - -Release Date: October 10, 2019 [EBook #60468] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DEVIL WORSHIP *** - - - - -Produced by MFR, Les Galloway and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="transnote"> - -<h4>Transcriber’s Notes</h4> - -<p>Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations -in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and -punctuation remains unchanged. -</p> - -<p>The precise location of footnote 37 is speculative since it is not -indicated in the original. -</p> - -<p>Al-Bertuni is only mentioned once in the book, with an anchor to a -footnote which is not present. The anchor has not been included. -</p> - -<p>The first footnote to chapter VII has no anchor, nor any mention of the -apparent topic within the chapter so it has not been indexed. -</p> -</div> - - -<div class="bbox center"> -<p class="center">WORLD WORSHIPS SERIES</p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="nindent"><span class="smcap">History of Christianity</span>, in 4 -Volumes. <i>By Andrew Stephenson</i></p> - -<p class="nindent"><span class="smcap">Sex Worship and Symbolism of -Primitive Races.</span> <i>By Sanger -Brown, II.</i></p> - -<p class="nindent"><span class="smcap">Devil Worship, the Sacred -Books and Traditions of the -Yezidiz.</span> <i>By Isya Joseph.</i></p> - -<p class="nindent"><span class="smcap">Zoroastrianism and Judaism.</span> -<i>By George William Carter.</i></p> - -<p class="nindent"><span class="smcap">Messiahs: Christian and Pagan.</span> -<i>By Wilson D. Wallis.</i></p> - -<p class="nindent"><span class="smcap">The Deeper Aspects of Roman -Emperor-Worship.</span> <i>By Louis -Matthews Sweet.</i></p> - -<hr class="small" /> -<p class="center small">RICHARD G. BADGER, PUBLISHER, BOSTON</p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<div class="figcenter" > -<img src="images/i_frontis.jpg" alt="" /> -<div class="caption">THE SYMBOL OF THE DEVIL.</div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<div class="tbox center"> -<h1> -DEVIL WORSHIP<br /> -<br /> -<small>THE SACRED BOOKS AND<br /> -TRADITIONS OF THE<br /> -YEZIDIZ</small></h1> - - -<p class="center"><small>BY</small><br /> - -ISYA JOSEPH, B.A., M.A., <span class="smcap">Ph.D.</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" > -<img src="images/i_title.jpg" alt="Publisher's Device" /> -</div> - - -<p class="center"><small>BOSTON</small><br /> -RICHARD G. BADGER<br /> -<small>THE GORHAM PRESS</small></p> - -</div> - - -<div class="small"> -<p class="center space-above"> -Copyright, 1919, by Richard G. Badger<br /> -All rights reserved</p> - -<p class="center space-above"> -The Gorham Press, Boston, U. S. A.<br /> -Made in the United States of America.<br /> -</p> -</div> - - - -<p class="center small"> -TO MY TEACHERS IN UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY,<br /> -COLUMBIA, AND HARVARD UNIVERSITIES, THIS<br /> -BOOK IS INSCRIBED WITH GRATITUDE<br /> -AND ESTEEM</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_8">8</span></p> - - -<h2 id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS</h2> - - -<div class="center"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr> - <td class="tdlt" colspan="3">Chapter</td> - <td class="tdrt">Page</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2"><span class="smcap">Introduction—The Origin of the Manuscript</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_11'>11</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2"><span class="smcap">Notes on the Introduction</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_22'>22</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td colspan="2"><a href="#PART_I">PART I</a>. THE TRANSLATION OF THE ARABIC TEXT</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2"><span class="smcap">Preface, in the Name of the Most Compassionate God</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_29'>29</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">I.</td> - <td class="tdh"><span class="smcap">Al-Jilwah—The Revelation</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_30'>30</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">II.</td> - <td class="tdh"><span class="smcap">Mashaf Res—The Black Book</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_36'>36</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">III.</td> - <td class="tdh"><span class="smcap">Appendix to Part I.</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_53'>53</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">IV.</td> - <td class="tdh"><span class="smcap">The Poem in Praise of Šeiḫ ‘Adi</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_70'>70</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">V.</td> - <td class="tdh"><span class="smcap">The Principal Prayer of the Yezidis</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_73'>73</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">VI.</td> - <td class="tdh"><span class="smcap">Seven Classes of Yezidis</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_75'>75</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">VII.</td> - <td class="tdh"><span class="smcap">The Articles of Faith</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_77'>77</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2"><span class="smcap">Notes on Part I.</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_83'>83</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td colspan="2"><a href="#PART_II">PART II</a>. THE CRITICAL DISCUSSION OF YEZIDISM</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">I.</td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2"><span class="smcap">The Religious Origin of the Yezidis</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_89'>89</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">I.</td> - <td class="tdh">The Yezidi Myth</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_89'>89</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">II.</td> - <td class="tdh">The Christian Tradition</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_96'>96</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">III.</td> - <td class="tdh">The Speculative Theories of Western Orientalists</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_103'>103</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">IV.</td> - <td class="tdh">The Dogmatic View of Mohammedan Scholars -and the Writer’s Own Explanation</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_118'>118</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2">Notes on Part I.</td> - <td class="tdrb">138 -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_9">9</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">II.</td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2"><span class="smcap">The Essential Elements in Yezidism</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_145'>145</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">I.</td> - <td class="tdh">The Yezidi View of God</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_145'>145</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">II.</td> - <td class="tdh">The Deity of the Second Degree</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_147'>147</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td colspan="2"></td> - <td class="tdlt">1. Melek Ṭâ´ûs</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_147'>147</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td colspan="2"></td> - <td class="tdlt">2. Šeiḫ ‘Adî</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_158'>158</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td colspan="2"></td> - <td class="tdlt">3. Yezid</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_166'>166</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2">Notes on Chapter II.</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_167'>167</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">III.</td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2"><span class="smcap">Other Deities and Festivals</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_169'>169</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">I.</td> - <td class="tdh">The So-Called Seven Divinities</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_169'>169</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">II.</td> - <td class="tdh">The Day of Sarsal or New Year</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_174'>174</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2">Notes on Chapter III.</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_177'>177</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">IV.</td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2"><span class="smcap">Sacraments, -Religious Observances and Sacerdotal System</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_178'>178</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">I.</td> - <td class="tdh">Sacraments</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_178'>178</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">II.</td> - <td class="tdh">Some Other Religious Practices</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_180'>180</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">III.</td> - <td class="tdh">The Sacerdotal Orders</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_182'>182</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2">Notes on Chapter IV.</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_185'>185</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">V.</td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2"><span class="smcap">Their Customs</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_186'>186</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">I.</td> - <td class="tdh">Marriage</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_186'>186</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">II.</td> - <td class="tdh">Funerals</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_192'>192</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">III.</td> - <td class="tdh">Nationality</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_194'>194</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">IV.</td> - <td class="tdh">Locality</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_195'>195</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">V.</td> - <td class="tdh">Dwellings</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_197'>197</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">VI.</td> - <td class="tdh">The Language</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_198'>198</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdrt">VII.</td> - <td class="tdh">Occupation</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_198'>198</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2">Notes on Chapter V.</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_200'>200</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">VI.</td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2"><span class="smcap">List of the Yezidi Tribes</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_201'>201</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2">The Tribes Across the River from Mosul</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_201'>201</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2">The Tribes at Sinjar and Jezireh</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_202'>202</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2">The Tribes of Midyat Region</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_203'>203</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">VII.</td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2"><span class="smcap">Persecution</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_205'>205</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2">Notes on Chapter VII.</td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_210'>210</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdlt" colspan="3"><span class="smcap">Bibliography</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_213'>213</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdlt" colspan="3"><span class="smcap">Index</span></td> - <td class="tdrt"><a href='#Page_219'>219</a></td> -</tr> -</table></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - - -<p class="half-title">DEVIL WORSHIP</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_11">11</span></p> - - -<h2><a name="INTRODUCTION" id="INTRODUCTION">INTRODUCTION</a><br /> - -<small>THE ORIGIN OF THE MANUSCRIPT</small></h2> - - -<p>The Arabic manuscript here translated was presented -to me before I left Mosul by my friend Dâud -aṣ-Ṣâîġ as a memento of our friendship. Ḫawâja -aṣ-Ṣâîġ was a man of culture, in sympathy with -western thought, and an intimate acquaintance of -M. N. Siouffi, the vice-consul of the French Republic -in Mosul. From the first page of the manuscript it -appears that through some Yezidis he had access to -their literature. I know he was in close touch with -many of them, especially with the family of Mulla -Ḥaidar, which is the only Yezidi family that can read -and guard the sacred tradition of the sect.</p> - -<p>The manuscript comprises a brief Introduction, the -Sacred Books, and an Appendix. In the first, the -compiler indicates the sources of his information and -gives a sketch of the life of Šeiḫ ‘Adî, the chief saint -of the Yezidis.</p> - -<p>The Sacred Books comprise <i>Kitâb al-Jilwah</i> (Book -of Revelation), and <i>Maṣḥaf Rêš</i> (Black Book)—so -named because in it mention is made of the descent of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_12">12</span> -the Lord upon the Black Mountain (p. 32). -<i>Al Jilwah</i><a id="FNanchor_1_1" href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">1</a> is ascribed to Šeiḫ ‘Adî himself, and would -accordingly date from the twelfth century <span class="smcap">A. D.</span> It is -divided into a brief introduction and five short chapters. -In each, ‘Adî is represented as the speaker. In -the Preface the Šeiḫ says that he existed with Melek -Tâ´ûs before the creation of the world, and that he -was sent by his god Tâ´ûs to instruct the Yezidi sect in -truth. In the first chapter he asserts his omnipresence -and omnipotence; in the second he claims to have -power to reward those who obey him and to punish -those who disobey him; in the third he declares that -he possesses the treasures of the earth; in the fourth -he warns his followers of the doctrines of those that -are without; and in the fifth he bids them keep his -commandments and obey his servants, who will communicate -to them his teachings. The <i>Black Book</i>,<a id="FNanchor_2_2" href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">2</a> -which perhaps dates from the thirteenth century, is -larger than the Book of Revelation, but is not divided -into chapters. It begins with the narrative of creation: -God finishes his work in seven days—Sunday to Saturday. -In each day he creates an angel or king -(<i>melek</i>). Melek Ṭâ´ûs, who is created on Sunday, is -made chief of all. After that Fahr-ad Dîn creates -the planets, man, and animals. Then follows a story -about Adam and Eve, their temptation and quarrel; -the coming of the chief angels to the world to establish -the Yezidi kingdom; the flood; the miraculous birth of -Yezîd bn Mu‘awiya; and certain ordinances in regard -to food, the New Year, and marriages.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">13</span></p> - -<p>The Appendix contains the following:</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>1. A collection of materials concerning the Yezidi -belief and practice.</p> - -<p>2. A poem in praise of Šeiḫ ‘Adî.</p> - -<p>3. The principal prayer of the Yezidis, in the -Kurdish language.</p> - -<p>4. A description of the Yezidi sacerdotal system.</p> - -<p>5. A petition to the Ottoman government to exempt -the sect from military service, presented in the year -1872 A. D.</p></blockquote> - -<p>An analysis of the texts shows that the material is -taken from different sources: part of it is clearly derived -from the religious books of the sect; another -part from a description of the beliefs and customs of -the sect given by a member of it to an outsider; a -third, partly from observations by an outsider, partly -from stories about Yezidis current among their Christian -neighbors. Unfortunately the compiler does not -specify whence each particular part of his information -is obtained. On closer examination it is evident that -part, at least, of the Arabic in hand is a translation -from Syriac.</p> - -<p>The Yezidis, frequently called “Devil-Worshippers,” -are a small and obscure religious sect, numbering -about 200,000.<a id="FNanchor_3_3" href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">3</a> They are scattered over a belt of territory -three hundred miles wide, extending in length -from the neighborhood of Aleppo in northern Syria -to the Caucasus in southern Russia. The mass of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">14</span> -them, however, are to be found in the mountains of -northern and central Kurdistan and among the Sinjar -Hills of Northern Mesopotamia.</p> - -<p>By reason of their mysterious religion, the Devil-Worshipers -have been an object of interest and investigation -for several generations. Our chief firsthand -sources of information in regard to the manners, customs, -and practices of these people are: Sir Henry -Layard, <i>Nineveh and its Remains</i> (1849), <i>Nineveh -and Babylon</i> (1853); G. P. Badger, <i>The Nestorians -and their Rituals</i> (1852); my honored teacher, Rev. -A. N. Andrus, veteran missionary of the A. B. C. F.M., -resident in Mardin, Mesopotamia, “The Yezidis,” -in the <i>Encyclopaedia of Missions</i>; P. Anastase, “The -Yezidis,” in the Arabic periodical, <i>Al-Mašrik</i>, Vol. II -(1899); Professor A. V. Williams Jackson, of Columbia -University, <i>Persia Past and Present</i> (1906); “The -Yezidis,” in the <i>International Encyclopaedia, s. v.</i>; -also in <i>J A O S</i>, XXV, 178; M. N. Siouffi, in the <i>Journal -Asiatique</i>, 1882 (vii<sup>e</sup> série, T. 20), p. 252, and 1885 -(viii<sup>e</sup> série, T. 5), p. 78. Siouffi was the first to discover -and establish the historical character of Šeiḫ -‘Adî, about whom the scholars had been puzzled. He -published an extract relating to ‘Adî from Ibn Ḫallikân’s -<i>Wafaiyât ‘al-Ayân</i> (bibliographical work). Of -the second-hand sources of information may be mentioned -<i>Les Yezidis</i>, by J. Menant (Paris, 1892), and -the article by Victor Dingelstedt, “The Yezidis,” in -the <i>Scottish Geographical Magazine</i>, Vol. XIV, pp. -259 ff.<a id="FNanchor_4_4" href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">4</a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">15</span></p> - -<p>In addition to these descriptions, several manuscripts -have come to light of recent years which give a great -deal of information about the beliefs and customs of -the Yezidis.</p> - -<p>Two of these manuscripts are in the Bibliothèque -Nationale, in Paris (<i>Fond Syriaque</i>, Nos. 306 and -325). A translation of the Arabic (Carshuni) texts in -these manuscripts relative to the Yezidis was published -by Professor E. H. Browne in an appendix to O. H. -Parry, <i>Six Months in a Syrian Monastery</i>, 1895. -Professor Browne at that time proposed to edit the -Arabic text (see J.-B. Chabot, <i>Journal Asiatique</i>, -1896, ix<sup>e</sup> série, T. 7, p. 100); but so far as I can ascertain -this intention has not been carried out.</p> - -<p>The manuscript translated by Browne, which according -to Parry (<i>loc. cit.</i>, p. 357) was written by a -native of Mosul, seems to be closely related to that -translated below. There are, however, some differences -in contents and arrangement: my copy is divided -into the Book of Revelation, the Black Book, and an -Appendix; while Browne’s embraces the Book of Revelation -which corresponds to that in my manuscript), -and two other “Accounts,” the greater part -of which is contained in the Black Book of my text, -and the rest in the Appendix. Further, in my manuscript -<i>Al-Jilwah</i> immediately follows the Introduction; -while in Browne’s the discussion of the sacerdotal system, -the petition to the Ottoman government, and -some other matters, are inserted between the Introduction -and <i>Al-Jilwah</i>. In Browne’s, moreover, the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_16">16</span> -Poem in Praise of Šeiḫ ‘Adî, and the Principal Prayer -(in Kurdish) are absent, while the petition to the -Turkish government is briefer, and lacks articles iv -and xiv. The text of this petition, in its original form, -was published by Lidzbarski in <i>Z D M G</i>, LI, 592 ff., -after a manuscript in Berlin which was procured from -Šammas Eremia Šamir.</p> - -<p>Two Syriac texts have also been printed. The first, -edited and translated by J.-B. Chabot in the <i>Journal -Asiatique</i>, 1896 (ix<sup>e</sup> série, T. 7), p. 100 ff., from the -Paris manuscripts referred to above, corresponds, with -slight variations, to the second “Account,” of Browne -(Parry, <i>loc. cit.</i>, pp. 380-87).</p> - -<p>The second was published with an Italian translation, -by Samuel Giamil, under the title, <i>Monte Singar; -Storia di un Popolo Ignoto</i> (Rome, 1900), from a -manuscript copied for him in 1899 from an original -in the monastery of Rabban Hormizd. The author of -this work, a Syrian priest, Isaac, lived for a long -time among the Yezidis, and not only had unusual -opportunities of observation, but, as is evident from -several anecdotes, possessed their confidence and esteem -in a singular degree. His work is in catechetical -form: a youthful Yezidi inquirer questions a teacher -about the beliefs, traditions, and customs of his people, -and the answers contain the fullest exposition of these -matters we at present possess. Occasionally the author -falls out of his role, and lets it appear that the -questioner is no other than Priest Isaac himself.</p> - -<p>The work is divided into ten sections, which treat<span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">17</span> -respectively of the works of God and his abode (p. 3); -the creation of Adam and Eve (p. 8); the wonderful -deeds of the god Yezîd (p. 16); the Yezidi saints -(p. 27); the New-Year (p. 32); marriage customs -(p. 46); death and burial (p. 53); the pilgrimage to -Šeiḫ ‘Adî’s shrine (p. 67); the festivals and assemblies -at Šeiḫ ‘Adî (p. 80); and the Yezidi kings (p. 87).</p> - -<p>Apart from the <i>Kitâb al-Jilwah</i>, Priest Isaac’s work -is clearly the source from which is derived most of -the material in the Syriac and Arabic manuscripts that -have hitherto come to light.</p> - -<p>Beside the Arabic manuscript from Dâud aṣ-Ṣâîḡ -which is translated below, I have in my possession two -others, which were sent me by the Rev. A. N. Andrus. -The first of these written by Šammas Eremia Šamir -(designated in the notes hereafter as SS), seems to -be a duplicate of that from which Browne’s translation -was made. They agree in contents and arrangement, -and in certain readings in which they differ from the -other texts. At the close of SS the writer says that -he compiled it (chiefly from <i>Al-Jilwah</i>) for the benefit -of some of his friends who wished to acquaint themselves -with the Yezidi religion.</p> - -<p>The origin of the Yezidi sect has been the subject -of much discussion, but no satisfactory solution of the -problem has as yet been reached. There are those -who assert that the Yezidis are the remains of the -ancient Manichaeans;<a id="FNanchor_5_5" href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">5</a> others entertain the view that -the Yezidis were originally Christians, whom progressive -ignorance has brought into their present con<span class="pagenum" id="Page_18">18</span>dition<a id="FNanchor_6_6" href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor">6</a>—some -even going so far as to connect the -name “Yezidi” with “Jesus”!<a id="FNanchor_7_7" href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor">7</a> Some think that the -Yezidi sect takes its name from the Persian word -<i>yazd</i>, ‘god, or good spirit,’ over against Ahriman, the -evil principle;<a id="FNanchor_8_8" href="#Footnote_8_8" class="fnanchor">8</a> while others associate it with <i>Yazd</i> or -<i>Yezid</i>, a town in central Persia, the inhabitants of -which are chiefly Parsees.<a id="FNanchor_9_9" href="#Footnote_9_9" class="fnanchor">9</a> Some finally maintain that -the sect was founded by Šeiḫ ‘Adî.<a id="FNanchor_10_10" href="#Footnote_10_10" class="fnanchor">10</a></p> - -<p>The Yezidis themselves had a curious legend connecting -the name with the Caliph Yezîd bn Mu‘âwiya<a id="FNanchor_11_11" href="#Footnote_11_11" class="fnanchor">11</a> -(see <a href='#Page_37'>p. 37</a>).</p> - -<p>In a dissertation presented for the degree of Doctor -of Philosophy in Harvard University I called attention -to a statement of aš-Šahrastânî the importance -of which seems hitherto not to have been appreciated, -but which appears to me to give the most probable explanation -of the name and of the original affinities of -the sect. The passage is as follows (<i>Kitâb al Milal -wan-Nihal</i>, ed. Cureton, I, 101):</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>The Yezidis are the followers of Yezîd bn Unaisa, -who kept friendship with the first Muhakkama, before -the Azariḳa; he separated himself from those who -followed after them with the exception of the -Abadiyah,<a id="FNanchor_12_12" href="#Footnote_12_12" class="fnanchor">12</a> for with these he kept friendly. He believed -that God would send an apostle from among the -Persians, and would reveal to him a book that is already -written in heaven, and would reveal the whole -(book) to him at one time,<a id="FNanchor_13_13" href="#Footnote_13_13" class="fnanchor">13</a> and as a result he would -leave the religion of Mohammed, the Chosen One<span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">19</span>—may -God bless and save him!—and follow the religion -of the Sabians mentioned in the Koran.<a id="FNanchor_14_14" href="#Footnote_14_14" class="fnanchor">14</a> (These are -not the Sabians who are found in Ḥarân and Wasit.<a id="FNanchor_15_15" href="#Footnote_15_15" class="fnanchor">15</a>) -But Yezîd associated himself with the people of the -Book who recognized the Chosen One as a prophet, -even though they did not accept his (Mohammed’s) -religion. And he said that the followers of the ordinances -are among those who agree with him; but that -others are hiding the truth and give companions to -God, and that every sin, small or great, is idolatry.<a id="FNanchor_16_16" href="#Footnote_16_16" class="fnanchor">16</a></p></blockquote> - -<p>The statement of Aš-Šahrastânî is so clear that it -can bear no other interpretation than that the Yezidis -were the followers of Yezîd bn Unaisa. He calls -them his <i>´aṣḥâb</i>, that is, his followers, a term by which -he designates the relation between a sect and its -founder.<a id="FNanchor_17_17" href="#Footnote_17_17" class="fnanchor">17</a> The statement comes from the pen of one -who is considered of the highest authority among the -Arab scholars on questions relating to philosophical -and religious sects.<a id="FNanchor_18_18" href="#Footnote_18_18" class="fnanchor">18</a> This precise definition of the -position of Yezîd bn Unaisa in the sectarian conflicts -of the first century of Islam seems to show that he had -exact information about him.</p> - -<p>The prediction about the Persian prophet is quoted, -almost in the same words, by another great Mohammedan -authority on religious sects, Ibn Ḥazm, who -lived a century before Aš-Šahrastânî. (The Egyptian -edition of Ibn Ḥazm, Vol. IV, p. 188, reads Zaid bn -Abi <i>Ubaisa</i>; but that Unaisa should be restored is evident -from the fact that Ibn Ḥazm is at pains to distinguish -the author of this unorthodox prediction from<span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">20</span> -the well-known traditionist of the name—e. g., Tabari, -I, 135.<a id="FNanchor_19_19" href="#Footnote_19_19" class="fnanchor">19</a></p> - -<p>The prophecy was perhaps preserved among the -leaders of the Abaḍiya, with which sect Yezîd bn -Unaisa is associated. Aš-Šahrastânî’s statement, the -significant part of which we have found also in Ibn -Ḥazm was doubtless derived from an older written -source.</p> - -<p>Who is intended by the coming Persian prophet—if, -indeed, any particular individual is meant—it is not -possible to determine. Kremer<a id="FNanchor_20_20" href="#Footnote_20_20" class="fnanchor">20</a> cannot be right in -identifying him with Šeiḫ ‘Adî, for the supposed prediction -was in circulation a century or more before -his time. He is said to have been, not a Persian, but -a Syrian from Baalbek or elsewhere in the West; and -both in Arabic authors<a id="FNanchor_21_21" href="#Footnote_21_21" class="fnanchor">21</a> and in his own writings<a id="FNanchor_22_22" href="#Footnote_22_22" class="fnanchor">22</a> he -appears as a Moslem, a Sufi saint in good standing. -The Yezidis to this day await the appearance of the -Persian prophet.<a id="FNanchor_23_23" href="#Footnote_23_23" class="fnanchor">23</a></p> - -<p>On the basis of these scanty bits of fact, it appears -that: The Yezidis were originally a Ḫarijite<a id="FNanchor_24_24" href="#Footnote_24_24" class="fnanchor">24</a> sub-sect, -akin to the Abadiya, bearing the name of their -founder, Yezîd bn Unaisa. Certain distinctive Ḫarijite -peculiarities seem indeed to have outlived among -them the common faith of Islam; such as the tolerant -judgment of Jews and Christians; the condemnation -of every sin as implicit idolatry. In their new seats -in Kurdistan, whither they migrated about the end of -the fourteenth century<a id="FNanchor_25_25" href="#Footnote_25_25" class="fnanchor">25</a> they were drawn into the -movement of which Šeiḫ ‘Adî was in his life time the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">21</span> -leader and after his death the saint, and ended by -making of him the incarnation of God in the present -age.<a id="FNanchor_26_26" href="#Footnote_26_26" class="fnanchor">26</a> With this they joined elements drawn from -Christianity,<a id="FNanchor_27_27" href="#Footnote_27_27" class="fnanchor">27</a> with here and there a trace of Judaism, -and with large survivals of the persistent old Semitic -heathenism, many of which they share with their -neighbors of all creeds.</p> - -<p>Difficult problems,<a id="FNanchor_28_28" href="#Footnote_28_28" class="fnanchor">28</a> however, remain unsolved, especially -the origin and nature of the worship of Melek -Ṭâ´ûs.<a id="FNanchor_29_29" href="#Footnote_29_29" class="fnanchor">29</a> The certain thing is that the actual religion -of the Yezidis is a syncretism, to which Moslem, -Christian (heretical, rather than orthodox), pagan, -and perhaps also Persian religions have contributed.<a id="FNanchor_30_30" href="#Footnote_30_30" class="fnanchor">30</a></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_22">22</span></p> - - -<h3><a id="NOTES_ON_THE_INTRODUCTION"></a>NOTES ON THE INTRODUCTION</h3> -<div class="footnotes"> -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_1_1" href="#FNanchor_1_1" class="label">1</a> -Al-Jilwah is said to have been written in -558 A. H., by Šeiḫ Faḫr-ad-Dîn, the secretary of -Šeiḫ ‘Adî, at the dictation of the latter. The original -copy, wrapped in linen and silk wrappings, is kept in -the house of Mulla Ḥaidar, of Baadrie. Twice a year -the book is taken to Šeiḫ ‘Adî’s shrine. (Letter from -Šammas Jeremia Šamir to Mr. A. N. Andrus, of -Mardin, dated October 28, 1892.)</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_2_2" href="#FNanchor_2_2" class="label">2</a> -The Black Book is said to have been written by -a certain Ḥasan al-Baṣrî, in 743 A. H. The original -copy is kept in the house of Kehyah (chief) ‘Ali, of -Kasr ‘Az-ad-Dîn, one hour west of Semale, a village -east of Tigris. The book rests upon a throne, having -over it a thin covering of red broadcloth, of linen, and -other wrappings. Then is disclosed the binding, which -is of wood.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_3_3" href="#FNanchor_3_3" class="label">3</a> -The exact number of the Yezidis is unknown. -See also Société de Géographie de l’Est, <i>Bulletin</i>, 1903, -p. 284; Al Mašriḳ, II, 834.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_4_4" href="#FNanchor_4_4" class="label">4</a> -For a fuller account of the literature on the -Yezidis, consult J. Menant, <i>Les Yézidis</i>, and Paul -Perdrizet, Société de Géographie de l’Est, <i>Bulletin</i>, -1903, pp. 281 ff.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_5_5" href="#FNanchor_5_5" class="label">5</a> -Société de Géographie de l’Est, <i>Bulletin</i>, 1903, -p. 297.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_6_6" href="#FNanchor_6_6" class="label">6</a> -Fraser, <i>Mesopotamia and Persia</i>, pp. 285, 287; -Rich, <i>Residence in Kurdistan</i>, II, 69; <i>Al Mašriḳ</i>, II, -396; Badger, <i>The Nestorians and their Rituals</i>, I, 111; -Assemani, <i>Bibliotheca Orientalis</i>, III, 439.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">23</span></p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_7_7" href="#FNanchor_7_7" class="label">7</a> -Michel Febvre, <i>Theatre de la Turquie</i>, p. 364; -Société de Géographie de l‘Est, <i>Bulletin</i>, 1903, pp. 299, -301; cf. also J. Menant, <i>Les Yézidis</i>, pp. 52, 86, 132.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_8_8" href="#FNanchor_8_8" class="label">8</a> -Oppenheim, <i>Vom Mittelmeer zum persischen -Golf</i>, 1900, II, 148; Victor Dingelstedt, <i>Scottish Geographical -Magazine</i>, XIV, 295; Southgate, <i>A Tour -through Armenia</i>, II, 317; A. V. Williams Jackson, -“Yezidis,” in the <i>New International Encyclopedia</i>, -XVII, 939; Perdrizet, loc. cit., p. 299.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_9_9" href="#FNanchor_9_9" class="label">9</a> -A. V. Williams Jackson, <i>Persia Past and Present</i>, -p. 10, <i>New International Encyclopedia</i>, “Yezidis;” -Perdrizet, loc. cit.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_10_10" href="#FNanchor_10_10" class="label">10</a> -Dingelstedt, loc. cit.; <i>Revue de l’Orient Chrétien</i>, -I, “Kurdistan.”</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_11_11" href="#FNanchor_11_11" class="label">11</a> -Société de Géographie de l’Est, loc. cit.; <i>Encyclopedia -of Missions</i>, “Yezidis”; A. V. Williams -Jackson, loc. cit.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_12_12" href="#FNanchor_12_12" class="label">12</a> -On these sects consult Aš-Šahrastânî, I, 86, 89, -100.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_13_13" href="#FNanchor_13_13" class="label">13</a> -Not like Mohammed, to whom, according to -Moslem belief, the Koran was revealed at intervals.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_14_14" href="#FNanchor_14_14" class="label">14</a> -On the Ṣabians of the Koran, see Baiḍâwi and -Zamaḫšari on <i>Suras</i> 2, 59; 5, 73; 22, 17.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_15_15" href="#FNanchor_15_15" class="label">15</a> -On the Ṣabians of Ḥarrân, see Fihrist, p. 190; -on the Ṣabians in general consult Aš-Šahrastânî, II, -203; on the location of Ḥarrân and Wasit, see Yaḳût, -II, 331, and IV, 881.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_16_16" href="#FNanchor_16_16" class="label">16</a> -To get more particular information in regard to -Yezîd bn Unaisa, I wrote to Mosul, Bagdad, and Cairo, -the three centers of Mohammedan learning, and -strange to say, none could throw any light on the -subject.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_17_17" href="#FNanchor_17_17" class="label">17</a> -Al-Haraṯiyah he describes as <i>Aṣḥâb Al</i>-Ḥareṭ -(I, 101), al-Ḥafaziyah, Aṣḥâb Ḥafez (<i>ibid.</i>), -etc.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">24</span></p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_18_18" href="#FNanchor_18_18" class="label">18</a> -Ibn Ḫallikân says: “Aš-Šahrastânî, a dogmatic -theologian of the Ašarite sect, was distinguished as an -Imâm and a doctor of the law. He displayed the highest -abilities as a jurisconsult. The <i>Kitâb al-Milal wa-n-Nihal</i> -(this is the book in which Aš-Šahrastânî traces -the Yezidi sect to Yezîd bn Unaisa) is one of his works -on scholastic theology. He remained without an equal -in that branch of science.”</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_19_19" href="#FNanchor_19_19" class="label">19</a> -It is to be noticed also that the name “Unaisa” -is very common among the Arabs; cf. Ibn Sa‘ad (ed. -Sachau), III, 254, 260, 264, 265, 281, 283, 287, 289; -Musnad, VI, 434; Mishkat, 22, 724.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_20_20" href="#FNanchor_20_20" class="label">20</a> -<i>Geschichte der herrschenden Ideen des Islams</i>, -p. 195.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_21_21" href="#FNanchor_21_21" class="label">21</a> -Ibn Ḫallikân (Egyptian edit., A. H. 1310), I, -316; Mohammed al-‘Omari, al-Mauṣili, “Šeiḫ ‘Adî,” -quoted by M. N. Siouffi, <i>Journal asiatique</i>, 1885, 80; -Yaḳut, IV, 374.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_22_22" href="#FNanchor_22_22" class="label">22</a> -‘Itiḳad Ahl as-Sunna, “Belief of the Sunnites,” -the Waṣaya, “Counsels to the Califs”; cf. C. Huart, -<i>History of Arabic Literature</i>, p. 273.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_23_23" href="#FNanchor_23_23" class="label">23</a> -See p. 61 of this book.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_24_24" href="#FNanchor_24_24" class="label">24</a> -Aš-Šahrastânî regards them a Ḫarijíte sub-sect.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_25_25" href="#FNanchor_25_25" class="label">25</a> -Layard, <i>Nineveh and its Remains</i>, II, 254.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_26_26" href="#FNanchor_26_26" class="label">26</a> -Mohammed al-‘Omari al-Mausili and Yâsîn al-Ḫâtib -al-‘Omari al-Mauṣili, “Šeiḫ ‘Adî,” quoted by -M. N. Siouffi, <i>Journal asiatique</i>, Série viii, V (1885), -80.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_27_27" href="#FNanchor_27_27" class="label">27</a> -George Warda, Bishop of Arbila, <i>Poems</i>, edited -by Heinrich Hilgenfeld, Leipzig, 1904.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_28_28" href="#FNanchor_28_28" class="label">28</a> -Such as their ceremonies at Šeiḫ ‘Adî (Badger, -<i>The Nestorians</i>, I, 117), which have obtained for them -the name Cheraḡ Sonderan, “The Extinguishers of -Light.” Bar Hebraeus (<i>Chronicon Eccles.</i>, ed. -Abeloos-Lamy, I, 219) speaks of similar practices<span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">25</span> -among what he calls “Borborians,” a branch of the -Manichaeans, and calls them “The Extinguishers of -Light.” This name is applied to other eastern sects -also; see <i>Abhandlungen für die Kunde des Morgenlandes</i>, -V, 124.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_29_29" href="#FNanchor_29_29" class="label">29</a> -Professor Jackson, of Columbia University, -seems to trace it to the “old devil-worship in Mazandaran” -(<i>J A O S</i>, XXV, 178). But it is not certain that -the Yezidis believe in Melek Ṭâ´ûs as an evil spirit. -In the history of religion the god of one people is the -devil of another. Asura is a deity in the Rig Veda and -an evil spirit only in later Brahman theology. In Islam -the gods of heathenism are degraded into jinns, just -as the gods of North Semitic heathenism are called -še‘îrîm (hairy demons) in Lev. 17:7; or as the gods -of Greece and Rome became devils to early Christians. -See W. R. Smith, <i>Religion of the Semites</i>, p. 120; -Fihrist, pp. 322, 326. -</p> -<p> -Professor M. Lidzbarski (<i>Z D M G</i>, LI, 592), on the -other hand, argues that Ṭâ´ûs is the god Tammuz. His -contention is based on the assumption that the word -Ṭâ´ûs must embody the ancient god; that in Fihrist, -322, the god Tâuz has a feast on the 15th of Tammuz -(July); that in Kurdish, the language of the Yezidis, -<i>m</i> is frequently changed to <i>w</i>. This theory also is -untenable, for one might guess at any ancient god. -The exact form of the name “Tauz” is uncertain (see -Chwolsohn, <i>Die Ssabier</i>, II, 202); the statement that -in Kurdish <i>m</i> is frequently changed to <i>w</i> is not true, -if one would set it up as a grammatical rule to explain -such phenomena; the Kurdish-speaking people never -pronounce Tammuz, “Tauz;” and, finally, in the -Yezidi conception of Melek Ṭâ´ûs there are no traces -of the notion held respecting Tammuz.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_26">26</span></p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_30_30" href="#FNanchor_30_30" class="label">30</a> -Such a state of affairs finds a historical parallel -in other religions. Take, for example, Christianity. -In it we find that the distinctive characteristics of the -founder have been wrapped up in many foreign elements -brought in by those who came from other -religions.</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_27">27</span></p></div> - - -<h2> -<a id="PART_I"></a>PART I<br /> - -<small>THE TRANSLATION OF THE ARABIC TEXT</small></h2> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_29">29</span></p> - -<h3><a id="PREFACE"></a>PREFACE</h3> - -<p><i>In the Name of the Most Compassionate God!</i></p> - - -<p>With the help of the Most High God, and under his -direction, we write the history of the Yezidis, their -doctrines, and the mysteries of their religion, as contained -in their books, which reached our hand with -their own knowledge and consent.</p> - -<p>In the time of Al-Muḳtadir Billah, A. H. 295,<a id="FNanchor_31_31" href="#Footnote_31_31" class="fnanchor">31</a> there -lived Manṣûr-al-Ḥallâj,<a id="FNanchor_32_32" href="#Footnote_32_32" class="fnanchor">32</a> the wool-carder, and Šeiḫ -‘Abd-al-ḳâdir of Jîlân.<a id="FNanchor_33_33" href="#Footnote_33_33" class="fnanchor">33</a> At that time, too, there appeared -a man by the name of Šeiḫ ‘Adî, from the -mountain of Hakkari,<a id="FNanchor_34_34" href="#Footnote_34_34" class="fnanchor">34</a> originally from the region of -Aleppo or Baalbek. He came and dwelt in Mount -Lališ,<a id="FNanchor_35_35" href="#Footnote_35_35" class="fnanchor">35</a> near the city of Moṣul, about nine hours distant -from it. Some say he was of the people of -Ḥarrân, and related to Marwân ibn-al-Ḥakam. His -full name is Šaraf ad-Dîn Abû-l-Fadâîl, ‘Adî bn -Musâfir bn Ismael bn Mousa bn Marwân bn Al-Ḥasan -bn Marwân. He died A. H. 558 (A. D. 1162-63). His -tomb is still visited; it is near Ba‘adrei, one of the -villages of Moṣul, distant eleven hours. The Yezidis -are the progeny of those who were the <i>murids</i> (disciples) -of Šeiḫ ‘Adî. Some trace their origin to -Yezid,<a id="FNanchor_36_36" href="#Footnote_36_36" class="fnanchor">36</a> others to Ḥasan-Al-Baṣrî.<a id="FNanchor_37_37" href="#Footnote_37_37" class="fnanchor">37</a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_30">30</span></p> - - -<p class="center">AL-JILWAH (THE REVELATION)</p> - - -<p>Before all creation this revelation was with Melek -Tâ´ûs, who sent ‘Abd Tâ´ûs to this world that he -might separate truth known to his particular people. -This was done, first of all, by means of oral tradition, -and afterward by means of this book, Al-Jilwah, -which the outsiders may neither read nor behold.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_31">31</span></p> - - -<h3 id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</h3> - - -<p>I was, am now, and shall have no end. I exercise -dominion over all creatures and over the affairs of -all who are under the protection of my image. I am -ever present to help all who trust in me and call upon -me in time of need. There is no place in the universe -that knows not my presence. I participate in all the -affairs which those who are without call evil because -their nature is not such as they approve. Every age -has its own manager, who directs affairs according to -my decrees. This office is changeable from generation -to generation, that the ruler of this world and his -chiefs may discharge the duties of their respective -offices every one in his own turn. I allow everyone -to follow the dictates of his own nature, but he that -opposes me will regret it sorely. No god has a right -to interfere in my affairs, and I have made it an -imperative rule that everyone shall refrain from worshiping -all gods. All the books of those who are -without are altered by them; and they have declined -from them, although they were written by the prophets -and the apostles. That there are interpolations is -seen in the fact that each sect endeavors to prove that -the others are wrong and to destroy their books. To -me truth and falsehood are known. When temptation<span class="pagenum" id="Page_32">32</span> -comes, I give my covenant to him that trusts in me. -Moreover, I give counsel to the skilled directors, for -I have appointed them for periods that are known to -me. I remember necessary affairs and execute them -in due time. I teach and guide those who follow my -instruction. If anyone obey me and conform to my -commandments, he shall have joy, delight, and -goodness.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_33">33</span></p> - - -<h3 id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</h3> - - -<p>I requite the descendants of Adam, and reward -them with various rewards that I alone know. Moreover, -power and dominion over all that is on earth, -both that which is above and that which is beneath, -are in my hand. I do not allow friendly association -with other people, nor do I deprive them that are my -own and that obey me of anything that is good for -them. I place my affairs in the hands of those whom -I have tried and who are in accord with my desires. -I appear in divers manners to those who are faithful -and under my command. I give and take away; I -enrich and impoverish; I cause both happiness and -misery. I do all this in keeping with the characteristics -of each epoch. And none has a right to interfere -with my management of affairs. Those who oppose -me I afflict with disease; but my own shall not die like -the sons of Adam that are without. None shall live in -this world longer than the time set by me; and if I so -desire, I send a person a second or a third time into -this world or into some other by the transmigration -of souls.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_34">34</span></p> - - -<h3 id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</h3> - - -<p>I lead to the straight path without a revealed book; -I direct aright my beloved and my chosen ones by unseen -means. All my teachings are easily applicable to -all times and all conditions. I punish in another world -all who do contrary to my will. Now the sons of -Adam do not know the state of things that is to come. -For this reason they fall into many errors. The -beasts of the earth, the birds of heaven, and the fish -of the sea are all under the control of my hands. All -treasures and hidden things are known to me; and -as I desire, I take them from one and bestow them -upon another. I reveal my wonders to those who seek -them, and in due time my miracles to those who receive -them from me. But those who are without are my -adversaries, hence they oppose me. Nor do they know -that such a course is against their own interests, for -might, wealth, and riches are in my hand, and I bestow -them upon every worthy descendant of Adam. -Thus the government of the worlds, the transition of -generations, and the changes of their directors are -determined by me from the beginning.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_35">35</span></p> - - -<h3 id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</h3> - - -<p>I will not give my rights to other gods. I have allowed -the creation of four substances, four times, and -four corners; because they are necessary things for -creatures. The books of Jews, Christians, and Moslems, -as of those who are without, accept in a sense, -i. e., so far as they agree with, and conform to, my -statutes. Whatsoever is contrary to these they have -altered; do not accept it. Three things are against -me, and I hate three things. But those who keep my -secrets shall receive the fulfilment of my promises. -Those who suffer for my sake I will surely reward in -one of the worlds. It is my desire that all my followers -shall unite in a bond of unity, lest those who are -without prevail against them. Now, then, all ye who -have followed my commandments and my teachings, -reject all the teachings and sayings of such as are without. -I have not taught these teachings, nor do they -proceed from me. Do not mention my name nor my -attributes, lest ye regret it; for ye do not know what -those who are without may do.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_36">36</span></p> - - -<h3 id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</h3> - - -<p>O ye that have believed in me, honor my symbol -and my image, for they remind you of me. Observe -my laws and statutes. Obey my servants and listen -to whatever they may dictate to you of the hidden -things. Receive that that is dictated, and do not carry -it before those who are without, Jews, Christians, Moslems, -and others; for they know not the nature of my -teaching. Do not give them your books, lest they alter -them without your knowledge. Learn by heart the -greater part of them, lest they be altered.</p> - -<p>Thus endeth the book of Al-Jilwah, which is followed -by the book of Maṣḥaf Reš, i. e., the Black -Book.</p> - - -<h4><span class="smcap">Mashaf Reš (The Black Book)</span></h4> - -<p>In the beginning God created the White Pearl out -of his most precious essence. He also created a bird -named Angar. He placed the White Pearl on the back -of the bird, and dwelt on it for forty thousand years. -On the first day, Sunday, God created Melek Anzazîl, -and he is Ṭâ´ûs-Melek, the chief of all. On Monday -he created Melek Dardâel, and he is Šeiḫ Ḥasan. -Tuesday he created Melek Israfel, and he is Šeiḫ<span class="pagenum" id="Page_37">37</span> -Šams (ad-Dîn). Wednesday he created Melek Miḫâel, -and he is Šeiḫ Abû Bakr. Thursday he created Melek -Azrâel, and he is Sajad-ad-Dîn. Friday he created -Melek Šemnâel, and he is Naṣir-ad-Dîn. Saturday he -created Melek Nurâel, and he is Yadin (Faḫr-ad-Dîn). -And he made Melek Ṭâ´ûs ruler over all.<a id="FNanchor_38_38" href="#Footnote_38_38" class="fnanchor">38</a></p> - -<p>After this God made the form of the seven heavens, -the earth, the sun, and the moon. But Faḫr-ad-Dîn -created man and the animals, and birds and beasts. -He put them all in pockets of cloth, and came out of -the Pearl accompanied by the Angels. Then he shouted -at the Pearl with a loud voice. Thereupon the White -Pearl broke up into four pieces, and from its midst -came out the water which became an ocean. The -world was round, and was not divided. Then he -created Gabriel and the image of the bird. He sent -Gabriel to set the four corners. He also made a vessel -and descended in it for thirty thousand years. -After this he came and dwelt in Mount Lališ. Then -he cried out at the world, and the sea became solidified -and the land appeared, but it began to shake. At this -time he commanded Gabriel to bring two pieces of the -White Pearl; one he placed beneath the earth, the -other stayed at the gate of heaven. He then placed in -them the sun and the moon; and from the scattered -pieces of the White Pearl he created the stars which -he hung in heaven as ornaments. He also created -fruit-bearing trees and plants and mountains for ornaments -to the earth. He created the throne over the -carpet.<a id="FNanchor_39_39" href="#Footnote_39_39" class="fnanchor">39</a> Then the Great God said: “O Angels, I will<span class="pagenum" id="Page_38">38</span> -create Adam and Eve; and from the essence of Adam -shall proceed Šehar bn Jebr, and of him a separate -community shall appear upon the earth, that of Azazîl, -i. e., that of Melek Ṭâ´ûs, which is the sect of the -Yezidis. Then he sent Šeiḫ ‘Adî bn Musâfir from the -land of Syria, and he came (and dwelt in Mount) -Lališ. Then the Lord came down to the Black Mountain. -Shouting, he created thirty thousand Meleks, and -divided them into three divisions. They worshiped -him for forty thousand years, when he delivered them -to Melek Ṭâ´ûs who went up with them to heaven. -At this time the Lord came down to the Holy Land -(al-ḳuds), and commanded Gabriel to bring earth -from the four corners of the world, earth, air, fire, -and water. He created it and put in it the spirit of -his own power, and called it Adam.</p> - -<p>Then he commanded Gabriel to escort Adam into -Paradise, and to tell him that he could eat from all -the trees but not of wheat.<a id="FNanchor_40_40" href="#Footnote_40_40" class="fnanchor">40</a> Here Adam remained -for a hundred years. Thereupon, Melek Ṭâ´ûs asked -God how Adam could multiply and have descendants -if he were forbidden to eat of the grain. God answered, -“I have put the whole matter into thy hands.” -Thereupon Melek Ṭâ´ûs visited Adam and said “Have -you eaten of the grain?” He answered, “No, God -forbade me.” Melek Ṭâ´ûs replied and said, “Eat of -the grain and all shall go better with thee.” Then -Adam ate of the grain and immediately his belly was -inflated. But Melek Ṭâ´ûs drove him out of the garden, -and leaving him, ascended into heaven. Now<span class="pagenum" id="Page_39">39</span> -Adam was troubled because his belly was inflated, for -he had no outlet. God therefore sent a bird to him -which pecked at his anus and made an outlet, and -Adam was relieved.</p> - -<p>Now Gabriel was away from Adam for a hundred -years. And Adam was sad and weeping. Then God -commanded Gabriel to create Eve from under the left -shoulder of Adam. Now it came to pass, after the -creation of Eve and of all the animals, that Adam and -Eve quarreled over the question whether the human -race should be descended from him or her, for each -wished to be the sole begetter of the race. This quarrel -originated in their observation of the fact that -among animals both the male and the female were -factors in the production of their respective species. -After a long discussion Adam and Eve agreed on this: -each should cast his seed into a jar, close it, and seal -it with his own seal, and wait for nine months. When -they opened the jars at the completion of this period, -they found in Adam’s jar two children, male and female. -Now from these two our sect, the Yezidis, are -descended. In Eve’s jar they found naught but rotten -worms emitting a foul odor. And God caused nipples -to grow for Adam that he might suckle the children -that proceeded from his jar. This is the reason why -man has nipples.</p> - -<p>After this Adam knew Eve, and she bore two children, -male and female; and from these the Jews, the -Christians, the Moslems, and other nations and sects -are descended. But our first fathers are Šeth, Noah,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_40">40</span> -and Enosh, the righteous ones, who were descended -from Adam only.</p> - -<p>It came to pass that trouble arose between a man and -his wife, resulting from the denial on the part of the -woman that the man was her husband. The man -persisted in his claim that she was his wife. The -trouble between the two was settled, however, through -one of the righteous men of our sect, who decreed -that at every wedding a drum and a pipe should be -played as a testimony to the fact that such a man and -such a woman were married legally.</p> - -<p>Then Melek Ṭâ´ûs came down to earth for our sect -(i. e., the Yezidis), the created ones, and appointed -kings for us, besides the kings of ancient Assyria, -Nisroch, who is Našir-ad-Dîn; Kamush, who is Melek -Faḫr-ad-Dîn, and Artâmîs, who is Melek Šams-(ad-)Dîn. -After this we had two kings, Šabur (Sapor) -First (224-272 <span class="smcap lowercase">A. D.</span>) and Second (309-379), who -reigned one hundred and fifty years; and our amirs -down to the present day have been descended from -their seed. But we hated four kings.</p> - -<p>Before Christ came into this world our religion was -paganism. King Ahab was from among us. And the -god of Ahab was called Beelzebub. Nowadays we call -him Pir Bub. We had a king in Babylon, whose name -was Baḫtnaṣar; another in Persia, whose name was -Aḥšuraš; and still another in Constantinople, whose -name was Agriḳâlus. The Jews, the Christians, the -Moslems, and even the Persians, fought us; but they -failed to subdue us, for in the strength of the Lord<span class="pagenum" id="Page_41">41</span> -we prevailed against them. He teaches us the first -and last science. And one of his teachings is:</p> - -<p>Before heaven and earth existed, God was on the -sea, as we formerly wrote you. He made himself a -vessel and traveled in it in <i>kunsiniyat</i><a id="FNanchor_41_41" href="#Footnote_41_41" class="fnanchor">41</a> of the seas, -thus enjoying himself in himself. He then created the -White Pearl and ruled over it for forty years. Afterward, -growing angry at the Pearl, he kicked it; and it -was a great surprise to see the mountains formed out -of its cry; the hills out of its wonders; the heavens -out of its smoke. Then God ascended to heaven, solidified -it, established it without pillars. He then spat -upon the ground, and taking a pen in hand, began to -write a narrative of all the creation.</p> - -<p>In the beginning he created six gods from himself -and from his light, and their creation was as one lights -a light from another light. And God said, “Now I -have created the heavens; let some one of you go up -and create something therein.” Thereupon the second -god ascended and created the sun; the third, the moon; -the fourth, the vault of heaven; the fifth, the <i>farḡ</i> -(i. e., the morning star); the sixth, paradise; the -seventh, hell. We have already told you that after this -they created Adam and Eve.</p> - -<p>And know that besides the flood of Noah, there was -another flood in this world. Now our sect, the Yezidis, -are descended from Na‘umi, an honored person, king -of peace. We call him Melek Miran. The other sects -are descended from Ham, who despised his father. -The ship rested at a village called ‘Ain Sifni,<a id="FNanchor_42_42" href="#Footnote_42_42" class="fnanchor">42</a> distant<span class="pagenum" id="Page_42">42</span> -from Mosul about five parasangs. The cause of the -first flood was the mockery of those who were without, -Jews, Christians, Moslems, and others descended -from Adam and Eve. We, on the other hand, are -descended from Adam only, as already indicated. This -second flood came upon our sect, the Yezidis. As the -water rose and the ship floated, it came above Mount -Sinjar,<a id="FNanchor_43_43" href="#Footnote_43_43" class="fnanchor">43</a> where it ran aground and was pierced by a -rock. The serpent twisted itself like a cake and -stopped the hole. Then the ship moved on and rested -on Mount Judie.</p> - -<p>Now the species of the serpent increased, and began -to bite man and animal. It was finally caught and -burned, and from its ashes fleas were created. From -the time of the flood until now are seven thousand -years. In every thousand years one of the seven gods -descends to establish rules, statutes, and laws, after -which he returns to his abode. While below, he sojourns -with us, for we have every kind of holy places. -This last time the god dwelt among us longer than any -of the other gods who came before him. He confirmed -the saints. He spoke in the Kurdish language. He -also illuminated Mohammed, the prophet of the Ishmaelites, -who had a servant named Mu‘âwiya. When -God saw that Mohammed was not upright before him, -he afflicted him with a headache. The prophet then -asked his servant to shave his head, for Mu‘âwiya -knew how to shave. He shaved his master in haste, -and with some difficulty. As a result, he cut his head -and made it bleed. Fearing that the blood might drop<span class="pagenum" id="Page_43">43</span> -to the ground, Mu‘âwiya licked it with his tongue. -Whereupon Mohammed asked, “What are you doing, -Mu‘âwiya?” He replied, “I licked thy blood with my -tongue, for I feared that it might drop to the ground.” -Then Mohammed said to him, “You have sinned, O -Mu‘âwiya, you shall draw a nation after you. You -shall oppose my sect.” Mu‘âwiya answered and said, -“Then I will not enter the world; I will not marry.”</p> - -<p>It came to pass that after some time God sent scorpions -upon Mu‘âwiya, which bit him, causing his face -to break out with poison. Physicians urged him to -marry lest he die. Hearing this, he consented. They -brought him an old woman, eighty years of age, in -order that no child might be born. Mu‘âwiya knew -his wife, and in the morning she appeared a woman -of twenty-five, by the power of the great God. And -she conceived and bore our god Yezid. But the foreign -sects, ignorant of this fact, say that our god came -from heaven, dispised and driven out by the great -God. For this reason they blaspheme him. In this -they have erred. But we, the Yezidi sect, believe this -not, for we know that he is one of the above-mentioned -seven gods. We know the form of his person and his -image. It is the form of a cock which we possess. -None of us is allowed to utter his name, nor anything -that resembles it, such as <i>šeitân</i> (Satan), <i>ḳaitân</i> -(cord), <i>šar</i> (evil), <i>šat</i> (river), and the like. Nor do -we pronounce <i>mal‘ûn</i> (accursed), or <i>la‘anat</i> (curse), -or <i>na‘al</i><a id="FNanchor_44_44" href="#Footnote_44_44" class="fnanchor">44</a> (horseshoe), or any word that has a similar -sound. All these are forbidden us out of respect<span class="pagenum" id="Page_44">44</span> -for him. So <i>ḫass</i> (lettuce) is debarred. We do not -eat it, for it sounds like the name of our prophetess -Ḫassiah. Fish is prohibited, in honor of Jonah the -prophet. Likewise deer, for deer are the sheep of one -of our prophets. The peacock is forbidden to our -Šeiḫ and his disciples, for the sake of our Ṭâ´ûs. -Squash also is debarred. It is forbidden to pass water -while standing, or to dress up while sitting down, or -to go to the toilet room, or to take a bath according to -the custom of the people.<a id="FNanchor_45_45" href="#Footnote_45_45" class="fnanchor">45</a> Whosoever does contrary -to this is an infidel. Now the other sects, Jews, Christians, -Moslems, and others, know not these things, because -they dislike Melek Ṭâ´ûs. He, therefore, does -not teach them, nor does he visit them. But he dwelt -among us; he delivered to us the doctrines, the rules, -and the traditions, all of which have become an inheritance, -handed down from father to son. After -this, Melek Ṭâ´ûs returned to heaven.</p> - -<p>One of the seven gods made the <i>sanjaḳs</i><a id="FNanchor_46_46" href="#Footnote_46_46" class="fnanchor">46</a> (standards) -and gave them to Solomon the wise. After his -death our kings received them. And when our god, -the barbarian Yezîd, was born, he received these -<i>sanjaḳs</i> with great reverence, and bestowed them upon -our sect. Moreover, he composed two songs in the -Kurdish language to be sung before the <i>sanjaḳas</i> in this -language, which is the most ancient and acceptable -one. The meaning of the song is this:</p> - -<p class="center"> -Hallelujah to the jealous God.<br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_45">45</span></p> - -<p>As they sing it, they march before the <i>sanjaḳs</i> with -timbrels and pipes. These <i>sanjaḳs</i> remain with our -emir, who sits on the throne of Yezîd. When these -are sent away, the <i>ḳawwâls</i> assemble with the emir, -and the great general, the šeiḫ, who is the representative -of Šeiḫ Nasir-ad-Dîn, i. e., Nisroch, god of the -ancient Assyrians.<a id="FNanchor_47_47" href="#Footnote_47_47" class="fnanchor">47</a> They visit the <i>sanjaḳs</i>. Then they -send each <i>sanjaḳ</i> in care of a <i>ḳawwâl</i> to its own place; -one to Ḫalataneye, one to Aleppo, one to Russia, and -one to Sinjar. These <i>sanjaḳs</i> are given to four <i>ḳawwâls</i> -by contract. Before they are sent, they are -brought to Šeiḫ ‘Adî’s tomb, where they are baptized -amid great singing and dancing. After this each of -the contractors takes a load of dust from Šeiḫ ‘Adî’s -tomb. He fashions it into small balls, each about the -size of a gall nut, and carries them along with the -<i>sanjaḳs</i> to give them away as blessings. When he -approaches a town, he sends a crier before him to -prepare the people to accept the <i>ḳawwâl</i> and his <i>sanjaḳ</i> -with respect and honor. All turn out in fine clothes, -carrying incense. The women shout, and all together -sing joyful songs. The <i>ḳawwâl</i> is entertained by the -people with whom he stops. The rest give him silver -presents, everyone according to his means.</p> - -<p>Besides these four <i>sanjaḳs</i>, there are three others, -seven in all. These three are kept in a sacred place -for purposes of healing. Two of them, however, remain -with Šeiḫ ‘Adî, and the third remains in the -village of Baḥazanie, which is distant from Mosul -about four hours. Every four months these <i>ḳawwâls</i><span class="pagenum" id="Page_46">46</span> -travel about. One of them must travel in the province -of the emir. They travel in a fixed order, differing -each year. Every time he goes out, the traveler must -cleanse himself with water made sour with <i>summaḳ</i> -(sumac) and anoint himself with an oil. He must also -light a lamp at each idol that has a chamber. This is -the law that pertains to the <i>sanjaḳs</i>.</p> - -<p>The first day of our new year is called the <i>Serṣâlie</i>, -i. e., the beginning of a year. It falls on the Wednesday -of the first week in April.<a id="FNanchor_48_48" href="#Footnote_48_48" class="fnanchor">48</a> On that day there -must be meat in every family. The wealthy must -slaughter a lamb or an ox; the poor must kill a chicken -or something else. These should be cooked on the -night, the morning of which is Wednesday, New -Year’s day. With the break of day the food should -be blessed. On the first day of the year alms should -be given at tombs where the souls of the dead lie.</p> - -<p>Now the girls, large and small, are to gather from -the fields flowers of every kind that have a reddish -color. They are to make them into bundles, and, after -keeping them three days, they are to hang them on the -doors<a id="FNanchor_49_49" href="#Footnote_49_49" class="fnanchor">49</a> as a sign of the baptism of the people living -in the houses. In the morning all doors will be seen -well decorated with red lilies. But women are to feed -the poor and needy who pass by and have no food; -this is to be done at the graves. But as to the <i>ḳawwâls</i>, -they are to go around the tombs with timbrels, singing -in the Kurdish language. For so doing they are entitled -to money. On the above-mentioned day of -<i>Serṣâlie</i> no instruments of joy are to be played, be<span class="pagenum" id="Page_47">47</span>cause -God is sitting on the throne (arranging decrees -for the year),<a id="FNanchor_50_50" href="#Footnote_50_50" class="fnanchor">50</a> and commanding all the wise and the -neighbors to come to him. And when he tells them -that he will come down to earth with song and praise, -all arise and rejoice before him and throw upon each -the squash of the feast. Then God seals them with his -own seal. And the great God gives a sealed decision -to the god who is to come down. He, moreover, grants -him power to do all things according to his own will. -God prefers doing good and charity to fasting and -praying. The worship of any idol, such as Seyed-ad-Dîn -or Šeiḫ Šams is better than fasting. Some layman -is to give a banquet to a <i>kôchak</i> after the fasting of -the latter forty days, whether it be in summer or in -winter. If he (the <i>kôchak</i>) says this entertainment is -an alms given to the <i>sanjaḳ</i>, then he is not released -from his fasting. When it comes to pass that the -yearly tithe-gatherer finds that the people have not -fully paid their tithes, he whips them till they become -sick, and some even die. The people are to give the -<i>kôchaks</i> money to fight the Roman army, and thus -save the sect (Yezidis) from the wrath of the man of -the year.</p> - -<p>Every Friday a load of gifts is to be brought as an -offering to an idol. At that time, a servant is to call -the people aloud from the roof of a <i>kôchak’s</i> house, -saying, it is the call of the prophet to a feast. All are -to listen reverently and respectfully; and, on hearing -it, every one is to kiss the ground and the stone on -which he happens to lean.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_48">48</span></p> - -<p>It is our law that no <i>ḳawwâl</i> shall pass a razor over -his face. Our law regarding marriage is that at the -time of the wedding a loaf of bread shall be taken -from the house of a <i>kôchak</i> and be divided between -the bride and the bridegroom, each to eat one-half. -They may, however, eat some dust from Šeiḫ ‘Adî’s -tomb instead of the bread for a blessing. Marriage -in the month of April is forbidden, for it is the first -month of the year. This rule, however, does not apply -to <i>ḳawwâls</i>; they may marry during this month. No -layman is allowed to marry a <i>kôchak’s</i> daughter. -Everyone is to take a wife from his own class. But -our emir may have for a wife any one whom he pleases -to love. A layman may marry between the ages of -ten and eighty; he may take for a wife one woman -after another for a period of one year. On her way -to the house of the bridegroom, a bride must visit the -shrine of every idol she may happen to pass; even if -she pass a Christian church, she must do the same. -On her arrival at the bridegroom’s house, he must hit -her with a small stone in token of the fact that she -must be under his authority. Moreover, a loaf of -bread must be broken over her head as a sign to her -that she must love the poor and needy. No Yezidi -may sleep with his wife on the night the morning of -which is Wednesday, and the night the morning of -which is Friday. Whosoever does contrary to this -commandment is an infidel. If a man steal the wife -of his neighbor, or his own former wife, or her sister -or mother, he is not obliged to give her dowry, for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_49">49</span> -she is the booty of his hand. Daughters may not inherit -their father’s wealth. A young lady may be sold -as an acre of land is sold. If she refuses to be married, -then she must redeem herself by paying her -father a sum of money earned by her service and the -labor of her hand.</p> - -<p>Here ends Kitâb Reš, which is followed by several -stories, some of which are told secretly, some openly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_51">51</span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p class="half-title">APPENDIX TO PART I</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_53">53</span></p> - - -<h3 id="APPENDIX_TO_PART_I">APPENDIX TO PART I</h3> - - -<p>They say our hearts are our books, and our šeiḫs -tell us everything from the second Adam until now -and the future. When they notice the sun rise, they -kiss the place where the rays first fall; they do the -same at sunset, where its rays last fall. Likewise they -kiss the spot where the moon first casts its rays and -where it last casts them. They think, moreover, that -by the multiplication of presents to šeiḫs and idols they -keep troubles and afflictions away.</p> - -<p>There is a great difference among the <i>ḳôchaks</i>, they -contradict one another. Some say, “Melek Ṭâ´ûs appears -to me and reveals to me many revelations.” -Others say, “We appear to people in many different -ways.” Some believe that Christ is Šeiḫ Šams himself. -They say that they have had prophets in all times; the -<i>ḳôchaks</i> are the prophets. One of the <i>ḳôchaks</i> says in -one of his prophecies: “I was in Jonah’s ship, where -a lot was cast in my presence. It fell on Jonah; and -he was thrown into the sea, where he remained forty -days and nights.” Another said: “I was sitting with -the great God, who said, ‘I hope the time will come -when I shall send Christ to the world.’ I said to him, -‘Yes.’ Then he sent him. After making a sign in the -sun, Christ came down to the earth.” He appeared to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_54">54</span> -our sect only, and made for us seven circles, which are -at Šeiḫ ‘Adî. Now he appeared to us because we observe -the necessary order, which the other sects do -not observe. Their origin and race are unknown; ours -are known. We are emirs and sons of emirs; we are -šeiḫs and sons of šeiḫs; we are <i>ḳôchaks</i> and sons of -<i>ḳôchaks</i>, etc. But Christians and Moslems make -priests and mullas for themselves out of those who -had none of their kindred in those offices before, and -never will have afterward. We are better than they. -We are allowed to drink wine; our young men also -may desire it when they, in company with women, -engage in religious dancing and playing. Some of -the <i>ḳôchaks</i> and šeiḫs, however, are not allowed to -drink it. When one is about to die, he is visited by a -<i>ḳôchak</i>, who places a bit of Šeiḫ ‘Adî’s dust in his -mouth. Before he is buried his face is anointed with -it. Moreover, the dung of sheep is placed on his tomb. -Finally, food is offered on behalf of the dead. The -<i>ḳôchaks</i> pray for the dead at the graves, for which -service they are paid. They tell the relatives of the -dead what they see in dreams and visions, and the -condition of their dead, whether they have been translated -to the human or to the animal race. Some people -hide silver or gold coins that they plan to take out in -case they are born the second time in this world. Some -believe that the spirits of many righteous persons -travel in the air. Those spirits make revelations to the -<i>ḳôchaks</i>, who are acquainted with the world of mysteries -and secrets. Life and death are in their hands.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_55">55</span> -Hence the fate of the people depends on the gratitude -and honor which they show the <i>ḳôchaks</i>. According -to Yezidis, hell has no existence. It was created in -the time of the first Adam, they say, when our father, -Ibrîḳ al-Aṣfar, was born.<a id="FNanchor_51_51" href="#Footnote_51_51" class="fnanchor">51</a> By reason of his generosity -and noble deeds, Ibrîḳ had many friends. Now, -when he viewed hell he became very sad. He had a -small <i>baḳbûḳ aṣfar</i>,<a id="FNanchor_52_52" href="#Footnote_52_52" class="fnanchor">52</a> into which, as he kept weeping -his tears fell. In seven years it was filled. He then -cast it into hell, and all its fires were put out that mankind -might not be tortured. This incident relates to -one of the noble deeds of our first father, Ibrîḳ al-Aṣfar. -They have many more such upright men of -noble deeds. Such an one is Mohammed Rašân, whose -resting place is behind the mount of Šeiḫ Mattie.<a id="FNanchor_53_53" href="#Footnote_53_53" class="fnanchor">53</a> -He (Rašân) is exceedingly strong, so that the most -sacred oaths are sworn by him. If any one becomes -sick, he takes refuge in making vows to <i>ḫasin</i>, i. e., -pillars of idols. Now there is a place of religious -pilgrimage which is called Sitt Nafîsah. This place -is a mulberry tree in the village of Ba‘ašîḳa. Another -such place is called ‘Abdi Rašân, and is in the -village of ḳarabek. A third place of pilgrimage is -in the village Baḥzanie, which is called Šeiḫ Bakû. -Nearby is a spring, and beside this is a mulberry tree. -Whoever is afflicted with fever, goes to that tree, -hangs on its branches a piece of cloth from his clothes, -and casts bread in the spring for the fish. All this -he does that he may be cured. They entertain the belief -that whoever unties or shakes off one of the shreds<span class="pagenum" id="Page_56">56</span> -of cloth will catch the disease with which the man -was afflicted when he hung it up. There are many -such trees in the village of Ba‘ašîḳa, and in some other -places. There is also a spring of water, called in -the common language ‘Ain aṣ-Ṣafra (Yellow Spring). -The Yezidis call it Kanî-Zarr.<a id="FNanchor_54_54" href="#Footnote_54_54" class="fnanchor">54</a> In this swim those -who are afflicted with the disease of <i>abû-ṣafar</i> (jaundice). -But those who are troubled with dropsy go -for cure to the house of the Pir that lives in the village -of Man Reš.</p> - -<p>When they assemble at Šeiḫ ‘Adî’s, no one is allowed -to cook anything. Everyone is to eat from Šeiḫ ‘Adî’s -table. As to the <i>ḳôchaks</i>, every one of them sits on a -stone, as one sits in prayer. To them the laity go, -seeking succor. They give them money while making -their petition, and vow to the stone on which the -<i>ḳôchak</i> sits, sheep and oxen, everyone according to -his means. Now, at the New Year the places are given -in contract. When they assemble at the New Year, -they dance and play with instruments of joy. Before -eating the <i>kabdûš</i>, i. e., the vowed ox, they swim in the -water of Zamzam, a spring coming from beneath the -temple of Šeiḫ ‘Adî. Then they eat in haste, snatching -meat from the pot like fanatics, so that their hands -are frequently burned. This practice is in accordance -with their rules. After eating, they go up the mountain, -shooting with their guns, and then return to Šeiḫ -‘Adî. Everyone of them takes a little dust and preserves -it for the times of wedding and death. They -wear entwined girdles which they call the ties of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_57">57</span> -back (belt). They baptize these and the <i>sanjaḳs</i> with -the water of Zamzam. He who is called Jawiš<a id="FNanchor_55_55" href="#Footnote_55_55" class="fnanchor">55</a> -wears a stole which is woven from the hair of a goat. -It is nine spans in length and around it are <i>sansûls</i> -(tinsels).</p> - -<p>When the gathering comes to an end, they collect -the money from the <i>ḳôchaks</i> and the contractors, and -bring it to the emir. After everyone has taken according -to his rank, the remainder goes to the emir.</p> - -<p>They have another gathering which takes place at -the feast of Al-Hijâjj. At this pilgrimage they go -up to the mountain which is called Jabal al-‘Arafât.<a id="FNanchor_56_56" href="#Footnote_56_56" class="fnanchor">56</a> -After remaining there an hour, they hasten toward -Šeiḫ ‘Adî. He who arrives there before his companions -is praised much. Hence everyone tries to -excel. The one who succeeds receives abundant -blessings.</p> - -<p>They still have another assembly. This is called -“the road of the <i>ḳôchaks</i>,” when each, putting a rope -around his neck, goes up the mountain. After collecting -wood they bring it to Šeiḫ ‘Adî, carrying it on -their backs. The wood is used for heating purposes -and for the emir’s cooking.</p> - -<p>During these assemblies the <i>sanjaḳs</i> are passed -around. In the first place they are washed with water -made sour with sumac in order to be cleansed from -their rust. The water is given away in drinks for -purposes of blessing. In return money is taken. In -the second place, the <i>ḳôchaks</i> go around with the -<i>sanjaḳs</i> to collect money.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_58">58</span></p> - -<p>In their preaching, the šeiḫs tell the people that all -kings have come from their descent, such as Nisroch,<a id="FNanchor_57_57" href="#Footnote_57_57" class="fnanchor">57</a> -who is Nasr-ad-Dîn, and Kamuš who is Faḫr-ad-Dîn, -and Artâmîs, who is Šams-ad-Dîn, and many others, -as Shabur and Yoram; and many royal names of the -ancient kings, together with their own (Yezidi) kings, -are from their seed. The sign of the Yezidi is that he -wears a shirt with a round bosom. It differs from -that of the other people, the bosom of whose shirts -are open all the way down.</p> - -<p>There is one occasion when no Yezidi will swear -falsely, viz., when one draws a circle on the ground, -and tells him that this circle belongs to Ṭâ´ûs-Melek, -Šeiḫ ‘Adî, and Yezîd, and <i>baryshabaḳei</i>. He places -him in the middle of the circle, and then tells him that -Melek Ṭâ´ûs and all those who were mentioned above -will not intercede for him after his death, and that -the shirt of the Jewish Nasim<a id="FNanchor_58_58" href="#Footnote_58_58" class="fnanchor">58</a> be on his neck, and -that the hand of Nasim be on his neck and eye, and -that Nasim be his brother for the next world, and let -him be to him for a šeiḫ and a <i>pir</i> if he does not tell -the truth. Then if he swears to tell the truth, he cannot -conceal anything. For an oath made under such -conditions is considered greater than that made in the -name of God, and even than that made in the name -of one of their prophets.</p> - -<p>They fast three days in a year from morning till -evening. The fast falls in December, according to the -oriental calendar. They have no prayer<a id="FNanchor_59_59" href="#Footnote_59_59" class="fnanchor">59</a> except what -is mentioned above, such as that referring to the sun<span class="pagenum" id="Page_59">59</span> -and the moon, and asking help from šeiḫs and holy -places when they say, “O Šeiḫ ‘Adî, O Šeiḫ Sams,” -and the like. They are all forbidden to teach their -children anything, with the exception of two stanzas -which they teach their children out of necessity and -because it is traditional.</p> - -<p>A story is told about them by reliable people. Once -when Šeiḫ Naṣir was preaching in a village at Mount -Sinjar, there was a Christian mason in the audience -who, seeing the house filled with people, thought they -were going to pray. He then pretended to take a nap, -that he might amuse himself with what he should hear. -He knew the Kurdish language. When the Christian -seemed to be asleep, but was really awake and listening, -Šeiḫ Naṣir began to preach saying: “Once the -great God appeared to me in vision. He was angry -at Jesus because of a dispute with him. He therefore -caught him and imprisoned him in a den which had no -water. Before the mouth of the den he placed a great -stone. Jesus remained in the den a long time, calling -upon the prophets and the saints for help and asking -their aid. Every one whose succor Jesus asked went -to beg the great God to release him. But God did not -grant their requests. Jesus therefore remained in a -sorrowful state, knowing not what to do.” After this -the preacher remained silent for a quarter of an hour, -and thus a great silence prevailed in the house. Then -he went on to say: “O poor Jesus, why are you so -forgotten, so neglected? Do you not know that all -the prophets and all the saints have no favor with<span class="pagenum" id="Page_60">60</span> -the great God unto Melek Ṭâ´ûs? Why have you -forgotten him and have not called upon him?” Saying -this, the preacher again remained silent as before. -Afterward he again continued: “Jesus remained in -the den till one day when he happened to remember -Melek Ṭâ´ûs. He then sought his aid, praying, ‘O -Melek Ṭâ´ûs, I have been in this den for some time. -I am imprisoned; I have sought the help of all the -saints, and none of them could deliver me. Now, save -me from this den.’ When Melek Ṭâ´ûs heard this, he -descended from heaven to earth quicker than the -twinkling of an eye, removed the stone from the top -of the den, and said to Jesus, ‘Come up, behold I have -brought thee out.’ Then both went up to heaven. -When the great God saw Jesus, he said to him, ‘O -Jesus, who brought thee out of the den? Who brought -thee here without my permission?’ Jesus answered and -said, ‘Melek Ṭâ´ûs brought me out of the den and up -here.’ Then God said, ‘Had it been another, I would -have punished him, but Melek Ṭâ´ûs is much beloved -by me; remain here for the sake of my honor.’ So -Jesus remained in heaven.” The preacher added, -“Notice that those who are without do not like Melek -Ṭâ´ûs. Know ye that in the resurrection he will not -like them either, and he will not intercede for them. -But, as for us, he will put us all in a tray, carry us -upon his head, and take us into heaven, while we are -in the tray on his head.” When the congregation heard -this, they rose up, kissed his clothes and feet, and received -his blessing.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_61">61</span></p> - -<p>Now the views of the Yezidis regarding the birth -of Christ and the explanation of the name of the -Apostle Peter, are found in one of their stories, which -runs thus: “Verily Mary the Virgin mother of Jesus, -begat Jesus in a manner unlike the rest of women. -She begat him from her right side,<a id="FNanchor_60_60" href="#Footnote_60_60" class="fnanchor">60</a> between her -clothes and her body. At that time the Jews had a -custom that, if a woman gave birth, all her relatives -and neighbors would bring her presents. The women -would call, carrying in their right hand a plate of -fruits which were to be found in that season, and in -the left hand they would carry a stone. This custom -was a very ancient one. Therefore when Mary the -Virgin gave birth to Jesus, the wife of Jonah, who is -the mother of Peter, came to her; and, according to -the custom, carried a plate of fruit in her right hand -and a stone in her left. As she entered and gave Mary -the plate, behold, the stone which was in her left hand -begat a male. She called his name Simon Cifa, that is, -son of the stone. Christians do not know these things -as we do.”</p> - -<p>They have a story explaining the word heretic. It -is this: When the great God created the heavens, he -put all the keys of the treasuries and the mansions -there in the hands of Melek Ṭâ´ûs, and commanded -him not to open a certain mansion. But he, without -the knowledge of God, opened the house and found a -piece of paper on which was written, “Thou shalt -worship thy God alone, and him alone shalt thou -serve.” He kept the paper with him and allowed no<span class="pagenum" id="Page_62">62</span> -one else to know about it. Then God created an iron -ring and hung it in the air between the heaven and -the earth. Afterward he created Adam the first. -Melek Ṭâ´ûs refused to worship Adam when God -commanded him to do so. He showed the written -paper which he took from the mansion and said, “See -what is written here.” Then the great God said, “It -may be that you have opened the mansion which I forbade -you to open.” He answered, “Yes.” Then God -said to him, “You are a heretic, because you have disobeyed -me and transgressed my commandment.”</p> - -<p>From this we know that God speaks in the Kurdish -language, that is from the meaning of this saying, -“Go into the iron ring which I, thy God, have made for -whosoever does contrary to my commandment and -disobeys me.”</p> - -<p>When one criticizes such a story as this by saying -that God drove Melek Ṭâ´ûs from heaven and sent -him to hell because of his pride before God the most -high, they do not admit that such is the case. They -answer: “Is it possible that one of us in his anger -should drive out his child from his house and let him -wait until the next day before bringing him back? -Of course not. Similar is the relation of the great -God to Melek Ṭâ´ûs. Verily he loves him exceedingly. -You do not understand the books which you read. -The Gospel says, ‘No one ascended up to heaven but -he who came down from heaven.’ No one came down -from heaven but Melek Ṭâ´ûs and Christ. From this -we know that the great God has been reconciled to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_63">63</span> -Melek Ṭâ´ûs, who went up to heaven, just as God came -down from heaven and went up again.”</p> - -<p>The following is a story told of a <i>kôchak</i>: It is related -that at one time there was no rain in the village -of Ba‘ašîḳa. In this village there was a Yezidi whose -name was Kôchak Berû. There were also some saints -and men of vision dwelling there. They (people) -gathered to ask Berû to see about the rain. He told -them, “Wait till tomorrow that I may see about it.” -They came to him on the next day and said, “What -have you done concerning the question of rain? We -are exceedingly alarmed by reason of its being withheld.” -He answered: “I went up to heaven last night -and entered into the divan where the great God, Šeiḫ -‘Adî, and some other šeiḫs and righteous men were -sitting. The priest Isaac was sitting beside God. The -great God said to me, ‘What do you want, O Kôchak -Berû; why have you come here?’ I said to him, ‘My -lord, this year the rain has been withheld from us till -now, and all thy servants are poor and needy. We -beseech thee to send us rain as thy wont.’ He remained -silent and answered me not. I repeated the -speech twice and thrice, beseeching him. Then I -turned to the šeiḫs who sat there, asking their help -and intercession. The great God answered me, ‘Go -away until we think it over.’ I came down and do not -know what took place after I descended from heaven. -You may go to the priest Isaac and ask him what -was said after I came down.” They went to the priest -and told him the story, and asked him what was said<span class="pagenum" id="Page_64">64</span> -after Kôchak Berû came down. This priest Isaac -was a great joker. He answered them, “After the -<i>kôchak</i> came down, I begged God for rain on your -behalf. It was agreed that after six or seven days -he would send it.” They waited accordingly, and by -a strange coincidence, at the end of the period it rained -like a flood for some time. Seeing this, the people -believed in what they were told, and honored the priest -Isaac, looking upon him as one of the saints, and -thinking that he must have Yezidi blood in him. For -more than twenty years this story has been told as -one of the tales of their saints.</p> - -<p>Once Šeiḫ ‘Adî bn Musâfir and his <i>murids</i> were -entertained by God in heaven. When they arrived, -they did not find straw for their animals. Therefore -Šeiḫ ‘Adî ordered his <i>murids</i> to carry straw from his -threshing floor on the earth. As it was being transported, -some fell on the way, and has remained as a -sign in heaven unto our day. It is known as the road -of the straw man.</p> - -<p>They think that prayer is in the heart; therefore -they do not teach their children about it. And in -their book neither is there any rule regarding prayer, -nor is prayer considered a religious obligation.</p> - -<p>Some assert that at one time Šeiḫ ‘Adî, in company -with Šeiḫ ‘Abd-al-ḳâdir, made a pilgrimage to Mecca, -where he remained four years. After his absence -Melek Ṭâ´ûs appeared to them (the two šeiḫs) in his -symbol. He dictated some rules to them and taught -them many things. Then he was hidden from them.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_65">65</span> -Four years later Šeiḫ ‘Adî returned from Mecca; but -they refused him and would not accept him. They -asserted that he had died or ascended to heaven. He -remained with them, but was without his former respect. -When the time of his death came, Melek Ṭâ´ûs -appeared to them and declared, “This is Šeiḫ ‘Adî -himself, honor him.” Then they honored him and -buried him with due veneration, and made his tomb -a place of pilgrimage. In their estimation it is a more -excellent spot than Mecca. Everyone is under obligation -to visit it once a year at least; and, in addition -to this, they give a sum of money through the šeiḫs -to obtain satisfaction (that Šeiḫ ‘Adî may be pleased -with them). Whoever does this not is disobedient.</p> - -<p>Moreover, it is said that the reason why the pilgrimage -to his tomb is regarded as excellent by us and -by God is that in the resurrection Šeiḫ ‘Adî will carry -in a tray all the Yezidis upon his head and take them -into paradise, without requiring them to give account -or answer. Therefore they regard the pilgrimage to -his tomb as a religious duty greater than the pilgrimage -to Mecca.</p> - -<p>There are some domes, huts, around the tomb of -Šeiḫ ‘Adî. They are there for the purpose of receiving -blessings from the tomb. And they are all attributed -to the great Šeiḫs, as the hut of ‘Abd-al-ḳâdir-al-Jîlânî;<a id="FNanchor_61_61" href="#Footnote_61_61" class="fnanchor">61</a> -the hut of Šeiḫ ḳadîb-al-Bân; the hut of -Šeiḫ Šams-ad-Dîn; the hut of Šeiḫ Manṣûr-al-Ḥallâj, -and the hut of Šeiḫ Ḫasan-al-Baṣrî. There are also<span class="pagenum" id="Page_66">66</span> -some other huts. Each hut has a banner made of -calico. It is a sign of conquest and victory.</p> - -<p>Eating of deer’s meat is forbidden them, they say, -because the deer’s eyes resemble the eyes of Šeiḫ ‘Adî. -Verily his virtues are well-known and his praiseworthy -qualities are traditions handed down from generation -to generation. He was the first to accept the Yezidi -religion. He gave them the rules of the religious sect -and founded the office of the ṣeiḫ. In addition to this, -he was renowned for his devotion and religious exercise. -From Mount Lališ, he used to hear the preaching -of ‘Abd-al-ḳâdir-al-Jîlâni in Bagdad. He used -to draw a circle on the ground and say to the religious -ones, “Whosoever wants to hear the preaching of Al-Jîlânî, -let him enter within this circle.” The following -custom, which we have, began with him: If we wish -to swear to anyone, a ṣeiḫ draws a circle, and he who -is to take an oath, enters into it.</p> - -<p>At one time, passing by a garden, Šeiḫ ‘Adî asked -about lettuce; and, as no one answered, he said, -“Huss” (hush). For this reason lettuce is forbidden -and not eaten.</p> - -<p>As regards fasting, they say about the month of -Ramaḍân that it was dumb and deaf. Therefore, -when God commanded the Moslems to fast, he likewise -commanded the Yezidis, saying to them in the -Kurdish language, “<i>sese</i>,” meaning “three.” The -Mohammedans did not understand it; they took it for -“<i>se</i>,” “thirty.” For this reason, they (Yezidis) fast -three days. Moreover, they believe there are eating,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_67">67</span> -drinking, and other earthly pleasures in the next -world.<a id="FNanchor_62_62" href="#Footnote_62_62" class="fnanchor">62</a> Some hold that the rule of heaven is in God’s -hands, but the rule of the earth is in Šeiḫ ‘Adî’s hands. -Being exceedingly beloved by God, he bestowed upon -him according to ‘Adî’s desire.</p> - -<p>They believe in the transmigration of souls. This -is evinced by the fact that when the soul of Manṣûr-al-Ḥallâj -parted from his body when the Caliph of -Bagdad killed him and cast his head into the water, -his soul floated on the water. By a wonderful chance -and a strange happening, the sister of the said Manṣûr -went to fill her jar. The soul of her brother entered it. -Without knowing what had happened, she came with -it to the house. Being tired, she felt thirsty and drank -from the jar. At that moment the soul of her brother -entered her, but she did not perceive it until she became -pregnant. She gave birth to a son who resembled -Šeiḫ Manṣûr himself. He became her brother according -to birth and her son according to imputation. The -reason why they do not use drinking-vessels which -have narrow mouths, or a net-like cover, is that when -one drinks water from them they make a sound. When -the head of Šeiḫ Manṣûr was thrown into the water -it gurgled. In his honor they do not use the small -jars with narrow necks.</p> - -<p>They assert that they expect a prophet who will -come from Persia to annul the law of Mohammed and -abrogate Islam. They believe that there are seven -gods, and that each god administers the universe for -ten thousand years; and that one of these gods is<span class="pagenum" id="Page_68">68</span> -Lasiferos, the chief of the fallen angels, who bears -also the name Melek Ṭâ´ûs. They make him a graven -image after the form of a cock<a id="FNanchor_63_63" href="#Footnote_63_63" class="fnanchor">63</a> and worship it. They -play the tambourine and dance before it to make it -rejoice with them. They (<i>ḳawwâls</i>) travel within the -Yezidis’ villages to collect money, at which time they -take it into the houses that it may bless and honor -them. Some say that Šeiḫ ‘Adî is a deity; others that he -is like a Vizier to God. To him all things are referred. -This is Melek Ṭâ´ûs age. The ruling and administrative -power is in his hands until the thousandth year. -When the time comes to an end he will deliver the -power to the next god to rule and administer until -another thousand years shall be ended, and so on until -the seventh god. And yet there is accord and love -among these gods, and none is jealous of the one who -may rule and administer the world for a period of -ten thousand years. They have a book named Al -Jilwah that they ascribe to Šeiḫ ‘Adî, and they suffer -no one who is not one of them to read it.</p> - -<p>Mention is made in some of their books that the -First Cause is the Supreme God, who before he created -this world, was enjoying himself over the seas;<a id="FNanchor_64_64" href="#Footnote_64_64" class="fnanchor">64</a> and -in his hand was a great White Pearl, with which he -was playing. Then he resolved to cast it into the sea, -and when he did so this world came into being.</p> - -<p>Moreover, they think themselves not to be of the -same seed from which the rest of mankind sprung, -but that they are begotten of the son of Adam, who -was born to Adam of his spittle. For this reason they<span class="pagenum" id="Page_69">69</span> -imagine themselves nobler and more pleasing to the -gods than others.</p> - -<p>They say they have taken fasting and sacrifice from -Islam; baptism from Christians; prohibition of foods -from the Jews; their way of worship from the idolaters; -dissimulation of doctrine from the Rafiḍis -(Shi‘ites); human sacrifice and transmigration from -the pre-Islamic paganism of the Arabs and from the -Sabians. They say that when the spirit of man goes -forth from his body, it enters into another man if it -be just; but if unjust, into an animal.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_70">70</span></p> - - -<h4><a name="THE_POEM_IN_PRAISE_OF_SEIH_ADI" id="THE_POEM_IN_PRAISE_OF_SEIH_ADI">THE POEM IN PRAISE OF ŠEIḪ ‘ADÎ</a><br /> - -<small><i>Peace Be unto Him</i></small></h4> - - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"><div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse">My understanding surrounds the truth of things,</div> - <div class="verse">And my truth is mixed up in me,</div> - <div class="verse">And the truth of my descent is set forth by itself,</div> - <div class="verse">And when it was known it was altogether in me.</div> - <div class="verse">And all that are in the universe are under me,</div> - <div class="verse">And all the habitable parts and deserts,</div> - <div class="verse">And everything created is under me,</div> - <div class="verse">And I am the ruling power preceding all that exists.</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he that spoke a true saying,</div> - <div class="verse">And I am the just judge and the ruler of the earth.</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he that men worship in my glory,</div> - <div class="verse">Coming to me and kissing my feet.</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he that spread over the heavens their height.</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he that cried in the beginning.</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he that of myself revealeth all things,</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he to whom came the book of good tidings</div> - <div class="verse">From my Lord, who burneth the mountains.</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he to whom all created men come</div> - <div class="verse">In obedience to kiss my feet.</div> - <div class="verse">I bring forth fruit from the first juice of early youth</div> - <div class="verse">By my presence, and turn toward me my disciples.</div> - <div class="verse">And before this light the darkness of the morning cleared away.</div> - <div class="verse">I guide him that asketh for guidance.</div> - <div class="verse">I am he that caused Adam to dwell in Paradise</div> - <div class="verse">And Nimrod to inhabit a hot burning fire.</div><span class="pagenum" id="Page_71">71</span> - <div class="verse">And I am he that guided Aḥmed the Just,</div> - <div class="verse">And let him into my path and way.</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he unto whom all creatures</div> - <div class="verse">Come for my good purposes and gifts.</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he that visited all the heights,</div> - <div class="verse">And goodness and charity proceed from my mercy.</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he that made all hearts to fear</div> - <div class="verse">My purpose, and they magnify the majesty and power of my awfulness.</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he to whom the destroying lion came</div> - <div class="verse">Raging, and I shouted against him and he became stone.</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he to whom the serpent came,</div> - <div class="verse">And by my will I made him dust.</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he that struck the rock and made it tremble,</div> - <div class="verse">And made to burst from its sides the sweetest of waters.[65]</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he that sent down the certain truth;</div> - <div class="verse">For me is the book that comforteth the oppressed.</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he that judged justly,</div> - <div class="verse">And when I judged it was my right</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he that made the springs<a id="FNanchor_65_65" href="#Footnote_65_65" class="fnanchor">65</a> to give water,</div> - <div class="verse">Sweeter and pleasanter than all waters.</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he that caused it to appear in my mercy,</div> - <div class="verse">And by my power I called it the pure.</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he to whom the Lord of heaven hath said,</div> - <div class="verse">Thou art the just Judge and Ruler of the earth.</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he that disclosed some of my wonders,</div> - <div class="verse">And some of my virtues are manifested in that which exists.</div> - <div class="verse">And I am he that caused the mountains to bow,</div> - <div class="verse">To move under me and at my will.<a id="FNanchor_66_66" href="#Footnote_66_66" class="fnanchor">66</a></div> - <div class="verse">And I am he before whose majesty the wild beasts cried;</div> - <div class="verse">They turned to me worshiping, and kissed my feet.</div> - <div class="verse">And I am ‘Adî aš-Šâmî, the son of Musâfir.</div><span class="pagenum" id="Page_72">72</span> - <div class="verse">Verily the All-Merciful has assigned unto me names,</div> - <div class="verse">The heavenly throne, and the seat, and the (seven) heavens, and the earth.</div> - <div class="verse">In the secret of my knowledge there is no God but me.</div> - <div class="verse">These things are subservient to my power.</div> - <div class="verse">O mine enemies, why do you deny me?</div> - <div class="verse">O men, deny me not, but submit.</div> - <div class="verse">In the day of judgment you will be happy in meeting me.</div> - <div class="verse">Who dies in my love, I will cast him</div> - <div class="verse">In the midst of Paradise, by my will and pleasure;</div> - <div class="verse">But he that dies unmindful of me</div> - <div class="verse">Will be thrown into torture in misery and affliction.</div> - <div class="verse">I say I am the only one and the exalted;</div> - <div class="verse">I create and make rich those whom I will.</div> - <div class="verse">Praise it to myself, for all things are by my will.</div> - <div class="verse">And the universe is lighted by some of my gifts.</div> - <div class="verse">I am the king that magnifies himself,</div> - <div class="verse">And all the riches of creation are at my bidding.</div> - <div class="verse">I have made known unto you, O people, some of my ways.</div> - <div class="verse">Who desireth me must forsake the world.</div> - <div class="verse">And I can also speak the true saying,</div> - <div class="verse">And the garden on high is for those who do my pleasure.</div> - <div class="verse">I sought the truth and became a confirming truth;</div> - <div class="verse">And by the like truth shall they, like myself, possess the highest place.</div> -</div></div></div> -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_73">73</span></p> - - - -<h4 id="THE_PRINCIPAL_PRAYER_OF_THE_YEZIDIS">THE PRINCIPAL PRAYER OF THE YEZIDIS</h4> - - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"><div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse">Amen, Amen, Amen!</div> - <div class="verse">Through the intermediation of Šams-ad-Dîn,</div> - <div class="verse">Faḫr ad-Dîn, Naṣir-ad-Dîn,</div> - <div class="verse">Sajad ad-Dîn, Šeiḫ Sin (Ḥusein),</div> - <div class="verse">Šeiḫ Bakr, ḳâdir ar-Raḥmân.</div> - <div class="verse">Lord, thou art gracious, thou art merciful;</div> - <div class="verse">Thou art God, king of kings and lands,</div> - <div class="verse">King of joy and happiness,</div> - <div class="verse">King of good possession (eternal life).</div> - <div class="verse">From eternity thou art eternal.</div> - <div class="verse">Thou art the seat of luck (happiness) and life;</div> - <div class="verse">Thou art lord of grace and good luck.</div> - <div class="verse">Thou art king of jinns and human beings,</div> - <div class="verse">King of the holy men (saints),</div> - <div class="verse">Lord of terror and praise,</div> - <div class="verse">The abode of religious duty and praise,</div> - <div class="verse">Worthy of praise and thanks.</div> - <div class="verse">Lord! Protector in journeys,</div> - <div class="verse">Sovereign of the moon and of the darkness,</div> - <div class="verse">God of the sun and of the fire,</div> - <div class="verse">God of the great throne,</div> - <div class="verse">Lord of goodness.</div> - <div class="verse">Lord! No one knows how thou art.</div> - <div class="verse">Thou hast no beauty; thou hast no height.</div> - <div class="verse">Thou hast no going forth; thou hast no number.</div> - <div class="verse">Lord! Judge of kings and beggars,</div> - <div class="verse">Judge of society and of the world,</div> - <div class="verse">Thou hast revealed the repentance of Adam.</div> - <div class="verse">Lord, thou hast no house; thou hast no money;</div><span class="pagenum" id="Page_74">74</span> - <div class="verse">Thou hast no wings, hast no feathers;</div> - <div class="verse">Thou hast no voice, thou hast no color.</div> - <div class="verse">Thou hast made us lucky and satisfied.</div> - <div class="verse">Thou hast created Jesus and Mary.</div> - <div class="verse">Lord, thou art gracious,</div> - <div class="verse">Merciful, faithful.</div> - <div class="verse">Thou art Lord; I am nothingness.</div> - <div class="verse">I am a fallen sinner,</div> - <div class="verse">A sinner by thee remembered.</div> - <div class="verse">Thou hast led us out of darkness into light.</div> - <div class="verse">Lord! My sin and my guilt,</div> - <div class="verse">Take them and remove them.</div> - <div class="verse">O God, O God, O God, Amen!</div> -</div></div></div> -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_75">75</span></p> - - -<h3 id="SEVEN_CLASSES_OF_YEZIDIS">SEVEN CLASSES OF YEZIDIS</h3> - - -<p>They are divided into seven classes, and each class -has functions peculiar to itself that cannot be discharged -by any of the other classes. They are:</p> - -<p>1. Šeiḫ. He is the servant of the tomb, and a descendant -of Imam Ḥasan al-Baṣrî. No one can give a -legal decision or sign any document except the šeiḫ -who is the servant of Šeiḫ ‘Adî’s tomb. He has a -sign by which he is distinguished from others. The -sign is a belt which he puts on his body, and net-like -gloves, which resemble the halters of camels. If he -goes among his people, they bow down and pay him -their respects. The šeiḫs sell a place in paradise to -anyone who wishes to pay money.</p> - -<p>2. Emir. The emirship specifically belongs to the -descendants of Yezîd. They have a genealogical tree, -preserved from their fathers and forefathers, which -goes up to Yezîd himself. The emirs have charge of -the temporal and governmental affairs, and have the -right to say, “Do this and do not that.”</p> - -<p>3. ḳawwâl. He has charge of tambourines and -flutes and religious hymns.</p> - -<p>4. Pîr. To him appertain the conduct of fasts, the -breaking of fasts, and hair-dressing.</p> - -<p>5. Kôchak. To him appertain the duties of religious<span class="pagenum" id="Page_76">76</span> -instruction, and sepulture, and interpretation of -dreams, i. e., prophecy.</p> - -<p>6. Faḳîr. To him appertain the duties of instruction -of boys and girls in playing on the tambourines, -in dancing and religious pleasure. He serves Šeiḫ ‘Adî.</p> - -<p>7. Mulla. To him appertain the duties of instructing -children. He guards the books and the mysteries -of religion and attends to the affairs of the sect.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_77">77</span></p> - - -<h4 id="ARTICLES_OF_FAITH">ARTICLES OF FAITH</h4> - - -<p>At one time (A. H. 1289; A. D. 1872), the Ottoman -power wanted to draft from among them an army -instead of taking the tax which was its due. They -presented to the government all the rules that prevented -them from complying. These all pertain to -religion and are moral obligations upon them. They -are as follows:</p> - - -<blockquote> - -<p><span class="smcap">Article I</span></p> - -<p>According to our Yezidi religion every member of -our sect, whether big or little, girl or woman, must -visit Melek Ṭâ´ûs three times a year, that is, first, from -the beginning to the last of the month of April, Roman -calendar; secondly, from the beginning to the end of -the month of September; thirdly, from the beginning -to the end of the month of November. If anyone visit -not the image of Melek Ṭâ´ûs, he is an infidel.</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Article II</span></p> - -<p>If any member of our sect, big or little, visit not his -highness Šeiḫ ‘Adî bn Musâfir—may God sanctify his -mysteries! once a year, i. e., from the fifteenth to the -twentieth of the month of September, Roman calendar, -he is an infidel according to our religion.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_78">78</span></p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Article III</span></p> - -<p>Every member of our sect must visit the place of the -sunrise every day when it appears, and there should -not be Moslem, nor Christian, nor any one else in that -place. If any one do this not, he is an infidel.</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Article IV</span></p> - -<p>Every member of our sect must daily kiss the hand -of his brother, his brother of the next world, namely, -the servant of the Mahdi, and the hand of his šeiḫ -or <i>pîr</i>. If any one do this not, he is regarded as an -infidel.</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Article V</span></p> - -<p>According to our religion it is something intolerable -when the Moslem in the morning begins to say in -prayer, God forbid! “I take refuge in God, etc.”<a id="FNanchor_67_67" href="#Footnote_67_67" class="fnanchor">67</a> If -any one of us hear it, he must kill the one who says it -and kill himself; otherwise he becomes an infidel.</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Article VI</span></p> - -<p>When one of our sect is on the point of death, if -there be no brother of the next world and his šeiḫ, or -his <i>pîr</i> and one of the <i>ḳawwâls</i> with him to say three -sayings over him, viz., “O servant of Melek Ṭâ´ûs, -whose ways are high, you must die in the religion of -the one we worship, who is Melek Ṭâ´ûs, whose ways -are high, and do not die in any other religion than his. -And if some one should come and say to you something -from the Mohammedan religion, or Christian -religion, or Jewish religion, or some other religion, do -not believe him, and do not follow him. And if you -believe and follow another religion than that of the -one we worship, Melek Ṭâ´ûs, you shall die an infidel,” -he becomes an infidel.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_79">79</span></p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Article VII</span></p> - -<p>We have something called the blessing of Šeiḫ ‘Adî, -that is, the dust of the tomb Šeiḫ ‘Adî—may God sanctify -his mystery! Every member of our sect must -have some of it with him in his pocket and eat of it -every morning. And if he eat not of it intentionally, -he is an infidel. Likewise at the time of death, if he -possess not some of that dust intentionally, he dies -an infidel.</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Article VIII</span></p> - -<p>Regarding our fasting, if any one of our sect wish -to fast, he must fast in his own place, not in another. -For while fasting he must go every morning to the -house of his šeih and his <i>pîr</i>, and there he must begin -to fast; and when he breaks his fast, likewise, he must -go to the house of his šeih and his <i>pîr</i>, and there break -the fast by drinking the holy wine of the šeih or the -<i>pîr</i>. And if he drink not two or three glasses of that -wine, his fasting is not acceptable, and he becomes -an infidel.</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Article IX</span></p> - -<p>If one of our sect go to another place and remain -there as much as one year, and afterward return to his -place, then his wife is forbidden him, and none of us -will give him a wife. If anyone give him a wife, that -one is an infidel.</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Article X</span></p> - -<p>Regarding our dress, as we have mentioned in the -fourth Article that every one of our sect has a brother -for the next world, he has also a sister for the next -world.<a id="FNanchor_68_68" href="#Footnote_68_68" class="fnanchor">68</a> Therefore if any one of us make for himself -a new shirt, it is necessary that his sister for the next<span class="pagenum" id="Page_80">80</span> -world should open its neck band, i. e., the neck band of -that shirt, with her hand. And if she open it not with -her hand, and he wear it, then he is an infidel.</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Article XI</span></p> - -<p>If some one of our sect make a shirt or a new dress, -he cannot wear it without baptizing it in the blessed -water which is to be found at the shrine of his highness -Šeiḫ ‘Adî, may God sanctify his mystery! If he wear -it, he is an infidel.</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Article XII</span></p> - -<p>We may not wear a light black dress at all. We -may not comb our heads with the comb of a Moslem -or a Christian or a Jew or any other. Nor may we -shave our heads with the razor used by any other -than ourselves (Yezidis), except it be washed in the -blessed water which is to be found at the shrine of his -highness Šeih ‘Adî. Then it is lawful for us to shave -our heads. But if we shave our heads without the -razor having been washed in that water, we become -infidels.</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Article XIII</span></p> - -<p>No Yezidi may enter the water-closet of a Moslem, -or take a bath at a Moslem’s house, or eat with a -Moslem’s spoon or drink from a Moslem’s cup, from a -cup used by any one of another sect. If he does, he is -an infidel.<a id="FNanchor_69_69" href="#Footnote_69_69" class="fnanchor">69</a></p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Article XIV</span></p> - -<p>Concerning food, there is a great difference between -us and the other sects. We do not eat meat or fish, -squash, <i>bamia</i> (okra), <i>fasulia</i> (beans), cabbage, or -lettuce. We cannot even dwell in the place where -lettuce is sown.<a id="FNanchor_70_70" href="#Footnote_70_70" class="fnanchor">70</a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_81">81</span></p> -<p>For these and other reasons, we cannot enter the -military service, etc.</p></blockquote> - -<p>The names of those who affixed their signatures:</p> - -<div class="center"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2"><span class="smcap">The Head of the Yezidi Sect, the Emir of Šeiḫân, Ḥusein.</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2"><span class="smcap">The Religious Šeiḫ of the Yezidi Sect of the District of Šeiḫân, Šeiḫ Naṣir.</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdh" colspan="2"><span class="smcap">The Chief of the Village of Mam Rešân, Pîr Suleimân.</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Village Chief of</span></td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap"> Muskân, Murad.</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> “</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Ḥatârah, Ayyûb.</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> “</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Beibân, Ḥusein.</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> “</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Dahḳan, Ḥassan.</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> “</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Ḥuzrân, Nu‘mô.</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> “</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Bâkasra, ‘Ali.</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> “</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Bâ‘ašîḳa, Jamô.</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> “</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Ḥôšâba, Ilias.</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> “</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Krepaḥin, Saġd.</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> “</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Ḳabâreh, Kôchak.</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> “</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Kasô.</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> “</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Sinâ, ‘Abdô.</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> “</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">‘Ain Sifni, Gurgô.</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> “</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Ḳasr-‘<i>I</i>zz-ad-dîn.</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> “</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Ḫeirô.</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> “</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Kibertô, Ṭâhir.</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap lowercase">AND OTHERS.</span></td> -</tr> -</table></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_82">82</span></p> - -<p>These are they whose names were in the petition -above mentioned, and from which we copied a few -things.</p> - -<p>The result was that when they presented this -petition, they were exempted from military service, -but they paid a tax in money as did the Christians.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_83">83</span></p> - - -<h3><a id="NOTES_ON_PART_I"></a>NOTES ON PART I</h3> - - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_31_31" href="#FNanchor_31_31" class="label">31</a> -A. H. 295 (A. D. 807-8). This is the date of -Al-Muḳtadir’s accession, who reigned till A. H. 320 -(A. D. 932); cf. W. Muir, <i>The Caliphate</i>, p. 559.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_32_32" href="#FNanchor_32_32" class="label">32</a> -The life of Manṣûr-al-Ḥallâj is given in Fihrist -(ed. Flügel), p. 190.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_33_33" href="#FNanchor_33_33" class="label">33</a> -The life of ‘Abd-al-ḳâdir of Jîlân is given in -Jami’s <i>Nafaḥat</i> (ed. Lee), p. 584.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_34_34" href="#FNanchor_34_34" class="label">34</a> -The Hakkari country is a dependency of Mosul, -and inhabited by Kurds and Nestorians; cf. p. 104. -Ibn Ḫauḳal, Kîtâb al-Masâlik wal-Mamâlik (ed. M. -J. De Goeje), pp. 143 f.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_35_35" href="#FNanchor_35_35" class="label">35</a> -Yaḳût, IV, 373, calls it Laileš and says that Šeiḫ -‘Adî lived there.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_36_36" href="#FNanchor_36_36" class="label">36</a> -Presumably Yezîd bn Mu‘âwiya, the second -caliph in the Omayyid dynasty, who reigned, A. D. -680-83; cf. W. Muir, <i>The Caliphate</i>, p. 327.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_37_37" href="#FNanchor_37_37" class="label">37</a> -The life of Ḥasan al-Baṣrî is given in Ibn -Ḫallikân. He is not to be identified with Ḥasan al-Baṣrî -(died 110 A. H., who, according to Mohammedan -tradition, first pointed the Koran text, with the -assistance of Yaḥyâ bn Yamar.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_38_38" href="#FNanchor_38_38" class="label">38</a> -In Menant’s <i>Yzidis</i>, 48, the names of these -seven angels are somewhat differently given. According -to Mohammedan tradition Zazil or Azazil was the -original name of the devil.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_39_39" href="#FNanchor_39_39" class="label">39</a> -By the “throne” here is meant the throne of God, -and by the “carpet” the earth; cf. Sura 60: 131.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_40_40" href="#FNanchor_40_40" class="label">40</a> -According to Moslem belief, wheat was the forbidden -fruit; see Baiḍâwi on Sura, ii, 33.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_84">84</span></p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_41_41" href="#FNanchor_41_41" class="label">41</a> -Kunsiniyat is an obscure term.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_42_42" href="#FNanchor_42_42" class="label">42</a> -‘Ain Sifni is about five miles from Ba‘adrie; cf. -Layard, <i>Nineveh</i>, I, 272.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_43_43" href="#FNanchor_43_43" class="label">43</a> -Yaḳût (III, 158) mentions a similar tradition.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_44_44" href="#FNanchor_44_44" class="label">44</a> -These are indications of Mohammedan influence -and censorship, for no Yezidi will ever write in his -sacred book such words as Šeitân, Šar, etc.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_45_45" href="#FNanchor_45_45" class="label">45</a> -That is, those of other religions.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_46_46" href="#FNanchor_46_46" class="label">46</a> -Sanjaḳ is a Turkish word, meaning banner; it -is the name by which the Yezidis generally designate -the sacred image of Melek Ṭâ´ûs.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_47_47" href="#FNanchor_47_47" class="label">47</a> -See note 27.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_48_48" href="#FNanchor_48_48" class="label">48</a> -The Harranian New Year fell on the first day -of April, and on the sixth day they slaughtered an ox -and ate it; cf. Fihrist, 322.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_49_49" href="#FNanchor_49_49" class="label">49</a> -A similar practice is found among the Parsees -of India, who hang a string of leaves across the entrances -to their houses at the beginning of every New -Year.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_50_50" href="#FNanchor_50_50" class="label">50</a> -According to Babylonian mythology, human -destiny was decreed on the New Year’s day and sealed -on the tenth day; cf. the <i>Hibbert Journal</i>, V, January, -1907. And according to Talmud (Mišna, Roš hašana, -I:2), New Year’s is the most important judgment day, -on which all creatures pass for judgment before the -Creator. On this day three books are opened, wherein -the fate of the wicked, the righteous, and those of the -intermediate class are recorded. Hence prayer and -works of repentance are performed at the New Year -from the first to the tenth days, that an unfavorable -decision might be averted; cf. <i>Jewish Encyclopedia</i>, -“Penitential Day.” R. Akiba says: “On New Year -day all men are judged; and the decree is sealed on -the Day of Atonement;” cf. <i>ibid.</i>, “Day of Judgement.”</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_51_51" href="#FNanchor_51_51" class="label">51</a> -Ibrîḳ al-Aṣfar means “the yellow pitcher.”</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_52_52" href="#FNanchor_52_52" class="label">52</a> -Bakbûḳ is a pitcher with a narrow spout.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_85">85</span></p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_53_53" href="#FNanchor_53_53" class="label">53</a> -Mar Mattie is a Syrian monastery about seven -hours’ ride east of Mosul, generally known by the -name of Šeiḫ Mattie, in accordance with the general -custom of sheltering a Christian saint beneath a -Moslem title. Elijah is known as Al-Ḫuder, “the -green one.” Aphrates was bishop of Šeiḫ Mattie. The -church of this monastery is a large building, chiefly -interesting as containing the tomb of the great Bar -Hebraeus, known as Abu-l-Faraj, who was ordained -at Tripolis, and became in 1246 A. D. Metropolitan -of Mosul. He lies buried, with his brother Barsom, -in the “Beth ḳadišeh” (sanctuary) of the church, and -over them is placed the inscription: “This is the grave -of Mar Gregorias, and of Mar Barsome his brother, -the children of the Hebrew, on Mount Elpep” (the -Syriac name for Jabal Maḳlûb).</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_54_54" href="#FNanchor_54_54" class="label">54</a> -<i>Kani</i> in Kurdish means a spring; <i>zarr</i>, yellow. -In Kurdish, as in Persian, the adjective usually follows -the modified noun; cf. Tartibi Jadid, Ta‘alimi Faresi, -<i>The New Method for Teaching Persian</i> (in the Turkish -language, ed. Kasbar, Constantinople, A. H. 1312), -p. 18.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_55_55" href="#FNanchor_55_55" class="label">55</a> -Jawîš is a Turkish word, signifying a sergeant.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_56_56" href="#FNanchor_56_56" class="label">56</a> -This ceremony, as well as the names ‘Arafat, -Zamzam, etc., seems to be a mere copy of the Meccah -Pilgrimage. ‘Arafât, “The Mount of Recognition,” -is situated twelve miles from Mecca, a place where -the pilgrims stay on the ninth day of the day of the -pilgrimage, and recite the midday and afternoon -prayer. The Mohammedan legend says, that when -our first parents forfeited heaven for eating wheat, -they were cast down from the Paradise, Adam fell on -the Isle of Ceylon, and Eve near Jiddah (the port of -Mecca) in Arabia; and that, after separation of 200 -years, Adam was conducted by the Angel Gabriel to -a mountain near Mecca, where he found and knew<span class="pagenum" id="Page_86">86</span> -his wife, the mountain being then named ‘Arafat, -“Recognition.”</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_57_57" href="#FNanchor_57_57" class="label">57</a> -The god Nisroch of Scripture, II Kings 19:37; -Isa. 37: 38.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_58_58" href="#FNanchor_58_58" class="label">58</a> -A superstitious name signifying an ill omen.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_59_59" href="#FNanchor_59_59" class="label">59</a> -That is, public prayers like those of the Mohammedans -and of the Christians; cf. Al Mašrik, II, -313.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_60_60" href="#FNanchor_60_60" class="label">60</a> -The text has “her hand.”</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_61_61" href="#FNanchor_61_61" class="label">61</a> -While the Yezidis venerate ‘Abd al-ḳâdir of -Jîlân, the Nusairis curse him; cf. <i>J A O S</i>, VIII, 274.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_62_62" href="#FNanchor_62_62" class="label">62</a> -This belief is taken from Mohammedanism.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_63_63" href="#FNanchor_63_63" class="label">63</a> -The Arabs worshiped a deity under the form -of a <i>nasr</i> (eagle), Aš-Šahrastânî, II, 434; Yaḳut, IV, -780; <i>The Syriac Doctrine of Addai</i> (ed. George -Philips), p. 24.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_64_64" href="#FNanchor_64_64" class="label">64</a> -Cf. Gen. I: 2, and the Babylonian Creation Epic.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_65_65" href="#FNanchor_65_65" class="label">65</a> -That is the spring of Šeiḫ ‘Adî.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_66_66" href="#FNanchor_66_66" class="label">66</a> -The reference is to Jabal Maḳlûb, which, according -to the Yezidi belief, moved from its place near -Lališ to enable every Yezidi, wherever he may be, to -direct his morning prayers toward the tomb of ‘Adî.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_67_67" href="#FNanchor_67_67" class="label">67</a> -The Moslem begins his prayer by cursing the -devil.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_68_68" href="#FNanchor_68_68" class="label">68</a> -That is a person of the same faith, a Yezidi.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_69_69" href="#FNanchor_69_69" class="label">69</a> -A Nuṣairi, on the contrary, may become a Mohammedan -with a Mohammedan, a Christian with a -Christian, and a Jew with a Jew; cf. <i>J A O S</i>, VII, 298.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_70_70" href="#FNanchor_70_70" class="label">70</a> -The Sabians did not eat purslane, garlic, beans, -cauliflower, cabbage, and lentils; cf. Bar. Hebraeus, -At-Târîḫ, ed. A. Ṣalḥani, Beirut, 1890, 266.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_87">87</span></p></div> - - - - -<h2><a name="PART_II" id="PART_II">PART II</a><br /> - -<small>THE CRITICAL DISCUSSION OF YEZIDISM</small></h2> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_89">89</span></p> - - -<h3 id="CHAPTER_I-1">CHAPTER I<br /> - -<small><span class="smcap">The Religious Origin of the Yezidis</span></small></h3> - - -<p>The origin of the devil-worshippers has been the -subject of much controversy; but aside from an -expression of views, no satisfactory solution of the -problem has as yet been reached. The different theories -which have been advanced may be classified under -four general heads: The Myth of the Yezidis themselves; -the tradition of Eastern Christians; the dogmatic -idea of the Mohammedan scholars; and the -speculative theory of the western orientalists.</p> - - -<h4>I<br /> - -<small><span class="smcap">The Yezidi Myth</span></small></h4> - -<p>The Myth of the Yezidis concerning their origin -may be derived from three different sources: from -their sacred book, from the appendix of the manuscript, -and from actual conversation of travellers -with them or with natives dwelling among them. One<span class="pagenum" id="Page_90">90</span> -noticeable fact is that this tradition assumes the -religion of the sect as existing long before the time of -their chief saint, Šeiḫ ‘Adî. Al-Jilwah begins with -the statement that Melek Ṭâ´ûs sent his servant, <i>i. e.</i>, -the Yezidis, that they might not go astray. Starting -from this assumption, the writer of the revealed book -goes on to trace the origin of the “elect” to the very -beginning of human history. He asserts that from -the start God created them as a peculiar people of -‘Azazil, <i>i. e.</i>, Melek-Ṭâ´ûs. In the main, this idea -finds expression in the oral traditions. But here we -have a mass of material so clouded by superstition -and ignorance that it is next to impossible to come to -any conclusion as to the history of this interesting -people. One point the myth repeatedly emphasizes, -as an explanation of the origin of the sect, is that it -was descended from Adam alone; while the other -sects were descended from Adam and Eve. For this -reason, the same tradition implies, the Yezidis are -nobler than the others. But how they have come to -be such unique descendants is a question not easily -answered. One account has it that when Adam and -Eve disputed as to the generation of the human race, -each claiming to be the sole begetter of the race, they -finally agreed to put their seed in separate jars and -seal them with their own seals. After nine months -they opened the jars, and in Adam’s jar they found -two children, a male and a female. From these two -the Yezidis were descended. Another explanation is -that from Adam’s essence was born Šeher bn Jebr,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_91">91</span> -of whom nothing is known; and of him, a separate -community, which is the sect of Melek Ṭâ´ûs. We -have, moreover, the tradition that the Yezidis are -descendants of a son born to Adam of his spittle. -Now whether this son be identical with Šeher bn Jebr -is not certain. Writing in one of the oriental periodicals, -an eastern scholar quotes a Yezidi šeiḫ in -a statement which seems to corroborate the tradition -that the Yezidis are a noble progeny of Adam; but the -quotation differs from the instance previously cited in -stating that the quarrel which took place between -Adam and Eve led to their separation to places distant -from each other a journey of forty days.<a id="FNanchor_71_71" href="#Footnote_71_71" class="fnanchor">71</a> There, it -is said, Adam miraculously gave birth to a son. Distressed -by this incident, Eve asked God that she might -find favor in her husband’s eyes by giving birth to a -child. Thereupon, it continues, she begot a very -pretty daughter. Attracted by her beauty, Adam -married her to his son. Now, the Yezidis, we are -told, are the blessed seed of these two children.<a id="FNanchor_72_72" href="#Footnote_72_72" class="fnanchor">72</a></p> - -<p>Not only when the tradition, tracing the origin of -the Yezidis as a race, asserts that, as a religious body, -they come from a very ancient time; but also when -it speaks of them as a nation, it points out their -antiquity. On this latter, as well as on the former -point, their book and their oral tradition agree. The -Yezidis are said to have sprung from a noble personage, -the King of Peace, whose name was Na-‘umi, -but whom they now call Melek-Miran.<a id="FNanchor_73_73" href="#Footnote_73_73" class="fnanchor">73</a> The rest of -mankind, however, are from the seed of Ham, who<span class="pagenum" id="Page_92">92</span> -mocked his father. Whom they signified by Na-‘umi -or Miran it is hard to say; but it is likely that they -regard him as one of the other two sons of Noah. -They claim also that the ancient Assyrian kings were -members of their race, and that some of the Persian, -Roman and Jewish kings were appointed for them by -Melek Ṭâ´ûs. They likewise seem to trace their origin -to the prophets and other personages of the Old Testament; -as Seth, Enoch, Noah, etc. Their religion -furthermore, they assert, antedates Christ.<a id="FNanchor_74_74" href="#Footnote_74_74" class="fnanchor">74</a></p> - -<p>There is still another tradition that traces the devil-worshippers -to a different origin. I refer to the statement -which Masehaf Reš makes regarding Mu‘awiya, -Mohammed’s servant.<a id="FNanchor_75_75" href="#Footnote_75_75" class="fnanchor">75</a> Mu‘awiya was asked by his -master to shave his head. While performing the duty, -he cut the prophet’s scalp, and began to lick the bleeding -spot. When he was told that this act would result -in his giving birth to a nation which would oppose the -followers of his master, Mu‘awiya declared that he -would not marry. He was afterwards, however, -bitten by a serpent, and was told that he would die -unless he married. He therefore consented to marry, -but chose an old woman in order not to have children. -But she miraculously became a young woman of -twenty-five. And from her the God Yezid was born. -The story, of course, is a myth, and it is of such a -nature that no historic fact can be derived from it. -It is further complicated by the fact that this Yezid -is identified with Melek Ṭâ´ûs; and, in another myth, -is represented in form as being half angel and half<span class="pagenum" id="Page_93">93</span> -man and as remaining a bachelor long after the marriage -of Adam. He was, however, finally possessed -of a desire to marry, and, unable to marry a mortal’s -daughter, being himself half angel, sought the assistance -of Melek Ṭâ´ûs, who presented to him an ḥouri, -and from this union there sprang a pious people, the -Yezidis.</p> - -<p>But the devil-worshippers have still another story, -which goes to show that Yezid bn Mu‘awiya is not -their founder. This myth asserts that they are the -progeny of Adam’s son who was married to Eve’s -daughter; that the descendants continued worshipping -God and Melek Ṭâ´ûs without bringing a foreign -element into their religion; and that, at first, the sect -did not bear the name Yezidis, which, in their own -opinion, is a comparatively new appellative. As to -how they came to be called by this new name, it is -explained that when, in the course of time, some -corruption entered the Yezidi religion, there arose a -certain Calif by the name of Yezid who wrought -miracles. Since then, his followers have been called -Yezidis. This Yezid, it is said, is the son of -Mu‘awiya bn Sufian, and his mother was of Christian -origin. To accomplish his desire, bn Mu‘awiya went -to Šeiḫ ‘Adi, who was a learned and devout but cunning -person, and had instituted a religious innovation. -Yezid, the tradition continues, learned ‘Adi’s religion -and taught it to his followers; and, from that time on, -the sect came to be called after him.<a id="FNanchor_76_76" href="#Footnote_76_76" class="fnanchor">76</a> But while -some, considering this legend as authoritative, ven<span class="pagenum" id="Page_94">94</span>erate -the man bearing the name, others deny all -connection with him.<a id="FNanchor_77_77" href="#Footnote_77_77" class="fnanchor">77</a></p> - -<p>The testimony of some travellers offers another -explanation of the origin of the sect in question, an -account which has perhaps more historical significance -than the preceding theories. It is stated that the -Yezidis have a tradition to the effect that they came -from Baṣrah and from the country watered by the -lower part of the Euphrates; that after their emigration -they first settled in Syria, and subsequently took -possession of the Sinjar Hill and the district now -inhabited in Kurdistan. As to the date of their settlement -in Mesopotamia, no positive information can be -obtained. Some scholars infer that it took place about -the time of Tamerlane, toward the end of the fourteenth -century.<a id="FNanchor_78_78" href="#Footnote_78_78" class="fnanchor">78</a> It is related that the devil-worshippers -hold that, among their own number, the ancient -name for God is Azd, and from it the name of the -sect is derived;<a id="FNanchor_79_79" href="#Footnote_79_79" class="fnanchor">79</a> that the conviction that they are -Yezidis, <i>i. e.</i>, God’s people, has been their consolation -and comfort through the ages in their tribulations;<a id="FNanchor_80_80" href="#Footnote_80_80" class="fnanchor">80</a> -and that they have taken many religious observances -from different bodies—Mohammedans, Christians, -Jews, Pagan Arabs, Shiites, and Sabaians.</p> - -<p>Besides these different explanations of the origin of -the devil-worshippers as descendants of Adam, of -Yezid bn Mu‘awiya, as being of the colony from the -north, as taking their name from Azd, God, there is -another account. I refer to a myth which is current -among the people of Seistan, an eastern province of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_95">95</span> -Persia, where there are a considerable number of these -Shaitan parasts (devil worshippers):</p> - -<p>“In former times there existed a prophet named -Ḥanalalah, whose life was prolonged to the measure -of a thousand years. He was their ruler and benefactor; -and as by his agency, their flocks gave birth -to lambs and kids miraculously once a week, though -ignorant of the use of money, they, with much gratitude -to him, procured all the comforts of life. At -length, however, he died, and was succeeded by his -son, whom Šatan, presuming on his inexperience, -tempted to sin by entering a large mulberry tree, when -he addressed the successor of Ḥanalalah, and called -on him to worship the prince of darkness. Astonished, -yet unshaken, the youth resisted the temptation. But -the miracle proved too much for the constancy of his -flock, who now began to turn to the worship of the -devil. The young prophet, enraged at this, seized an -axe and a saw, and prepared to cut down the tree. -He was arrested in this by the appearance of a -human being, who exclaimed,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_96">96</span> ‘Rash boy, desist! -Turn to me and let us wrestle for the victory. If you -conquer, then fell the tree.’</p> - -<p>“The prophet contended and vanquished his opponent, -who, however, bought his own safety and that -of the tree by the promise of a large weekly treasure. -After seven days the holy victor again visited the tree -to claim the gold or fell it to the ground; but Satan -persuaded him to hazard another struggle on the -promise that, if he conquered again, the amount -should be doubled. This second encounter proved -fatal to the youth. He was put to death by his -spiritual antagonist, and the result confirmed the -tribes over whom he had ruled in their worship of the -tree and its tutelary demon.”<a id="FNanchor_81_81" href="#Footnote_81_81" class="fnanchor">81</a></p> - -<p>According to this legend, the Šatan parasts are the -victims of their young prophet who, as long as he was -actuated by a disinterested zeal for religion, was -victorious over the principle of evil; but failed as -soon as that zeal gave place to a sordid cupidity for -earthly treasure.</p> - -<p>I have dwelt upon the superstitious theories of the -Yezidis themselves regarding their religious origin, -not because these theories have an importance in -themselves, but because of their bearing upon the -views advanced by modern scholars. The scholars -have based their theories on some of these conflicting -stories without sufficient criticism. I shall dwell upon -this more at length later on.</p> - - -<h4>II<br /> - -<small><span class="smcap">The Christian Tradition</span></small></h4> - -<p>But the myth of the Yezidis is not the only account -that attempts to trace their religious origin; the eastern -Christians have a tradition that gives a different -interpretation. It is to the effect that the people in -question were originally Christians, but that ignorance -brought them into their present condition. The tradi<span class="pagenum" id="Page_97">97</span>tion -runs that the shrine of Šeiḫ ‘Adi was formerly a -Nestorian monastery which was noted for the devotion -of its monks, but that these were tempted by the -devil and left their convent. The Church of the -Monastery was dedicated to St. Thaddeus or Addai,<a id="FNanchor_82_82" href="#Footnote_82_82" class="fnanchor">82</a> -one of the seventy-two disciples who, after the ascension -of our Lord, was sent to King Abgar of Edessa. -It is said that the temple of ‘Adi has a conventicle -resembling that at Jerusalem.<a id="FNanchor_83_83" href="#Footnote_83_83" class="fnanchor">83</a> The story of how the -cloister was deserted is as follows:</p> - -<p>On a great feast day, while the hermits bearing the -cross went in procession around the church, they -saw, hanging on a tree, a piece of paper with this -inscription: “O ye devout monks! Let it be known -to you that God has forgiven all your sins, great and -small; cease to undergo religious exercises; leave your -hermitage; disperse, marry and rear children. Peace -be unto you!” On the second day they observed the -same thing, and were led to dispute among themselves -whether this were a device of God or of a devil. -When on the third day the same incident was -repeated, they agreed to leave the abbey and follow -what seemed to them a divine order. Šeiḫ ‘Adi, the -legend goes on, had foretold to the Yezidis of that -district that the monks of this monastery would desert -their place, would become Yezidis, would marry and -beget children; that he would die during that time; -and that he wishes his followers to pull down the -altar of the church in that priory and bury him there. -Shortly after the fulfilment of his prophecy, the Šeiḫ<span class="pagenum" id="Page_98">98</span> -died, and was entombed in the place of the altar. And -since that time, it is asserted, the spot has become the -sanctuary of the devil-worshippers. In support of -this statement, it is argued, that there was a Syriac -inscription in the temple mentioning the name of the -founder of the monastery and the patriarch in whose -time it was built; that some of the Yezidis themselves -bear testimony to this fact, and say they have removed -the writing from its former place and have hidden it -at the entrance to ‘Adi’s temple, a spot the whereabouts -of which only a few of them know. The -reason why this record is hidden, it is explained, is -the fear that the Nestorians may see it and reclaim -the church.<a id="FNanchor_84_84" href="#Footnote_84_84" class="fnanchor">84</a></p> - -<p>Such is the eastern Christian’s tradition relative -to the origin of the Yezidis. It is, of course, merely -a legend; but its character is such as to require careful -examination and critical study. It may embody a -measure of truth that will indirectly throw some light -on the subject in hand.</p> - -<p>One noticeable thing regarding this current view is -that it is not a recent invention; else it might be said -to be the creation of ignorance at a time far removed -from the event which it records. Assemani, himself -an oriental of distinguished scholarship, in that part -of his book wherein he treats of the religion of -Mesopotamia, according to the natives of the country, -says that the Yezidis were at one time Christians, who, -however, in the course of time, had forgotten the -fundamental principles of their faith.<a id="FNanchor_85_85" href="#Footnote_85_85" class="fnanchor">85</a> This state<span class="pagenum" id="Page_99">99</span>ment -is incorporated in the writings of all western -orientals that have travelled in the East.<a id="FNanchor_86_86" href="#Footnote_86_86" class="fnanchor">86</a></p> - -<p>Another thing worthy of notice is that the Christians -should have such a sacred regard for his tradition -as to hand it down to posterity at the risk of their -own reputation. Certainly the Christians are not -cherishing this theory with any expectation of receiving -honor by assuming relation with the Yezidis. -The devil-worshippers are utterly despised by all their -neighbors. Nor do they do it out of love, that they -may arouse the sympathy of the dominating race for -this degraded people. Oriental Christians themselves -despise the Yezidi sect. They would not, and could -not, help them. There must then be some truth in a -legend that leads the church to regard a despised -people as having been at one time co-religionists.</p> - -<p>Were the antiquity of the tradition, and the unfavorable -result which its entertainment causes, the -only two reasons for its consideration, we might just -as well dismiss it. But there are other things which -go to point out some historic facts underlying the current -theory. One such fact is that the family name -of the Yezidis around Mosul is Daseni, plur Dawasen. -The Christians and the Mohammedans know them by -this name, and they themselves also use it, and say -it is the ancient name of their race, existing from -time immemorial.<a id="FNanchor_87_87" href="#Footnote_87_87" class="fnanchor">87</a> Now Daseni, or Dasaniyat, was -the name of a Nestorian Diocese, the disappearance of -which is simultaneous with the appearance of the -Yezidis in these places.<a id="FNanchor_88_88" href="#Footnote_88_88" class="fnanchor">88</a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_100">100</span></p> - -<p>It is stated, moreover, that all the people of Sinjar -were formerly Christians, belonging to the ancient -Syriac Church and having a very prominent diocese, -which was called the diocese of Šaki, <i>i. e.</i>, Sinjar; and -that the diocese continued to exist till the middle of -the eighteenth century: What goes to verify this tradition -is that, at present, there is a library at Jabal -Sinjar, under the control of the Yezidis, that consists -of ancient Syriac books. They are kept in a small -room guarded by a Yezidi. On Sunday and Friday -of every week they burn incense and light lamps in -honor of the manuscripts; and once a month they take -them out in the sun to dust and to preserve them from -destruction by dampness. After the door is locked, -the key is kept by the Šeiḫ, besides whom and his son -no one else is allowed to touch the books. What is -more interesting, the people of Sinjar say they have -inherited the library from their forefathers, who were -Christians.<a id="FNanchor_89_89" href="#Footnote_89_89" class="fnanchor">89</a> It is pointed out, furthermore, that the -names of the principal towns of the Yezidis are -Syriac. Ba‘šika comes from “the house of the -falsely accused, or oppressed”; Ba‘adrie from “the -place of help or refuge”; Baḥzanie from “the house -of visions or inspiration”; Talḥas from “the hill of -suffering,” where many Christians were martyred by -Persians. These are a few of many Yezidi villages -having Syriac names.</p> - -<p>The Yezidis have religious practices which are to -be found only in the Christian Church. I mean the -rites of baptism and the Eucharist. It is true that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_101">101</span> -the use of water as a rite is practised by other non-Christian -sects, such as the Mandeans; but it is -argued that this ordinance as observed by the Yezidis -is so similar to that of the Christians that its origin is -to be traced back to Christianity, rather than to any -other system. Like their neighbors, the Dawaseni -must if possible baptize their children at the earliest -age. In performing the rite, the Šeiḫ, like the Christian -priest, puts his hand upon the child’s head. In -regard to the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, it is -strictly Christian in character. The Yezidis call the -cup the cup of Isa (Jesus); and when a couple marry, -they go to a Christian town to partake of Al-ḳiddas -(the Eucharist) from the hand of a priest, a custom -which prevails among eastern Christians. What -requires special note is that this practice is observed -where the Yezidi influence is not very strong, a fact -which seems to indicate that the Apostate Nasara, -who lived remote from strongly Yezidising influences, -were able to retain some of their originally much favored -practices, and vice versa.<a id="FNanchor_90_90" href="#Footnote_90_90" class="fnanchor">90</a></p> - -<p>Finally, the Dawaseni entertain great reverence for -Christianity and the Christian saints. They respect -the churches and tombs of the Christians, and kiss the -doors and walls when they enter them; but they never -visit a Mohammedan mosque. In the Black Book a -statement is made that on her way to the house of -her bridegroom, a bride should visit the temple of -every idol she passes by, even if it be a Christian -Church.<a id="FNanchor_91_91" href="#Footnote_91_91" class="fnanchor">91</a> They have also professed reverence for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_102">102</span> -‘Isa (Jesus). They affect more attachment to An-Naṣara -than to Mohammedans. Such a religious -affinity cannot be fully accounted for on any other -ground than that of their sincere respect for Christianity, -a feeling which clearly indicates that these -people must at one time have had a very close connection -with Christianity. This intimate relation -cannot be explained by their ignorance, or by kindred -experiences, as some scholars seem to think.<a id="FNanchor_92_92" href="#Footnote_92_92" class="fnanchor">92</a> It is -true the Christians have been co-sufferers with them; -both have lived for generations under the same yoke -of bondage and oppression and under similar circumstances. -But this alone could not create sympathy -between them. Such an assumption cannot be verified -by the facts collected through our observation of -the Yezidis’ character as a religious body. They are -sincere in their beliefs, and never compromise in -religious matters. History has shown again and again -that they have suffered martyrdom for their faith, in -which they have been as sincere and unshaken as have -been the heroes of any religion. No matter how uneducated -they may be, they are not hypocrites in their -faith. The theory is also refuted by our understanding -of the nature of the affinity in question between -the Yezidis and the Christians. It is not a matter of -sympathy but of religion. They believe in some -forms of Christianity; and when they visit a church, -they want to exercise their faith and not to express -their sympathy. What is more, the eastern Christians -have no sympathy for the devil worshippers, at least,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_103">103</span> -not more than they have for any other religious body. -Such an affinity is wanting between the Jews and the -Christians or the Yezidis, yet they all live under the -same conditions.</p> - -<p>I am not here advocating the theory, or implying, -that the Yezidi sect is a corrupt form of Christianity, -but am simply aiming to show that if the similarity -of a certain religion with another in some phases be -taken as a ground for the explanation of its origin, -the Christian tradition can be regarded as a more -probable theory to account for the rise of Yezidism -than any other view: And, hence, to point out, what -seems to me to be the best position, that the explanation -must be found ultimately in some historical document -which will give us a reasonable clew in the -tracing of the sect in question to its founder.</p> - - - - -<h4>III<br /> - -<small><span class="smcap">The Speculative Theories of Western -Orientalists</span></small></h4> - - -<p>Thus far we have been dealing with the different -theories regarding the origin of the Yezidis held in -the East: the myth of the devil-worshippers themselves, -the Christian tradition. Now we turn our -attention to the West, which also has expressed itself -on this subject. The degree of interest shown in this -particular case, however, differs with different -nationalities. The English-speaking scholars come<span class="pagenum" id="Page_104">104</span> -first; next come the French; then the Russians; and -finally the Italians. The German scholars seem to be -interested mainly in certain words and festive events. -And, in the discussion of these, they go so far in their -unbounded speculation that one cannot tell whether -the people they deal with are the Yezidis in question, -Assyrians, Babylonians, Canaanites, Greeks, Romans -or Jews. The German writers do not seem to be -interested so much in the problem of the origin of this -people as a sect, unless they regard the question as -settled on the ground of the Yezidis’ own statement -that they are the descendants of Yezid bn Mu‘awiya.</p> - -<p>To tell the truth, the rise of the interest in the -inquiry about the founder of this sect on a scientific -basis, is due, without question, to the scholarship of -the West. And any solution of the problem (and it -does not matter who does the work), in the last -analysis, must be accredited to the influences emanating -from these scholars and these scholars only. -Nevertheless modern orientalists have been far from -approaching the solution of the question. This may -be due in part to the extreme interest which they -have taken in the matter, an interest which led them -to accept the phenomena without critical examination. -But the inductive study of their respective writings -tends to show that this is due to their method of procedure -rather than to anything else. They have employed -the philosophical and not the historical -method.<a id="FNanchor_93_93" href="#Footnote_93_93" class="fnanchor">93</a> I do not mean to deny the value of such -a course of investigation in questions pertaining to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_105">105</span> -religion, but what I do mean to say is that the method -of the scholars in question is almost purely speculative, -and they do not seem to appeal to historical facts -in support of their assumptions. The inevitable consequence -has been, therefore, that in their theories -there exists an uncertainty and indefiniteness that -puzzles the student of history.</p> - -<p>Another fact which the inductive study of the views -of the western scholars reveals is that their theories -are nothing more nor less than the expression of the -Yezidis’ tradition in terms of modern scholarship, -without, however, the showing of reasons for so doing. -This fact will be proved presently when we shall -examine their respective writings.</p> - -<p>Western orientalists are divided into three schools -of opinion on the question of the religious origin of -the Yezidis. There are those who hold that the sect -takes its rise from Yezid bn Mu‘awiya. This view is -advocated by a modern writer, who says, “The Arabs -who accepted Mohammed called those who did not -Al-jahaleen, <i>i. e.</i>, the ignorant ones. Among the latter -was Yezid bn Mu‘awiya who refused to accompany -Mu‘awiya, his father, as an attendant upon his person. -Many of the ignorant ones rallied around Yezid, and -he became the nucleus of the sect that appropriated -his name. The Yezidis possess a genealogical tree by -means of which they trace their religious origin back -to him.”<a id="FNanchor_94_94" href="#Footnote_94_94" class="fnanchor">94</a></p> - -<p>Now, the ground for this assertion, the writer does -not give; he is entirely silent as to the source of his<span class="pagenum" id="Page_106">106</span> -information. It is evident, therefore, that he is -regarding the superstitious theory of the Yezidis as a -fact without making any reflection upon it. He also -seems to be confusing this Yezid with his uncle of -the same name, who, with Mu‘awiya his brother came -in company with their father Abu Sofian, to Mohammed -to receive presents from the Prophet. But -the Arab historians tell us that not only Abu Sofian -and each of his two sons received a hundred camels -but that they were each presented with forty ounces -of silver.<a id="FNanchor_95_95" href="#Footnote_95_95" class="fnanchor">95</a></p> - -<p>Then, too, many scholars deny that the name -Yezidis is the original appellation. Some assert it was -put upon them by the Mohammedans as a term of -reproach.<a id="FNanchor_96_96" href="#Footnote_96_96" class="fnanchor">96</a> Others maintain that the sect adopted the -name Yezid, son of Mu‘awiya to secure toleration at -the hands of the Mohammedans.<a id="FNanchor_97_97" href="#Footnote_97_97" class="fnanchor">97</a> But the scholar -quoted may entertain the view of those who say that -the Yezidis are really the followers of Ibn Mu‘awiya; -but that they deny it for fear of persecution on the -part of Shiites. These latter hate Yezid, because he -murdered ‘Ali’s son, Husein, who is regarded by them -as their true Imam. This inference is founded on the -theory that the Mohammedans of Persia consider the -people in question as descendants of the Calif whose -name is odious to them.<a id="FNanchor_98_98" href="#Footnote_98_98" class="fnanchor">98</a> But it is not certain that -the followers of ‘Ali entertain such a view regarding -the origin of the Yezidis. And, if they do, they have -no historical facts to justify them in their opinion. -Their hatred of the sect can be better explained on<span class="pagenum" id="Page_107">107</span> -the basis of the relation of the devil-worshippers to -Yezid bn Unaisa. For he was one of those who most -bitterly hated ‘Ali; see pp. <a href='#Page_121'>121</a>, <a href='#Page_122'>122</a>, <a href='#Page_128'>128</a> of this book.</p> - -<p>Furthermore, the theory of this school is neutralized -by the fact that none of the Arab historians mentions -the son of the first Calif in the Omayyid -dynasty as a founder of any heretical sect. On the -contrary, they all agree that he was not only a -Mohammedan but a successor of the prophet, being -the second calif in the Omayyid dynasty. Ibn -Ḫallikan mentions his name two or three times, and -says that his works were collected. He says nothing, -however, as to his founding any religious schism.</p> - -<p>There is still another school among the western -orientalists. I mean those who hold that the religion -of the devil-worshippers is of Persian origin. They -are of two wings. There are those who take their -method of procedure from the name Yezid or Yazd. -They argue that this term in Persian, Yazd (pla -Yazdān), Avestan Yezata, ‘worthy of worship’, means -God, or good spirit, over against Ahriman, the evil -principle. Hence, the name Yezid, according to them, -indicates the people that believe in this good god. To -the objection that the Yezidis worship the evil spirit, -answer is made that Yezid Ferfer is the name of the -attendant of the evil spirit among the Parsees.<a id="FNanchor_99_99" href="#Footnote_99_99" class="fnanchor">99</a> -Others believe that the word “Yezid” signifies God. -It indicates in the plural the observers of superstitious -doctrines as may be seen by the idol Yezid, which the -Bishop of Nagham overthrew.<a id="FNanchor_100_100" href="#Footnote_100_100" class="fnanchor">100</a> Still others say that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_108">108</span> -in the tradition of these people Yezid must have been -an abbreviated form of Aez-da-Khuda, that is, created -of God. In support of this theory, it is claimed that -in reality the Yezidis worship God and not the devil. -It is thought by many, too, that the Yezidis derive -their name from Yazd, or Yezid, a name of a town -in Central Persia, of which the Parsees form the -principal part of the inhabitants.[101]</p> - -<p>The other wing of the second school attempts to -trace the origin of the devil-worshippers to a Persian -source on the basis of certain resemblances between -the two religions. Conspicuous among the representatives -of this school is Professor A. V. Jackson, of -Columbia University. This distinguished scholar is -considered an eminent authority on Iranian religions, -and particularly an eye-witness authority on the -Yezidi question. His views, therefore, not only -deserve careful consideration, but they demand their -full share in solving such an important problem as the -one under discussion. I have preferred his discussion -of this theory to that of others because he has expressed -himself clearly and consistently and without -rendering himself liable to misapprehension on the -part of the reader. Briefly stated, Dr. Jackson’s -position is as follows: “The Yezidis may actually -show some surviving traces of old devil-worship in -Mazandaran, which Zoroaster anathematized so bitterly,” -and “some old reminiscences of common -Iranian faith.” To verify this hypothesis, he proceeds -to point out many instances. One example he<span class="pagenum" id="Page_109">109</span> -cites is that “the Yezidis are shocked if one spits upon -the earth, because they interpret this as an insult to -the devil.” He traces this abhorrence to “Zoroastrian -prescription, forbidding the earth in any way to be -defiled.” “The Daevayasna or devil-worshippers in -Avesta,” he goes on to say, “may indirectly have had -a kindred notion, <i>i. e.</i>, not mentioning the name of -Satan.” Moreover this American critic is informed -that the Yezidis “believe in a father primeval, that -lived before Adam, and did not fall into sin.” And -this information leads him to think that such a notion -helps “the Zoroastrian student to recognize at once a -far-off reminiscence of Avestan Gaya-Mashai, the -Iranian Adam and Eve.”<a id="FNanchor_101_101" href="#Footnote_101_101" class="fnanchor">101</a></p> - -<p>One noticeable thing in favor of the two schools is -that their method is strictly scientific, in the modern -sense of the term. It is a posteriori and not a priori; -it is inductive. Yet however scientific their method -may seem to be their conclusions cannot be accepted -as final. For the inductive method, according to the -great French scientist, Poincaré, cannot give us exact -knowledge because its experiments do not cover all -the instances in a given case. There can be only a -partial verification. There will always remain some -phenomena that cannot be brought within the sphere -of a particular observation.<a id="FNanchor_102_102" href="#Footnote_102_102" class="fnanchor">102</a> Now, this is exactly -the case in the subject under consideration. Only in -some phases does the Yezidi religion resemble that of -the old Persians. There are other beliefs which do -not come under this category, and which seem to bear<span class="pagenum" id="Page_110">110</span> -the traces of some other religions. What are we to -do with these?<a id="FNanchor_103_103" href="#Footnote_103_103" class="fnanchor">103</a> The advocates of the theory in -question admit that such is the case, but they assert -that “the resemblances of the Yezidi religion to Christianity -and Islam are accidental”; that “owing to the -residence of the Yezidis among the Mohammedans, -the sect naturally has much in common with Islam.”<a id="FNanchor_104_104" href="#Footnote_104_104" class="fnanchor">104</a> -But why are the resemblances to Iranism not to be -accounted for in the same way as those to other religions? -Why may not equally strong inference be -made from the likeness to Christianity? And what -is the basis of such a discrimination? On these questions -we are left entirely in the dark. Now, it is this -lack of ground for their method of procedure that -leads one to seek the solution of the problem on some -other verifiable hypothesis.</p> - -<p>There is still another school among the western -orientalists. I refer to those who maintain that the -Yezidi sect was founded by Šeiḫ ‘Adi. A modern -writer who holds this theory, after critically reviewing -the views held by the different scholars, proceeds -to advance his own idea. To emphasize it, and leave -no room for further criticism, he claims that the -theory has been “generally” accepted. To quote:</p> - -<p>“It is generally agreed upon that the sect of the -Yezidis was founded by Šeiḫ ‘Adi. He is a historical -personage, but it is exceedingly difficult, and almost -impossible, to establish any historical facts out of the -mist of very fantastic stories current about him.”<a id="FNanchor_105_105" href="#Footnote_105_105" class="fnanchor">105</a></p> - -<p>He supports his notion by an appeal to an Arab<span class="pagenum" id="Page_111">111</span> -author, Kasi Ahmad ibn-Ḫallikan, from whom, -according to this writer, an extract relating to Šeiḫ -‘Adi was published by one who for years was a resident -of the city of Mosul.<a id="FNanchor_106_106" href="#Footnote_106_106" class="fnanchor">106</a> This statement that Ibn -Ḫallikan gives the biography of ‘Adi is a fact that -cannot be questioned; but that ‘Adi founded the -Yezidi sect is a theory that is by no means “generally -agreed upon.” Nor can it be substantiated. To -justify this position, let me quote in full what the Arab -biographer and two other Mohammedan scholars have -to say on the problem.</p> - -<p>1 What Ibn Ḫallikan has to say on Šeiḫ ‘Adi:</p> - -<p>“The Šeiḫ ‘Adi Ibn Masafir Al-Hakkari was an -ascetic, celebrated for the holiness of his life, and the -founder of a religious order called after him Al-‘Adawiah. -His reputation spread to distant countries, -and the number of his followers increased to a great -multitude. Their belief in his sanctity was so excessive -that, in saying their prayers, they took him for -their ḳibla; and imagined that in the next life they -would have in him their most precious treasure and -their best support. Before this, he had as a disciple a -great number of eminent šeiḫs and men remarkable -for their holiness. He then retired from the world -and fixed his residence among the mountains of the -Hakkari, near Mosul, where he built a cell (or a -monastery) and gained the favor of the people in that -country to a degree unexampled in the history of the -anchorites. It is said that the place of his birth was -a village called Bait Far, situated in the province of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_112">112</span> -Baalbek, and that the house in which he was born is -still visited (as a place of sanctity). He died <span class="smcap lowercase">A. H.</span> -557 (<span class="smcap lowercase">A. D.</span> 1162), or as some say <span class="smcap lowercase">A. H.</span> 555, in the town -where he resided (in the Hakkari region). He was -interred in the monastery that he had erected. His -tomb is much frequented, being considered by his -followers one of the most sacred spots to which a -pilgrimage can be made. His descendants continue to -wear the same distinctive attire as he did and to walk -in his footsteps. The confidence placed in their -merits is equal to that formerly shown to their ancestor, -and like him they are treated with profound -respect. Abu Ibarakat ibn Al-Mustawfi notices the -Šeiḫ ‘Adi in his history of Arbela, and places him in -the list of those persons who visited that city. -Muzaffar Ad-Din, the sovereign of Arbela, said that -when a boy he saw the Šeiḫ ‘Adi at Mosul. According -to him, he was a man of medium size and tawny complexion; -he related also many circumstances indicative -of his great sanctity. The šeiḫ died at the age of -ninety years.”<a id="FNanchor_107_107" href="#Footnote_107_107" class="fnanchor">107</a></p> - -<p>2 What Mohammed-Amin-Al-‘Omari has to say -on Šeiḫ ‘Adi:</p> - -<p>“They say that the šeiḫ ‘Adi was one of the -inhabitants of Ba‘albek; that he transported himself -to Mosul, and from thence to Jabal Laš, a dependency -of this city (Mosul), where he resided until his death. -They also say that he was from Ḥawran, and that his -lineage goes back as far as Marwan bn al-Ḥakam, also -that he is Šaraf ad Din Abou´l Faḍail ‘Adi bn Masafir<span class="pagenum" id="Page_113">113</span> -bn Isma‘il bn Mousa bn Marwan bn al Ḥasan bn -Marwan bn Mohammed bn Marwan bn al Ḥakam, -who died in the year 558. His grave, which is well -known, is the object of pious pilgrimages.”</p> - -<p>“God tried him by a calamity, to wit, the appearance -of a sect of apostates, called the Yezidis, because -they claim to be descended from Yezid. They adore -the sun and render worship to the devil. The following -are some of the precepts of their faith that I found -in a small tract made by one of the inhabitants of -Aleppo, who knows their religion:</p> - -<p>I. Adultery becomes lawful when committed by -(mutual) consent.</p> - -<p>II. They pretend that when the day of judgment -comes, the šeiḫ ‘Adi will put them into a wooden -basin which he will place on his head in order to cause -them to enter into Paradise while uttering these contemptuous -words: ‘I do this (or, I make them do -this) by compelling God or in spite of him.’</p> - -<p>III. The visit which they pay to the tomb of Šeiḫ -‘Adi is for them a pilgrimage which the devotees -accomplished no matter how far distant the country is -that they inhabit, and without being concerned about -the expenses that the journey carries with it.”<a id="FNanchor_108_108" href="#Footnote_108_108" class="fnanchor">108</a></p> - -<p>3 What Yasin Al-Hatib-al-Omari-Al-Mausili has -to say on Šeiḫ ‘Adi:</p> - -<p>“In this year 557 died the saint and the pious -devotee ‘Adi bn Musafir, who performed miracles. -His death took place in the city Hakkariya, one of the -dependencies of Mosul. His origin is from Ba‘albek,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_114">114</span> -which he left in order to come to Mosul, that he might -consecrate himself to God. He passed a solitary life -on the mountains and in caverns where lions and -other wild beasts visited him often.”</p> - -<p>“It is said that he was descended from the family -of Omayyids, and this is the lineage which he -attributed to himself: ‘Adi bn Musafir bn Isma‘il bn -Mousa bn Marwan bn al-Ḥasan bn Marwan bn al-Ḥakam -bn Al-‘Ass bn Omayya.”</p> - -<p>“He was versed in the knowledge of the divine law. -God tried him by a calamity by raising the Yezidis, -who pretended that this šeiḫ is God, and who have -made his tomb the object of their pilgrimage. They -arrive there every year at the sound of drums in order -to give themselves to games and debauchery.”</p> - -<p>“The Christians of the land, and especially the -partisans of the Nestorians are far from having the -same opinion of the Šeiḫ ‘Adi as have the Moslems -or the Yezidis. The following passage which one reads -in a Chaldean manuscript entitled ‘Awarda’<a id="FNanchor_109_109" href="#Footnote_109_109" class="fnanchor">109</a> and which -I saw some time ago in the Church of Karmalis,<a id="FNanchor_110_110" href="#Footnote_110_110" class="fnanchor">110</a> -proves this sufficiently. This is the translation of the -passage which I have extracted from a song composed -by a bishop of Arbil, in honor of Rabban Hormuzd<a id="FNanchor_111_111" href="#Footnote_111_111" class="fnanchor">111</a> -and other saints, and in which the author makes mention -of ‘Adi in these terms:</p> - -<p>“‘Great misfortunes have followed, falling upon -us; a formidable enemy came to torment us. He was -a descendant of Hagar, the slave of our mother. This -enemy who made our life unfortunate was a Moham<span class="pagenum" id="Page_115">115</span>medan, -called ‘Adi. He deceived us by vile tricks, -and has finished by taking possession of our riches -and of our convent, which he consecrated to things -that are illicit (to have a strange worship). An -innumerable multitude of Mussulmen have attached -themselves to him and have vowed to him a blind -submission. The renown of his name, which is Šeiḫ -‘Adi, has spread down to our days in all the cities of -all the countries.’”<a id="FNanchor_112_112" href="#Footnote_112_112" class="fnanchor">112</a></p> - -<p>These are the accounts which we have of Šeiḫ ‘Adi -in his relation to the Yezidis, and they deserve our -special attention. For not only are the writers scholars -of the highest authority, but they are to a certain -extent eye-witness authorities. The last two are from -the city of Mosul, which is the only city in the Mohammedan -world whose widely spreading scholarship -has acquired for it the name “Dar-al-‘Ulum,” <i>i. e.</i>, -the home of sciences. Moreover, they come from a -family whose members are known as ‘Olama, highly -intellectual, broad-minded Mohammedan gentlemen. -While at Mosul, I had the honor of calling often on -Ḥasan Efendi al ‘Omari, and especially on Suleiman -Efendi al ‘Omari. Ibn Ḫallikan as a trustworthy -biographer needs no further introduction than the -mere mentioning of his name. What adds to his reputation -as a scholar is the fact that, being a resident of -Arbila in the province of Mosul, he had at his command -firsthand information.</p> - -<p>Another noteworthy fact is that all three of these -scholars agree in their account of Šeiḫ ‘Adi, in their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_116">116</span> -tracing of his genealogy, in describing him as the most -perfect model of hermits, in praising him for his -manner of life, which they regard as a life of holiness. -They agree also in their definition of the common -people’s attitude toward the Šeiḫ: that he was deified -and that his tomb has been made the object of pilgrimage. -And finally they are silent about his supposed -founding of the sect in question. There is no -intimation that he was a heretic, or that he established -such a schism. To be sure, Ibn Ḫallikan makes mention -of a religious order which was called after the -Šeiḫ’s name, but he designates them as ‘Adawia and -not as Yezidis. This might have been such an order -as the Brotherhood of Assanusi, called after -Mohammed ibn ‘Ali as-Sanusi, or as many other -orders of dervishes and šeiḫs of mystical type, that -have taken rise from time to time in the religious -history of Islam. The other two speak of the appearance -of the Yezidis, but they look at the incident as -a calamity to the šeiḫ because they deified him and -worshipped at his tomb. Their remarks tend to show -that the Yezidi sect were known as such before the -time of ‘Adi; that their appellation was based on the -pretension that they were descendants of Yesid; that -they were apostates from Islam; that they were some -of those who were attached to ‘Adi by reason of his -wide reputation as a saint, and were led by their -ignorance to take him for a god; and that they were -worshippers of the sun and the devil. It is inconceivable -to us, if we apply the principles of modern<span class="pagenum" id="Page_117">117</span> -criticism to what we know of the character of the -Mohammedan historians, that they should write the -life of one who is responsible for the rise of a sect, -the foundation of whose religion is the devil, and not -curse him and the devil with him a hundred million -times.</p> - -<p>Such are the theories that have been advanced in -the discussion relating to the religious origin of the -Yezidi sect, and we have found not only that they are -far from reaching the solution of the problem, but -also that the method that they employ does not seem -to be the proper one for solving such a question. The -tradition of the Yezidis that they are descended from -Yezid bn Mu‘Awiya which has been accepted as the -fact by some western scholars is only a myth, without -historical justification. As to the Christian tradition, -all that can tell us is that some Yezidis might have -been at one time Christians; but as to who was the -founder of the sect it gives us no light. Likewise, all -that we can learn from the theory advocated by the -second school is that some phases of the Persian religion -might have survived with that of the devil-worshippers. -We may admit, I think, that some -Yezidis are Persian in their origin. But as to who -was the originator of their religion this theory helps -us not a whit. So also we have found that the relation -of Šeiḫ ‘Adi to this sect is not that of a founder. He -is only one of many whom their ignorance led to class -as deities.</p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_118">118</span></p> - - -<h4>IV<br /> - -<small><span class="smcap">The Dogmatic View of Mohammedan Scholars</span></small></h4> - - -<p>While the Yezidi myth regards the sect as descendants -of Adam, of Yezid bn Mu awiya, or of a colony -from the north, while the Christian tradition of the -East traces them to a Christian origin, while among -the western orientalists some say that they were -founded by Yezid bn Mu awiya, others that they -are of Persian origin, etc., the Mohammedan dogmatics, -on the other hand, assert that they are -<i>Murtaddoon</i>, that is, apostates from Islam. To understand -the significance of this term, I must mention -the several words used for those who are considered -as infidels according to Mohammedan theology. -<i>Kafir</i> is one who hides or denies the truth; <i>Mushrik</i> -is one who ascribes companions to God; <i>Mulhid</i> is -one who has deviated from the truth; <i>Zandik</i> is one -who asserts his belief in the doctrine of dualism; -<i>Munafik</i> is one who secretly disbelieves in the mission -of Mohammed; <i>Dahri</i> is an atheist; <i>Watani</i> is a -pagan or idolator; and finally <i>Murtadd</i> is one who -apostasizes from Islam. The Yezidis are put in the -category of those who, after once accepting the religion -of Islam, later rejected it.</p> - -<p>One author, of those to whose writings I had access, -in an explicit statement regards these people as -apostates. I refer to Amin-al-‘Omari-al Mausili (of -Mosul). After praising Šeiḫ ‘Adi, the Mosulian goes<span class="pagenum" id="Page_119">119</span> -on to say, “God tried him (<i>i. e.</i>, ‘Adi) by a calamity, -to wit, the appearance of Al-Murtaddoon, called the -Yezidis because they pretended to have been descended -from Yezid.<a id="FNanchor_113_113" href="#Footnote_113_113" class="fnanchor">113</a> Another Mohammedan -scholar that mentions these people is Yasin Al-Ḫatib-al-‘Omari-al -Mausili. Writing on Šeiḫ ‘Adi, and -praising him as the former writer does, he says, “He -was versed in the knowledge of the divine law. God -tried him by a calamity by raising up the Yezidis, who -pretend that this Šeiḫ is God, and who have made -his tomb the object of their pilgrimage.<a id="FNanchor_114_114" href="#Footnote_114_114" class="fnanchor">114</a></p> - -<p>While these authors throw some light on the subject -that the sect in question derives its appellation from -a historic person, they leave us entirely in the dark -as to who that person was, as the Arab historians -mention many prominent men who bore the name -Yezid.</p> - -<p>This obscurity regarding the person of the founder -of the sect is made clear by one whose work is -equally, if not more, authoritative than that of any -other Mohammedan scholar on matters pertaining to -religious and philosophical sects. This authority is -Mohammed Aš-Šahrastani. He is the only Mohammedan -writer that I could reach that, in a clear -language, traces this most interesting sect to its -founder.</p> - -<p>“The Yezidis are the followers of Yezid bn Unaisa, -who [said that he] kept friendship with the first -Muhakkama before the Azariḳa, and he separated -himself from those who followed after them with the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_120">120</span> -exception of Al-Abaḍia, for with these he kept friendship. -He believed that God would send an apostle -from among the Persians and would reveal to him a -book that is already written in heaven, and would -reveal the whole (book) to him at one time,<a id="FNanchor_115_115" href="#Footnote_115_115" class="fnanchor">115</a> and as -a result he would leave the law of Mohammed, the -Chosen One, may God bless and save him!—and -follow the religion of the Sabians mentioned in the -Koran. But these are not the Sabians who are found -in Ḥaran and Wasit. But Yezid kept friendship with -the people of the book who recognized the Chosen -One as a prophet, even though they did not accept -his (Mohammed’s) religion. And he said that the -followers of the ordinances are among those who -agree with him; but that others are hiding the truth -and give companions to God and that every sin, small -or great, is idolatry.”<a id="FNanchor_116_116" href="#Footnote_116_116" class="fnanchor">116</a></p> - -<p>It is clear, then, that Aš-Šahrastani finds the religious -origin of this interesting people in the person of -Yezid bn Unaisa. He calls them his <i>Aseḥab</i>, <i>i. e.</i>, his -followers, a term by which he designates the relation -between a sect and its originator. Al-Ḥaraṯiyah -he describes as “Aseḥab al-Ḥareṯ,” and “Al Ḥafeziyah -Aseḥab Hafez,” and so on. We are to understand, -therefore, that to the knowledge of the writer, bn -Unaisa is the founder of the Yezidi sect, which took -its name from him.</p> - -<p>Mohammed Aš-Šahrastani states also, in a logical -way, the theological views of the head of the Yezidis. -Yezid, he says, is on the positive side, in sympathy<span class="pagenum" id="Page_121">121</span> -with the first Muḥakkamah before the Azariḳa. Now, -the first Muhakkamah is an appellative applied to the -Muslim schismatics called Al-Ḫawarij, because they -disallowed the judgment of the Hakaman, <i>i. e.</i>, the -two judges, namely ‘Abd Mousa al-Aš-‘Aree and Am -ibn-al-‘As; and said that judgment belongs only to -God. And Al-Azariḳa were a heretical Muslim sect -called Al-Ḫawarij or Ḥeroriyah, so named in relation -to Nafi‘ ibn-Al-Azraḳ. They asserted that ‘Ali -committed an act of infidelity by submitting his case -to arbitration, and that the slaying of him by Ibn -Muljama was just; and they declare that the companions -(of the Prophet) were guilty of infidelity. -Yezid moreover, is said to have been in sympathy with -Al-Abaḍiyah, a sect founded by ‘Abd-Allah ibn Ibad, -who taught that if a man commits a kabirah or great -sin he is an infidel and not a believer.</p> - -<p>It is evident, therefore, that according to this exposition -the Yezid in question was one of Al-Ḫawarij, -and their principle is expressly attributed to him: -every sin, small or great, is idolatry. According to -this it might be inferred that the Yezidis were originally -a Ḫarijite sub-sect. They still hold to the -Ḫarijite principle. (Cf. their position to the Ottoman -Government, pp. 71-74). As we said some -Mohammedan writers other than Ashahr-Astani also -(pp. 118-119) regard them as apostate Moslems, Aš-Šahrastani -himself classes them with the Moslem -heretics. Now Al-Ḫawarij were the first to rebel -against ‘Ali at Ḥaroora, a certain suburb of Al-Koofa,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_122">122</span> -from which it is distant two miles. They are called -also Al-Ḥeroriyah, because they first assembled there -and accepted the doctrine that government belongs -only to God. And one sect of Al-Ḫawarij was An-Nâṣibiyah -who made it a matter of religious obligation -to bear a violent hatred to ‘Ali. Such is the place -of bn Unaisa among the Moslem heretics, but this is -only one side of his religious system.<a id="FNanchor_117_117" href="#Footnote_117_117" class="fnanchor">117</a></p> - -<p>There is another side to Yezid’s doctrine. He held -that God would send an apostle from Persia, to whom -he would reveal a book already written in heaven. -This apostle was to be an opponent of the prophet -of Islam in that he would leave Mohammed’s religion -and follow that of the Ṣabians mentioned in the -Koran. These are referred to by Mohammed, together -with the Christians and the Jews, in three different -places in the Book. One such reference is in Surah -2, 59: “They who believe as well as Jews, Christians -and Sabeans, whoever believeth in God and in the -Last Day, and do that which is right, shall have their -reward with their Lord.”</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>Surah 5, 73, also:</p> - -<p>“They who believe as well as Jews, Christians and -Sabeans, whoever of them believe in God and the Last -Day, and do what is right, on them shall no fear come; -neither shall they be put to grief.”</p> - -<p>And Surah 22, 17:</p> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_123">123</span></p> -<p>“They who believe as well as Jews, Sabeans and -Christians and the Magians, and those who join gods -with God, verily God shall decide between them on -the Day of Resurrection.”</p></blockquote> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>In these passages Mohammed seems to regard the -Sabians of the Koran as believers in the true God and -in the resurrection. And in Surah 22, 17, he seems -to distinguish them from Magians and polytheists. -Hence, we are to infer that the Apostle of whom -Yezid bn Unaisa says that he will come from the land -of the ´Ajam (Persian), will identify himself with -the religion of the Ṣabians. This implies that he will -believe in the true God and in the Day of Resurrection. -But from some Arab writers we learn more of -these Ṣabian beliefs than the Prophet of Islam has -mentioned. According to some the Ṣabians were a -sect of unbelievers who worshipped the stars secretly, -and openly professed to be Christians. According to -others, they were of the religion of Ṣabi, the son of -Seth, the son of Adam; while others said they -resembled the Christians, except that their <i>ḳiblah</i> was -toward the South, from whence the wind blows. In -the <i>Kamûs</i> it is said that they were of the religion of -Noah. Al-Baiḍawi says that some assert that they -were worshippers of angels, and that others say that -they are the worshippers of stars. Al-Bertuni[48] calls -the Manichaeans of Samarḳand Sabians. Bar -Hebraeus<a id="FNanchor_118_118" href="#Footnote_118_118" class="fnanchor">118</a> asserts that the religion of the Sabians is -the same as that of the ancient Chaldeans. In commenting -on Surah 2, 59, Zamaḫšari (Al-Keššaf) says -that the name Ṣabian comes from a root meaning one<span class="pagenum" id="Page_124">124</span> -who has departed from one religion to another religion, -and that the Ṣabians were those who departed -from Judaism and Christianity and worshipped -angels. On this same verse, Šams Ad-Din Mohammed -Al-Ḥarrani (Jami Al-Bijan fi Tafsir Al-Koran) says: -“The Ṣabians, <i>i. e.</i>, those who departed from one religion -to another religion, stood between the Magians -and the Jews and the Christians without having any -revealed religion of their own. According to some -they were people of the Book; according to others -they were worshippers of angels; while others -say, they believed in one God but followed no -Prophet.” This same commentator on Surah 5, 73, -says: “The Ṣabians were a Christian sect; some say -that they were worshippers of angels; others assert -that they worshipped God alone, but had no revealed -religion.” On this same verse Zamaḫšari remarks, -“The Ṣabians were those who departed from all religions.”</p> - -<p>Now what Mohammed Aš-Šahrastani really means -by the Ṣabians of the Koran, I am unable to state. In -his general discussion of Ṣabianism however (vol. 2, -pp. 201-250), he seems to speak of two main Ṣabian -sects. He refers to one together with the ancient -philosophers; and declares that the Ṣabians followed -rational ordinances and judgments which originally -they may have derived from some prophetic authority, -but that they denied all prophecy. The philosophers -followed their own devices and took their system -from no prophetic source. The authority we are quot<span class="pagenum" id="Page_125">125</span>ing -calls this sect “the original Ṣabian sect,” and says -that it followed Seth and Enoch. In another place -(vol. 1, p. 24) he writes, “The Jews and the Christians -follow a revealed Book; the Magians and the -Manichæans, a like Book; the original Ṣabian sect, -ordinances and judgments, but accepts no Book; the -original philosophers, the atheists, the star-worshippers, -the idol-worshippers, and the Brahmans believe -in none of these.”</p> - -<p>The other main Ṣabian sect is mentioned together -with the Jews, the Christians, and the Moslems. The -difference between these religious bodies, according to -Aš-Šahrastani, is that “the Ṣabians do not follow the -Law (of God) or Islam; the Christians and the Jews -believe in these, but do not accept the Law (religion) -of Mohammed; while the Moslems believe in them all.</p> - -<p>Aš-Šahrastani, moreover, derives the name Ṣabian -(p. 203) from a root meaning one who turns aside, -deviates; and declares that the Ṣabians were those -who turned aside from the statutes of God, and -deviated from the path of the prophets. He seems -to regard the notion that man is incapable of approaching -God, and that therefore he is in constant need of -intercessors and mediators, as a controlling idea in -Ṣabianism. This belief, the writer points out, has -manifested itself in three different forms: in the -veneration of angels among what he calls the followers -of angels; the adoration of stars among the followers -of stars; and in the worship of idols among -the followers of idols, heathens (pp. 203, 244). The<span class="pagenum" id="Page_126">126</span> -last two, we are told, are polytheists, and referred to -in the Koranic statement:</p> - -<p>(“When Abraham said to his father, Azar, ‘Dost -thou take idols for gods?’—Surah 6, 74. Said he—Abraham—‘Do -ye serve what ye hew out?’—Surah -37, 93. When he—Abraham—said to his father, ‘Oh -my sir! why dost thou worship what can neither hear -nor see nor avail thee aught?’—Surah 19, 43.”)</p> - -<p>And in the following references:</p> - -<p>(“And when the night overshadowed him he saw a -star and said, ‘This is my Lord.’ And when he saw -the moon beginning to rise he said, ‘This is my Lord.’ -And when he saw the sun beginning to rise he said, -‘This is my Lord, this is greatest of all.’”)—Surah 6, -76, 77, 78.</p> - -<p>But Mohammed Aš-Šahrastani makes mention of -another Ṣabian sect which he names Al-Ḫarbâniyah -(pp. 248-250). Its distinctive feature, he says, is the -belief that the Creator indwelleth in other beings. -They held that God is one in his essence, but many -in his appearances. He dwells in the seven planets, -and in the earthly beings that are rational, good, and -excellent in righteousness. Human body is his temple; -he may abide within it and live and move as a man. -He is too good, we read, to create anything evil. God -is the source of good, and evil is either an accidental -and necessary thing, or related to the evil source. -They believed also, our authority informs us, in the -transmigration of souls, and taught that the Resurrection -of which the prophets had spoken was only the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_127">127</span> -end of one generation and the beginning of another -here on earth. This doctrine, the Mohammedan -critics affirm, is alluded to in the passages:</p> - -<p>(“Does he promise you that when ye are dead, and -have become dust and bones, that then ye will be -brought forth? Away, away with what ye are promised,—there -is only our life in the world! We die and -we live and we shall not be raised.”)—Surah 23, -37-39.</p> - -<p>Now I cannot say which of the Ṣabian sects are -those that “are mentioned in the Koran,” which -Yezid bn Unaisa says, the Persian Apostle will follow; -nor can I say which are those that “are found in -Ḥarran and Wasit.” One thing, however, is clear: -according to Aš-Šahrastani the Ṣabians of the Koran -differ in their faith from those of Ḥarran. The -Ḥarranians were remnants of the old heathen of -Mesopotamia; they were polytheistic, and star-worship -had the chief place in their religion, as in the -worship of the older Babylonian and Syrian faiths. -They were regarded as such by the Mohammedans, so -that under Al-Mamûn, they sheltered themselves -under the name, Ṣabians, that they might be entitled -to the toleration which the Ṣabians of the Koran have -because they were considered among the people of -the Book.<a id="FNanchor_119_119" href="#Footnote_119_119" class="fnanchor">119</a> Another thing to be noticed is that there -is a close resemblance between the belief of the -Ṣabian sect which Aš-Šahrastani calls Al-Ḫarbâniyah -and that of the Yezidi sect.</p> - -<p>Such is, in the main, the religion of the Persian<span class="pagenum" id="Page_128">128</span> -Apostle and is logically the religion of Yezid bn -Unaisa which announces the coming of such a messenger. -We may conclude, therefore, that the founder -of the Yezidi sect believed in God and in the Day of -Resurrection; that he, perhaps, honored the angels -and the stars, and that he was neither polytheistic nor -a true believer in the Prophet of Islam. This last -point is referred to also explicitly in the statement -quoted, that Yezid associated himself with those of -the people of the Book who recognized Mohammed -as a prophet though they did not become his followers. -This is the negative aspect, so to speak, of bn Unaisa’s -religious views. He is also said to have claimed that -the followers of the ordinances<a id="FNanchor_120_120" href="#Footnote_120_120" class="fnanchor">120</a> agreed with him. -This statement tends to indicate that he might have -accepted some phases of the Muslim faith. And the -fact that he belonged to <i>Al-Ḫawarij</i> implies that he -was one of those who were “condemning and rejecting -‘Ali for his scandalous crime of parleying with Mu‘awiya, -the first of the Omayyid line, and submitting -his claims to arbitration.” Such are in brief the -fundamental elements in the religious system of one -who may be held responsible for the rise of the sect -in question.</p> - -<p>There can be no doubt, it seems to me, that the -Yezidis are the followers of Yezid bn Unaisa. The -statement of our authority, Mohammed Aš-Šahrastani -(see pp. <a href='#Page_119'>119-120</a>), is so clear that it can bear no other -interpretation. And what is far more important, it -comes from the pen of one who is considered of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_129">129</span> -highest authority among the Arab scholars on questions -relating to philosophical and religious sects. In -his bibliographical work Ibn Ḫallikan speaks of his -profound scholarship in the highest terms: “Aš-Šahrastani, -a dogmatic theologian of the ‘Ašarite sect, -was distinguished as an Imam and a doctor of the -law. He displayed the highest abilities as a jurisconsult. -The Kitab al-Milal wa n-Niḥal (treatise on -religions and sects) is one of his works on scholastic -theology. He remained without an equal in that -branch of science.” Now, Mohammed Aš-Šahrastani -(<span class="smcap lowercase">A. H.</span> 467-549) <span class="smcap lowercase">A. D.</span> 1074-1133 was a contemporary -of ‘Adi (<span class="smcap lowercase">A. H.</span> 465-555) <span class="smcap lowercase">A. D.</span> 1072-1162, yet he makes -no allusion to him when he refers to the rise of this -most interesting sect; nor does he make mention of -any other supposed founder except the one he records. -For these reasons I accept the historical assertion of -this distinguished author.</p> - -<p>I am of the opinion, therefore, that the Yezidis -received their name from Yezid bn Unaisa, their -founder as a kharijite sub sect in the early period of -Islam; that, attracted by Šeiḫ ‘Adi’s reputation, they -joined his movement and took him for their chief -religious teacher; that in the early history of the sect -and of ‘Adi many Christians, Persians, and Moslems -united with it; and that large survivals or absorptions -of pagan beliefs or customs are to be found in modern -Yezidism. In other words the actual religion of the -Yezidis is syncretism in which it is easy to recognize<span class="pagenum" id="Page_130">130</span> -Yezidi, Christian, Moslem, especially sufism and -pagan elements.</p> - -<p>Like the master they believe in the true God and -in the Resurrection, honor the angels and the stars, -disbelieve in the mission of Mohammed and ignore -‘Ali, regard every sin, small or great, as idolatry or -infidelity, and expect the appearance of a prophet -from Persia. The fact of their connection with such -a religious leader explains the reason why they are -hated by both the Sunnites and the Shiites. The followers -of bn My‘awiya can only be despised by the -latter; but the believer such a heretical one as the -son of Unaisa are necessarily condemned by the -former also. For he was, as I have already stated, -anti-Mohammed and anti-‘Ali. And it is worth -remembering also that the fourth Calif is more honored -among the Moslems of Persia than his son -Ḥusein is; and consequently any contemptuous attitude -toward the father will give rise to more bitter -feeling on the part of his followers than the murder -of the son would occasion.</p> - -<p>There is one question, however, which does not -appear to be very easy to answer; namely, how the -Yezidis came to trace their origin to Yezid bn Mu‘awiya -and not to Yezid bn Unaisa. Three explanations -may be given. One is that their ignorance led -them to mistake the former for the latter, as they -have identified many of their šeiḫs with angels and -deities. Among ignorant people, as these are, without -record and without any one who can read, the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_131">131</span> -occasion of such an error is not strange. Another -answer is that they intentionally made the identification -in order to escape the persecution of the Sunnites, -among whom most of them lived. Though -specious, this idea is not tenable, for it is not their -habit to deny their origin for the sake of safety. -Even in that case, they would still be hated by the -Shiites. The third theory is that they have a notion -that they are descended from a noble personage, and -the second Calif being such a personage, their ignorance -led them to take him for their founder. And -the identity of the two names, of course, helped much -toward the formation of the legend.</p> - -<p>It is to be noticed that the religion of this Yezid -contained, from its inception, a fundamental doctrine -which appealed to the pagans of Persia more than it -did to Al-jahaleen of Arabia. In its very structure -it insulted the latter country by despising its prophet. -On the other hand, it expressed its sympathy with a -prophet from Persia and with his religion. This -declaration magnified Persia and its inhabitants and -gave them preëminence, thereby making an impression -on the attitude of the people toward Yezidism. -Therefore they looked on it not as a foreign but as a -native cult. The entertaining of such a view, consequently, -led many fire, or devil-worshippers and -the followers of Zoroastrianism to embrace the new -religion (Al-mašrik, vol. 2, p. 35). And if the predicted -teacher arose, we can imagine the great success -which he must have had among his countrymen.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_132">132</span> -This fact not only accounts for the existence of traces -of old Persian religion, but it gives the reason why -the Kurdish predominates over the Arab element in -Yezidism.</p> - -<p>The new sect appears to have existed as a very -loose organization after the death of its founder: this -looseness put them in a condition to follow any one -who would exhibit some qualifications for leadership. -Therefore, when they heard about ‘Adi they naturally -flocked to him. And it is very likely that, entertaining -the idea of a coming prophet as they still do, they -might have thought him the promised one. What -might have added to the confirmation of this notion -was his fame as a saint, to whom a number of -miracles were attributed. Even the lions and the -serpents which lived in his neighborhood and paid -him frequent visits were endowed, it is said, with -supernatural sweetness.</p> - -<p>From what we know of ‘Adi’s movement, we have -sufficient reason to conclude that many Moslems and -Christians followed him. The historians of both -faiths bear witness to the fact that ‘Adi’s reputation -was widespread, and that people of every condition -followed him (see pp. <a href='#Page_111'>111-115</a>). The Nestorian bishop -of Arbela, whom Yasin Al-‘Omari quotes (see p. <a href='#Page_114'>114</a>), -asserts that innumerable multitudes flocked to him, -deplores the situation of the Christian church resulting -from this uprising, and complains of the possession -by the Šeiḫ of a monastery belonging to his -denomination. Moreover, as has been shown, there<span class="pagenum" id="Page_133">133</span> -exist among the Yezidis certain Moslem and Christian -practices which cannot be accounted for on any other -ground, since, so far as we know their character, they -make no compromise in matters of religion.</p> - -<p>Not only Yezidi, Persian, Moslem, and Christian -elements are to be found in modern Yezidism, but -there are many remains of the old pagan religions -which find expression in the devil-worshippers of -to-day. Such is the notion of the sacredness of the -number seven, an idea which belongs to the common -stock of the ancient inhabitants of Mesopotamia. -The Yezidis have seven sanjaks, each has seven -burners; their cosmogony shows that God created -seven angels or gods; their principal prayer is the -appeal to God through seven šeiḫs; the sceptre engraved -on the front of the temple of their great saint -has seven branches. This reminds us at once of the -Ṣabians who adored seven gods or angels who directed -the course of seven planets; the seven days of the -week were dedicated to their respective deities. -Moreover, we note in the Babylonian-Assyrian poem, -the seven gates through which Ištar descended to the -land without return. Likewise, the number seven -played an important part in the religious system of -Israel.</p> - -<p>Further, like the Ḥarranians, the modern <i>Šatan-parast</i> -worship the sun and the moon at their rising -and setting. The sun was worshipped also in Canaan, -I Sam. 6: 9. The horses of the sun were worshipped -in the temple at Jerusalem, II Kings 25: 5, 11. The<span class="pagenum" id="Page_134">134</span> -worship of the host of heaven (the sun, the moon, the -planets), were found in Judea. In Babylon, there -were at least two shrines to sun-god Šamas, one at -Sippar, and the other at Larsa.</p> - -<p>Other survivals of the ancient religions found in -Yezidism are the worship of birds (see p. <a href='#Page_150'>150</a>); the -special importance attached to the New Year because -of its bearing on individual welfare by reason of the -good or evil decision of the gods rendered them (see -pp. 46, 174); and the belief in occurrences of nuptials -in the heavens (see p. <a href='#Page_174'>174</a>).</p> - -<p>Moreover, many religious beliefs of the Pre-Islamic -Arabs survive among the modern Yezidis. Such is -the belief in sacred wells in connection with sanctuaries -found in all parts of the Semitic region, the most -conspicuous of which is that of Mecca. Gifts were -cast into this holy water of Zamzam, as they were -cast into the sacred wells of other places. When the -grandfather of Mohammed ‘Abd Al-Muttalib cleaned -out the well, he found two golden gazelles and a -number of swords. The water of such holy springs -was believed to possess healing power, and was carried -home by pilgrims, as the water of Zamzam now is -(Yaḳut I, 434).<a id="FNanchor_121_121" href="#Footnote_121_121" class="fnanchor">121</a> An impure person, furthermore, -dared not approach the sacred waters. A woman in -her uncleanness was afraid for her children’s sake to -bathe in the holy water at the sanctuary of Dusares. -According to Ibn Hišam “A woman who adopts -Islam breaks with the heathen god by purifying herself -in this pool.” This was taken to mean that her<span class="pagenum" id="Page_135">135</span> -act was a breach of the ritual of the spot. And all -the pilgrims changed their clothes when they entered -the sacred precinct.<a id="FNanchor_122_122" href="#Footnote_122_122" class="fnanchor">122</a></p> - -<p>Another common heathen practice in the time of -Al-jahliya was the worship of holy trees. According -to Tabari there was a date-palm tree at Nejran. It -was adored at an annual feast, when it was hung all -around with fine clothes and women’s ornaments. A -similar tree to which the people of Mecca resorted -annually, and hung upon it weapons, garments, -ostriches’ eggs, and other things, is spoken of in the -tradition of the prophet under the name of “dhat -anwat,” or “tree to hang things on.”<a id="FNanchor_123_123" href="#Footnote_123_123" class="fnanchor">123</a> The Goddess -Al-‘Ozza was believed to reside in a tree. According -to Yaḳut (III, 261), the tree at Hadaibiya, mentioned -in the Koran (sura XLVIII, 18) was visited -by pilgrims who expected to derive a blessing from it, -till it was cut down by the Calif Omar lest it should be -worshipped like Al-Lat and Al-‘Ozza. It was considered -deadly to pluck a twig from such sacred -trees.</p> - -<p>The prevalence of stone-worship is another sign of -paganism existing before Islam, and noteworthy is the -theory advanced by the Mohammedan writers to -account for its origin. According to Ibn Hišam<a id="FNanchor_124_124" href="#Footnote_124_124" class="fnanchor">124</a> the -beginning of this idolatry was that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_136">136</span> “the Meccans -when their land became too narrow for them spread -abroad over the country, and all took stones from their -sanctuary, the Kaaba, out of reverence for their -temple, and they set them up whenever they formed -a settlement; and they walked around them as they -used to go about the Holy House. This led them at -last to worship every stone that pleased their fancy.”</p> - -<p>It is to be noticed, furthermore, that poly-demonism, -<i>i. e.</i>, the belief in divine powers, in spirits, is the most -characteristic feature of the old nomad religions. -Many traces of this belief have been preserved in the -Old Testament, and also in the popular religion of -the Syria and Palestine of to-day. There are many -instances in the Old Testament of the belief in divine -powers inhabiting springs, trees, stones. We may -refer to the sacred wells at ḳadeš (Gen. 14: 7) and -at Beeršeba (Gen. 21, 28, 30, 31); to the sacred -oracular tree at Shekem (Gen. 12, 6; Deut. 11, 3); -to the sacred stone of Bethel, which gave the place -its name, as it is called “a house of God” (Gen. 28, -22).<a id="FNanchor_125_125" href="#Footnote_125_125" class="fnanchor">125</a></p> - -<p>Now, the traces of all these religious beliefs are -found in modern Yezidism. In connection with the -temple of Šeiḫ ‘Adi, there is a sacred spring, and -there are similar ones in different parts of the Yezidi -districts. The water of these springs is held to have -healing power, and is carried by pilgrims to their -homes. In these pools, especially in that of ‘Adi’s, -the Yezidis cast coins, jewelry, and other presents, -which, they think, the chief saint takes from time to -time; and to this day no one may enter the holy -valley with its sacred fountain, unless he first purify -his body and clothes.<a id="FNanchor_126_126" href="#Footnote_126_126" class="fnanchor">126</a> The devil-worshippers adore, -likewise, sacred trees. They make pilgrimages to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_137">137</span> -them, hang things on them, and entertain the belief -that whoever unties or shakes off a shred of cloth -will be afflicted with disease. Again, the Yezidis kiss -the stones that satisfy their imagination, and make -vows to them (see pp. <a href='#Page_41'>41</a>, <a href='#Page_51'>50</a>). Nor is this all. The -shouting of the Yezidi pilgrims, as they reach the -sacred territory, and the noisy ceremony of their ḥajj, -with its dancing<a id="FNanchor_127_127" href="#Footnote_127_127" class="fnanchor">127</a> and its excitement—a rite which -has brought against them all sorts of accusations<a id="FNanchor_128_128" href="#Footnote_128_128" class="fnanchor">128</a>—are -nothing but the remnants of Pre-Islamic -paganism.<a id="FNanchor_129_129" href="#Footnote_129_129" class="fnanchor">129</a></p> - -<p>Such, then, are the steps which the religion of -Yezid took before it came to shape itself into its -present form. It is made up of five different elements, -pagan, that contributed by the founder, -Persian, Mohammedan, and Christian. Does not -such a state of affairs find a historical parallel in -some other religions? Take, for example, Christianity. -In it we find that the distinctive characteristics -of the founder have been wrapped up in many -foreign elements brought in by those who came from -other religions.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_138">138</span></p> - - -<h3><a id="NOTES_ON_CHAPTER_I-1"></a>NOTES ON CHAPTER I</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_71_71" href="#FNanchor_71_71" class="label">71</a> -This may be traced to the Mohammedan myth that -when the primal pair fell from their estate of bliss in -the heavenly Paradise, Adam landed on a mountain -in Ceylon and Eve fell at Jiddah, on the western coast -of Arabia. After a hundred years of wandering, they -met near Meccah, and here Allah constructed for them -a tabernacle, on the site of the present Kaaba. S. M. -Zwemer, <i>Arabia</i>, p. 17; Aš-Šahrastani, II, 430.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_72_72" href="#FNanchor_72_72" class="label">72</a> -Anistase: <i>Al-Mašrik</i>, vol. 2, p. 33.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_73_73" href="#FNanchor_73_73" class="label">73</a> -Cf. p. 35.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_74_74" href="#FNanchor_74_74" class="label">74</a> -Cf. p. 34.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_75_75" href="#FNanchor_75_75" class="label">75</a> -Cf. p. 37.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_76_76" href="#FNanchor_76_76" class="label">76</a> -<i>Al-Mašrik</i>, vol. 2, p. 33.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_77_77" href="#FNanchor_77_77" class="label">77</a> -Scottish Geog. Mag., vol. 14, p. 295.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_78_78" href="#FNanchor_78_78" class="label">78</a> -Layard: <i>Nineveh and Its Remains</i>, vol. 11, p. 254.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_79_79" href="#FNanchor_79_79" class="label">79</a> -Layard: <i>Nineveh and Babylon</i>, p. 94.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_80_80" href="#FNanchor_80_80" class="label">80</a> -S. G. M., vol. 14, p. 300.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_81_81" href="#FNanchor_81_81" class="label">81</a> -Fraser: <i>Mesopotamia and Persia</i>, p. 287.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_82_82" href="#FNanchor_82_82" class="label">82</a> -Fraser: Ibid., p. 147.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_83_83" href="#FNanchor_83_83" class="label">83</a> -Rich: <i>Residence in Kurdistan</i>, vol. II, p. 69.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_84_84" href="#FNanchor_84_84" class="label">84</a> -<i>Al-Mašrik</i>, vol. II, p. 396.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_85_85" href="#FNanchor_85_85" class="label">85</a> -Ibid, vol. III, p. 493.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_86_86" href="#FNanchor_86_86" class="label">86</a> -Fraser: Ibid; Rich, ibid.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_87_87" href="#FNanchor_87_87" class="label">87</a> -Badger: <i>Nestorians and Their Rituals</i>, vol. I, -p. 111; Fraser, ibid., p. 285.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_88_88" href="#FNanchor_88_88" class="label">88</a> -<i>Al-Mašrik</i>, ibid, p. 36. -</p> -<p> -‘Abdišŭ was at one time bishop of Sinjar; cf. -Fardaisa de ‘Eden, ed. by B. Cardaḥi, Beirut, 1889, -p. 5.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_89_89" href="#FNanchor_89_89" class="label">89</a> -Ibid, pp. 56, 110, 832.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_139">139</span></p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_90_90" href="#FNanchor_90_90" class="label">90</a> -Ibid. This rite is practiced by the Yezidis -of Ḫalitiyeh, a dependency of Diarbeker, where the -Yezidis are few in number.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_91_91" href="#FNanchor_91_91" class="label">91</a> -Southgate: <i>A Tour Through Armenia</i>, etc., vol. -II, p. 179.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_92_92" href="#FNanchor_92_92" class="label">92</a> -See p. 42 of this book. Badger, ibid, p. 128.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_93_93" href="#FNanchor_93_93" class="label">93</a> -I mean by the philosophical method the attempt -to prove certain assumption by theorizing, and by the -historical method the endeavor to verify a theory by -obtaining data from historical sources. The former -method is based on speculation; the latter on historical -inquiry.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_94_94" href="#FNanchor_94_94" class="label">94</a> -The Enc. of Mission, p. 797. In his letter to me -of date August 6, 1907, the Rev. A. N. Andrus, of -Mardin, says: “The Yezidis may be related in religious -cult with the Guebres of India.”</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_95_95" href="#FNanchor_95_95" class="label">95</a> -Muir: <i>Life of Mohammed</i>, vol. IV, p. 151.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_96_96" href="#FNanchor_96_96" class="label">96</a> -Fraser: ibid, p. 205.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_97_97" href="#FNanchor_97_97" class="label">97</a> -Badger, ibid, p. 129.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_98_98" href="#FNanchor_98_98" class="label">98</a> -S. G. M., vol. 14.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_99_99" href="#FNanchor_99_99" class="label">99</a> -Eugene Bore: <i>Dict. des Religions</i>, T. IV, <i>Art. -Yezidis</i>, Southgate, ibid, p. 317.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_100_100" href="#FNanchor_100_100" class="label">100</a> -Fraser, ibid, p. 289.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_101_101" href="#FNanchor_101_101" class="label">101</a> -Jackson: <i>Persia, Past and Present</i>, p. 10; J. A. -O. S., 25, p. 178, New Int. Enc. “Yezidis.”</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_102_102" href="#FNanchor_102_102" class="label">102</a> -H. Poincaré: <i>Science and Hypothesis</i>. Trans., -G. B. Halsted, p. 5 seq.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_103_103" href="#FNanchor_103_103" class="label">103</a> -The fact that the importance of the method of -comparative religion has been generally recognized in -the scientific world has led to the danger of rushing -into the other extreme of paying attention exclusively -to points of similarity and resemblance, and of entirely -disregarding, or at any rate thrusting into the -background as unimportant that which is dissimilar.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_104_104" href="#FNanchor_104_104" class="label">104</a> -Southgate, ibid, p. 317; Jackson, J. A. O. S., vol. -XXV, p. 171.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_140">140</span></p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_105_105" href="#FNanchor_105_105" class="label">105</a> -Victor Dingelstedt, S. G. M., vol. XIV, p. 295.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_106_106" href="#FNanchor_106_106" class="label">106</a> -Siouffi, who was for about twenty years a French -vice-consul in Mosul.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_107_107" href="#FNanchor_107_107" class="label">107</a> -Ibn Ḫallikan, vol. I, p. 316.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_108_108" href="#FNanchor_108_108" class="label">108</a> -Manhal Al-Uliya wa Mašrab-ul-Aṣfia, “Šeiḫ -‘Adi,” quoted by M. N. Siouffi, Journal Asiatique, -1885, p. 80.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_109_109" href="#FNanchor_109_109" class="label">109</a> -Warda, “the rose,” is the name of a collection of -hymns composed by George Warda (1224 A. D.), -Bishop of Arbila; cf. Bar Hebraeus, Chron. Eccl., -vol. II, p. 402. Warda is one of the most conspicuous -writers of hymns in the thirteenth century which was -the age of song with the Nestorian church. His -poems have entered so largely into the use of the -Nestorian church that one of their service books is to -this day called the Warda; Badger, <i>The Nestorians</i>, -vol. II, p. 25. Some of his hymns speak of the -calamities of the years 1224-1227. A few specimens -are given by Cardaḥi in <i>Liber Thesauri</i>, p. 51. -Badger has translated one in his <i>Nestorians</i>, vol. II, -pp. 51-57. Warda’s poems have been edited by -Heinrich Hilgenfeld, <i>Ausgewählte Gesänge des -Giworgis Warda von Arbil</i>, Leipzig, 1904, and by -Manna, Mosul, 1901.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_110_110" href="#FNanchor_110_110" class="label">110</a> -The village Karmalis is about twelve miles distant -from Mosul, and is inhabited by Chaldeans, that is, -Romanized Nestorians.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_111_111" href="#FNanchor_111_111" class="label">111</a> -Rabban Hormuzd is a Chaldean monastery at -Alkoš, a village about twenty miles north of Mosul.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_112_112" href="#FNanchor_112_112" class="label">112</a> -Al-Der-Al-Makn‘un fi-l-Miater Al-Maḍiyat min -Al-ḳerun, “Šeiḫ ‘Adi,” quoted by M. N. Siouffi, -Journal Asiatique, 1885, p. 81. -</p> -<p> -Yaḳut (vol. IV, p. 374) also regards Šeiḫ ‘Adi an -orthodox Mohammedan; “Šeiḫ ‘Adi bn Musafir -Aš-Šafe‘e, šeiḫ of the Kurds and their Imam.” ‘Adi’s -orthodoxy is seen also in his writing. He wrote<span class="pagenum" id="Page_141">141</span> -‘Itiḳad Ahl Al-Sunna “Belief of the Sunnites,” the -Wasaya “Consuls to the Cailifs,” and two odds both -of them mystic in their conception. They are all preserved -in the Berlin Library; cf. Clement Huart, <i>History -of Arabic Literature</i>, p. 273.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_113_113" href="#FNanchor_113_113" class="label">113</a> -Manhal-al-Uliya wa Mašrab ul Aṣfiya, “Šeiḫ -‘Adi,” quoted by M. N. Siouffi, Journal Asiatique, -1885, p. 80.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_114_114" href="#FNanchor_114_114" class="label">114</a> -Al-Der-Al-Makn‘un fi-l-Miater Al-Maḍiyat min -Al-ḳerûn, “Šeiḫ ‘Adi,” quoted by M. N. Siouffi, -Journal Asiatique, 1885, p. 81.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_115_115" href="#FNanchor_115_115" class="label">115</a> -Contrary to Mohammed to whom, according to -Moslem belief, the Koran was revealed at intervals.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_116_116" href="#FNanchor_116_116" class="label">116</a> -Kitab Al-Milal wa n-Nihal, vol. I, p. 101 seq. -</p> -<p> -Ḥarran was a city in the north of Mesopotamia, and -southeast of Edessa, at the junction of the Damascus -road with the highway from Nineveh to Carchamish. -The moon-god had a temple in Ḥarran, which enjoyed -a high reputation as a place of pilgrimage. -The city retained its importance down to the time of -the Arab ascendency, but it is now in ruins. Yaḳut -(vol. II, p. 331) says: “It was the home of Ṣabians; -that is, the Ḥarranians who are mentioned by the -authors of Kutub Al-Milal wa n-Nihal.” As to Wasit -this same Yaḳut (vol. IV, p. 881) mentions about -twenty different places bearing this name. The most -prominent one is that built by Al-Hajjaj in 83 A. H. -It is called Wasit “the intermediate” because it was -situated midway between Kufa and Basrah. Another -place Yaḳut (p. 889) mentions is Wasit ul-Raḳḳat, -a town on the western side of the Euphrates, and about -two days’ journey from Ḥarran. Perhaps this is the -Wasit that Aš-Šahrastanî means.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_117_117" href="#FNanchor_117_117" class="label">117</a> -On these sects, see Aš-Šahrastanî, ibid, vol. II, -pp. 85, 87, 89, 100 (42). His history, ed. Sachau, -Leipzig, 1878, p. 207.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_142">142</span></p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_118_118" href="#FNanchor_118_118" class="label">118</a> -At-Tarih, ed. Alton Salhanî, Beîrut, p. 266.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_119_119" href="#FNanchor_119_119" class="label">119</a> -Fihrist, p. 320. The Arabs used to call the -Prophet Aṣ-ṣabi, because he departed from the religion -of the Koreish to Al-Islam; cf. Al-Keššaf on -Surah XXII, 17.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_120_120" href="#FNanchor_120_120" class="label">120</a> -Hudud, pl. of Hadad, restrictive ordinances, or -statutes, of God respecting things lawful and things -unlawful. The Hudud of God are of two kinds: -First, those ordinances respecting eatables, drinkables, -marriage, etc., what are lawful thereof and what are -unlawful. Second, castigations, or punishments, prescribed, -or appointed, to be inflicted upon him who -does that which he has been forbidden to do. The -first kind are called Hudud because they denote limits -which God has forbidden to transgress; the second, -because they prevent one’s committing again those -acts for which they are appointed as punishments, or -because the limits thereof are determined. See Lane’s -Arabic Dictionary in Loco.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_121_121" href="#FNanchor_121_121" class="label">121</a> -Cf. also W. R. Smith, <i>Religion of the Semites</i>, -p. 167, and D. B. Stade’s <i>Biblische Theologie des -Alten Testaments</i>, pp. 111 and 290.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_122_122" href="#FNanchor_122_122" class="label">122</a> -R. Smith, ibid, p. 49; cf. Ex. 3: 5, “And he said, -Draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from off thy -feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy -ground”; and Josh. 5: 15, “And the captain of the -Lord’s host said unto Joshua: Loose thy shoe from -off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is -holy. And Joshua did so.” -</p> -<p> -In idolatrous days the Arabs did not wear any -clothing in making the circuit of the Kaaba. In Islam, -the orthodox way is as follows: Arrived within a -short distance of Mecca, the pilgrims put off their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_143">143</span> -ordinary clothing and assume the garb of a hajjee. -Sandals may be worn but not shoes, and the head -must be left uncovered. In Mandeanism, each person -as he or she enters the Miškana, or tabernacle, disrobes, -and bathes in the little circular reservoir. On -emerging from the water, each one robes him or herself -in the rasta, the ceremonial white garment.—<i>The -London Standard</i>, Oct. 19, 1894. Prayer Meeting of -the Starworshippers.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_123_123" href="#FNanchor_123_123" class="label">123</a> -Cf. R. Smith, ibid, p. 185, and Stade, ibid, p. 111 -seq.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_124_124" href="#FNanchor_124_124" class="label">124</a> -Weil’s translation, p. 39.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_125_125" href="#FNanchor_125_125" class="label">125</a> -Cf. R. Smith, ibid, pp. 203-212; S. I. Curtiss’ -<i>Primitive Semitic Religion To-day</i>, pp. 84-89; Stade, -ibid, p. 114, seq.; see also II Sam. 5: 24, and John 5: -2, 3. -</p> -<p> -The original idea might have been that the waters, -the stones, and the trees themselves were divinities. -In Jud. 5: 21, we have the statement: “The river -Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river -Kishon.” Now Kais was the name of an Arabian -god in Pre-Islamic time. In Num. 5: 17 seq., an -accused woman is tested by a sacred water. In Deut. -32: 4, “He is the rock,” “rock” is as much a term for -God as El, or elohim; cf. verses 15, 18, 30, 31; II Sam. -23: 3. In Ps. 18: 2, the word rock is used of God, -“the Lord is my rock.” Jacob took the stone which -he had put under his head as a pillow, and raised it up -as a pillar, poured oil upon it and called it the “house -of God,” Gen. 28: 18, 19, 22. “The sound of a going -in the tops of the mulberry trees” (II Sam. 5: 24), -for which David was to wait, was nothing less than -the divine voice speaking to David in accordance with -ancient conceptions.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_126_126" href="#FNanchor_126_126" class="label">126</a> -Layard: <i>Nineveh and Its Remains</i>, vol. I, p. 280.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_144">144</span></p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_127_127" href="#FNanchor_127_127" class="label">127</a> -Dancing might have been also a religious ceremony -in the Pre-Kanaanitic religion of Israel.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_128_128" href="#FNanchor_128_128" class="label">128</a> -The people in the East are under the impression -that the Yezidis violate the law of morality during -their festivals. According to Hurgronje (vol. 2, -pp. 61-64), immorality is practised also in the sacred -mosque of Mecca. This practice may be a survival of -the institution of Kadeshes, who offered themselves -in honor of the Deity in the sacred places where -license usually prevailed during the festivals (Gen. -38: 21, and Deut. 23: 18).</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_129_129" href="#FNanchor_129_129" class="label">129</a> -Cf. R. W. Smith, ibid, p. 432.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_145">145</span></p></div> - - -<h3 id="CHAPTER_II-1">CHAPTER II<br /> - -<small><span class="smcap">The Essential Elements in Yezidism</span></small></h3> - - -<p>Although comparatively few in number, ignorant, -and practically without a literature of any sort, the -followers of Yezid are not without definitely formulated -doctrines of faith which bind them together as a -sect, and distinguish them from every other religious -body. They cherish two fundamental beliefs. They -believe in a deity of the first degree, God; and in a -deity of the second degree, who, they seem to think, -is composed of three persons in one, Melek Ṭâ´ûs, -Šeiḫ ‘Adi and Yezid.<a id="FNanchor_130_130" href="#Footnote_130_130" class="fnanchor">130</a></p> - - -<h4>I<br /> - -<span class="smcap">The Yezidi View of God</span></h4> - -<p>It is not easy to discover whether the conception of -God, which exists to-day among the Yezidis, however -shadowy, has come from Mohammedan or Christian -sources, or whether it comes from that primitive -stage where the worship of God and of inferior -deities exists side by side. One thing, however, is -apparent, and that is that the Yezidi notion of God -does not seem to be influenced by any<span class="pagenum" id="Page_146">146</span> “positive religion” -which traces its origin to the teachings of a -great religious founder, who spoke as the organ of a -divine revelation, and deliberately departed from the -traditional religion. The Yezidis’ idea of God is -rather an image left on their mind than the result of -any reflection. Hence, simple as it is, this conception -is not so easy to define. The notion, so prominent in -Greek philosophy, of God as an existence absolute and -complete in himself, unchangeable, outside of time -and space, etc., is unknown in Yezidi theology. So -also the theocratic conception of Jehovah in Judaism -is foreign to the dogma of this sect. Not even the -Mohammedan idea of God as an absolute ruler, and -the distinctive notion which the Christians have of -God as Christ-like in character, are to be found in -the religion of the devil-worshippers. And we have -accustomed ourselves to think of the Supreme Being -in these conventional terms. There is one element, -however, which may be traced to Judaism, Christianity -and Islam, namely, the belief in a personal God. -But Yezidism holds that this deity is only the creator -of the universe and not its sustainer. Its maintenance, -according to this system, is left to the seven gods. -Another element which may be said to be a remnant -of some other religions is the idea of a transcendent -God. But in this point, as in the other, the notion of -transcendentalism in the religion of the devil-worshippers -is not of the same degree as that of the other -religions. The former conceives of the Almighty as -retiring far away, and as having nothing to do with<span class="pagenum" id="Page_147">147</span> -the affairs of the world, except once a year, on New -Year’s day, when he sits on his throne, calls the gods -unto him, and delivers the power into the hands of the -god who is to descend to the earth. To sum up, -the Yezidis’ conception of a personal God is transcendental -and static of the extreme type. In this it -resembles somewhat the Platonic idea of the absolute. -They call God in the Kurdish Khuda, and believe that -he manifested himself in three different forms; in the -form of a bird, Melek Ṭâ´ûs; in the form of an old -man, Šeiḫ ‘Adi; and in the form of a young man, -Yezid. They do not seem to offer him a direct prayer -or sacrifice.</p> - - -<h4>II<br /> - -<span class="smcap">The Deity of the Second Degree</span></h4> - - -<h5>1. <span class="smcap">Melek Ṭâ´ûs</span></h5> - -<p>A distinguished modern scholar (see the printed -text, p. 80, lines 12-35) argues that Ṭâ´ûs is the god -Tammuz. His argument is that the word Ṭâ´ûs must -embody an ancient god, but owing to the obscurity in -which the origin of Yezidism and the being of Melek -Ṭâ´ûs are wrapped, it is very difficult to say which -god is meant. And to determine this, he assumes -that the term does not come from the Arabic word -Ṭâ´ûs, but was occasioned by some “folk-etymology,” -and that we must look, therefore, for some god-name -which resembles the word Ṭâ´ûs. Taking this as a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_148">148</span> -starting point, the critic calls attention to the fact that -in Fihrist, p. 322, l. 27f, which treats of the feasts -and gods of the Ḥarranians, we read that the god -Tauz had a feast in middle of Tammuz. He infers -from this that the god Tauz is identical with Melek -Ṭâ´ûs. And to the question who this god Tauz is, he -answers it is Tammuz. To justify his explanation, -the writer contends that the Yezidis speak in Kurdish, -and according to Justi’s <i>Kurdische Grammatik</i>, p. -82ff, the change of meem to waw in this language is -frequent.<a id="FNanchor_131_131" href="#Footnote_131_131" class="fnanchor">131</a></p> - -<p>However plausible this process may seem to be, -philologically it cannot here yield a satisfactory conclusion. -For it is based on wrong premises. It is -not true that the word Ṭâ´ûs signifies an ancient -deity. It denotes the devil and nothing else. This is -so clear to the Yezidis, or to anyone acquainted with -their religion, as to leave no need for further discussion. -And to question the religious consciousness of -a sect is to engage in pure speculation. Likewise, the -method of determining this supposed god by the name -of some deity resembling it is objectionable. There -are many such names. One might also infer that the -sect worship Christ under the form of the devil. -This theory has actually been advanced.—<i>Theatre de -la Turquie</i>, 364. The statement that in Kurdish the -letter meem is changed to waw frequently is untenable, -if one would set it up as a grammatical rule to -explain such phenomena. What is more, the Kurds -pronounce the name tammuz, and nothing else, unless<span class="pagenum" id="Page_149">149</span> -some one has a physiological difficulty which will not -permit him to close his lips, so that instead of saying -tammuz, he would mutter taouz. The following are a -few of many instances to show that meem is not -changed to waw in Kurdish, even in words of Arabic -origin: ‘Amelie ṣaliḥ (good works), zamanie aḫerat -(the last day), the well of Zamsam, Mohammed, and -Mustafa (the chosen one), when applied to the -prophet, Melek (king), when applied to Ṭâ´ûs. -Further the assumption that Ṭâ´ûs does not come -from the Arabic Ṭâ´ûs is unverifiable. Unquestionably -the attempt to trace this term to tauz, then to -Tammuz, was suggested to Professor Lidzbarski by -the fact that ammuz was the name of an ancient -Babylonian god, and that Abu Sayyid Wahb ibn -Ibrahim, quoted by an-Nedim, an Arab author of the -tenth century, states that the god Tauz has a feast in -his honor on the fifteenth of Tammuz (<i>Fihrist</i>, p. -322). But according to the author of “<i>Die Sabier und -Sabismus</i>” (p. 202) the original form of this word is -unknown.</p> - -<p>Not only the inference which identifies Ṭâ´ûs with -Tammuz is based on wrong premises; but, in the Yezidi -conception of Melek Ṭâ´ûs, there are no traces of the -notion which is held respecting Tammuz. The latter -was originally a sun-god, and son of Ea and the goddess -Sirdu, and the bridegroom of the goddess Ištar. -The legendary poems of Babylonia described him as a -shepherd, cut off in the beauty of youth, or slain by -the boar’s tusk in winter, and mourned for long and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_150">150</span> -vainly by the goddess Ištar. The god Tammuz made -his way to Canaan, Cyprus, and thence to Greece. -“He had ceased to be the young and beautiful sun-god, -and had become the representative of the vegetation -of spring, growing by the side of the canals of -Babylonia, but parched and destroyed by the fierce -heat of the summer. Hence in Babylonia his funeral -festival came to be observed in the month of June, -and in Palestine two months later. Tammuz had -changed his character in passing from country to -country, but the idea of him as a slain god, and of his -festival as the idealization of human sorrow, a kind -of “All Souls Day,” was never altered wherever he -was adored.”<a id="FNanchor_132_132" href="#Footnote_132_132" class="fnanchor">132</a> Such beliefs are not found in the -Yezidi view of their King Peacock. On the contrary -his festival is for them the occasion of joy and -pleasure.</p> - -<p>I conclude, then, that Ṭâ´ûs is the Arabic word -meaning peacock, just as Melek is the Arabic word -meaning king or angel. The sect write it, pronounce -it, and believe it to be so. The faith of the sect finds -expression in the fact that they represent their angel -Azazil in the form of the peacock.</p> - -<p>It seems to me that the real question is not what -Melek Ṭâ´ûs is, but how the devil-god came to be -symbolized by the image of a bird. This question finds -an answer in the fact that the worship of a bird -appears to have been the most ancient of idolatry. It -is condemned especially in Deut. 4: 16, 17:<span class="pagenum" id="Page_151">151</span> “Lest ye -corrupt yourselves and make a graven image, the -similitude of any figure, the likeness of any winged -fowl that flieth in the air.” And Layard, in his -<i>Nineveh and Its Remains</i>, vol. II, p. 462, gives the -sketch of a bird from one of the slabs dug up at -Nimrud. He remarks that the Iyuges, or sacred birds, -belonged to the Babylonian and probably also to the -Assyrian religion. They were a kind of demons, -who exercised a peculiar influence over mankind, -resembling the feroher of Zoroastrianism. The -oracles attributed to Zoroaster describe them as -powers anointed by God.</p> - -<p>Their images, made of gold, were in the palace of -the king of Babylonia. According to Philostratus -they were connected with magic. In Palestine the -dove was sacred for the Phoenicians and Philistines. -The Jews brought accusation against the Samaritans -that they were worshippers of the dove. Sacred -doves were found also at Mecca. Nasar (eagle) was -a deity of the tribe of Ḥamyar.<a id="FNanchor_133_133" href="#Footnote_133_133" class="fnanchor">133</a></p> - -<p>A question suggesting itself is how the Yezidi god -came to be designated by the form of a peacock. -This bird is a native of Ceylon, and not of Mesopotamia -or Kurdistan where the Yezidis live.<a id="FNanchor_134_134" href="#Footnote_134_134" class="fnanchor">134</a> The -answer may be found in the Muslim tradition<a id="FNanchor_135_135" href="#Footnote_135_135" class="fnanchor">135</a> that -when the first parents forfeited heaven for eating -wheat, they were cast down upon earth. Eve descended -upon ‘Arafat; Adam at Ceylon; the peacock at -Gabul, and Satan at Bilbays. In this myth the devil -and the peacock are figured as sharing the same -penalty at the same time. According to Surah 2,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_152">152</span> -28-31, the crime of the former was pride, but nothing -is said about the guilt of the latter. We learn, however, -from other sources, that the bird in question is -thought of as a symbol of pride. In his article -“Peacock,” in the Enc. Brit., vol. 18, p. 443, Professor -A. Newton says: “The bird is well known as the -proverbial personification of pride. It is seldom kept -in large numbers for it has a bad reputation for doing -mischief in gardens.” Hence we may infer that the -notion of the peacock as a symbol of pride together -with the Koranic idea of Satan’s sin led to the formation -of the myth; that this story was current among -the followers of Yezid bn Unaisa; and that, under -the influence of the devil-worshippers of Persia the -old tradition lost its original significance, and came to -be understood to represent the peacock as a symbol -of the god-devil.</p> - -<p>Among the three branches of the deity in the second -degree, Melek Ṭâ´ûs holds an important place in the -theology of the Yezidis. The language used in his -praise is so elevated that one is led to think that he -is identical with God. Some scholars deny this theory -on the ground that the principal prayer of these people -is directed to God and no mention is made of King -Peacock. Hence they contend also that no direct -worship is offered to the latter deity.<a id="FNanchor_136_136" href="#Footnote_136_136" class="fnanchor">136</a> It seems to me -that such a contention is not justifiable. In the first -place, the people themselves confess their loyalty to -the chief angels. Moreover, the expression in this -prayer,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_153">153</span> “Thou hast neither feather, nor wings, nor -arms, nor voice” (see p. <a href='#Page_74'>74</a>) is more applicable to the -symbol Peacock than to God. There can be no doubt, -I think, that in the conception of the sect ‘Azazil -appears to be identical with God. This fact finds -definite expression in the Book of Jilwah. In Chapter -I he is represented as being from eternity to eternity, -as having absolute control of the world, as being -omnipresent and omnipotent and unchangeable. In -Chapter II he is said to appear in divers manners to -the faithful ones; and life and death are determined -by him. And in Chapter III he is declared to be the -source of revelation. While this is true, there are -other phrases which refer to Ṭâ´ûs as being inferior -to the great God, but superior to all other gods. He -was created, and is under the command of God; but -he is made the chief of all.</p> - -<p>It is not quite easy to understand the underlying -idea in worshipping the devil. Some<a id="FNanchor_137_137" href="#Footnote_137_137" class="fnanchor">137</a> explain this by -supposing he is so bad that he requires constant -propitiation; otherwise he will take revenge and cause -great misery. For this reason, it is claimed,<a id="FNanchor_138_138" href="#Footnote_138_138" class="fnanchor">138</a> they do -not worship God, because he is so good that he cannot -but forgive. This is the usual interpretation, and it -is confirmed by the nature of the religious service -rendered. It seems to partake much more of a propitiatory -than of a eucharistic character, not as the -natural expression of love but of fear. This reminds -us at once of the Babylonian religion. According to -this religion, when any misfortune overtook the worshippers, -they regarded it as a sign that their deity<span class="pagenum" id="Page_154">154</span> -was angry, and had therefore left them to their own -resources or had become their enemy. To be thus -deserted was accounted a calamity because of the -innumerable dangers to which the soul was exposed -from the action of the powers seen and unseen. So -that as a matter of precaution, it was well to maintain -a propitiatory attitude. Hence the great object of -worship was to secure and retain the somewhat -capricious favor of the deity.<a id="FNanchor_139_139" href="#Footnote_139_139" class="fnanchor">139</a> This is in accord with -the natural feeling of man in his primitive state, -which leads him rather to dread punishment for his -sin than to be thankful for blessings received.</p> - -<p>Others<a id="FNanchor_140_140" href="#Footnote_140_140" class="fnanchor">140</a> hold that the Devil-worshippers believe -that their Lord is a fallen angel, now suffering a -temporary punishment for his rebellion against the -divine will because he deceived Adam, or because he -did not recognize the superiority of Adam as commanded -by God. But it is not for man to interfere -in the relations of God with his angels, whether they -be fallen or not; on the contrary man’s duty is to -venerate them all alike. The great God will be finally -reconciled to Ṭâ´ûs, and will restore him to his high -place in the celestial hierarchy.</p> - -<p>Still others<a id="FNanchor_141_141" href="#Footnote_141_141" class="fnanchor">141</a> assert that the sect does not believe in -an evil spirit but as a true divinity. This theory is not -generally accepted, but seems more probable than the -preceding ones. For there is nothing in the sacred -book to indicate that Melek Ṭâ´ûs is an evil spirit or -a fallen angel. On the contrary the charge that he -was rejected and driven from heaven is repudiated.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_155">155</span> -The mentioning of his name is looked upon as an -insult to and blasphemy against him because it is -based, the Yezidis think, on the assumption that he -is degraded. Finally, he is declared to be one of the -seven gods, who is now ruling the world for a period -of 10,000 years.</p> - -<p>It is interesting to note that, in the history of religion, -the god of one people is the devil of another. -In the Avesta, the evil spirits are called daeva -(Persian Div); the Aryans of India, in common with -the Romans, Celts, and Slavs gave the name of dev -(devin, divine, divny) to their good or god-like -spirits. Asura is a deity in the Rig Veda, and an -evil spirit only in later Brahman theology. Zoroaster -thought that the beings whom his opponents worshipped -as gods, under the name of daeva, were in -reality powers by whom mankind are unwittingly led -to their destruction. “In Islam the gods of heathenism -are degraded into jinn, just as the gods of north -semitic heathenism are called šĕirim (hairy demons) -in Lev. 17: 7, or as the gods of Greece and Rome -became devils to the early Christians.”<a id="FNanchor_142_142" href="#Footnote_142_142" class="fnanchor">142</a></p> - -<p>The Yezidis’ veneration for the devil in their -assemblies is paid to his symbol, the sanjaḳ. It is the -figure of a peacock with a swelling breast, diminutive -head, and widespread tail. The body is full but the -tail is flat and fluted. This figure is fixed on the top -of a candlestick around which two lamps are placed, -one above the other, and containing seven burners. -The stand has a bag, and is taken to pieces when<span class="pagenum" id="Page_156">156</span> -carried from place to place. Close by the stand they -put water jugs filled with water, to be drunk as a -charm by the sick and afflicted. They set the sanjaḳ -at the end of a room and cover it with a cloth. Underneath -is a plate to receive the contributions. The -ḳawwal (sacred musician) kisses the corner of the -cloth when he uncovers Melek-Ṭâ´ûs. At a given -signal, all arise, then each approaches the sanjaḳ, -bows before it and puts his contribution into the plate. -On returning to their places, they bow to the image -several times and strike their breasts as a token of -their desire to propitiate the evil principle.</p> - -<p>The Yezidis have seven sanjaḳs, but the Fariḳ -(Lieut.-Gen. of the Turkish Army), who tried to convert -them to Mohammedanism in 1892, took five of -them. Some deny, however, that they were real -ones; they say they were imitations. Each sanjaḳ is -given a special place in the Emir’s palace, where it -is furnished with a small brazen bed and a vessel in -the form of a mortar placed before it. They burn -candles and incense before it day and night. Each -sanjaḳ is assigned a special district, the name of -which is written on a piece of paper and placed on its -shoulder. On the shoulder of the first the district of -Šeiḫan, which comprises the villages around Mosul, is -indicated; on the second Jabal Sinjar; in the third -the district of Ḫalitiyah, which is one of the dependencies -of Diarbeker; on the fourth the district of -Ḫawariyah, <i>i. e.</i>, the Kocḥers; on the fifth the district -of Malliah, the villages around Aleppo; on the sixth<span class="pagenum" id="Page_157">157</span> -the district of Sarḥidar, which is in Russia; and the -seventh remains at the tomb of Šeiḫ ‘Adi.</p> - -<p>When sent from village to village of its respective -district, a sanjaḳ is put in a hagibah<a id="FNanchor_143_143" href="#Footnote_143_143" class="fnanchor">143</a> (saddle-bag) -and carried on a horse that belongs to a pir (religious -teacher). On nearing a certain place, a messenger is -sent to announce in Kurdish “Sanjaḳ hat,” “the -Sanjaḳ has come.” Then all the people don their -fineries and go out to welcome it with tambourines. -As the representative of Melek Ṭâ´ûs reaches the -town, the pir cries out in Kurdish language, “Sanjaḳ -mevan ki sawa?” (literally: “Whose guest shall the -sanjaḳ be?”). On hearing this, each person makes -a bid for the privilege of entertaining it. Finally he -who bids the highest receives the image. At that -moment the accompanying pir takes the hagibah off -the horse’s back and hangs it on the neck of the -person who is to keep the symbol of the devil over -night.</p> - -<p>The Yezidis say, that in spite of the frequent wars -and massacres to which the sect has been exposed, -and the plunder and murder of the priests during -their journeys, no Melek Ṭâ´ûs has ever fallen into -the hands of the Mohammedans. When a ḳawwal -sees danger ahead of him, he buries the Melek Ṭâ´ûs -and afterwards comes himself, or sends some one to -dig up the brazen peacock, and carries it forward in -safety.</p> - -<p>Besides revering the devil by adoring his symbol, -the Yezidis venerate him by speaking with great<span class="pagenum" id="Page_158">158</span> -respect of his name. They refer to him as Melek -Ṭâ´ûs, King Peacock, or Melek al-ḳawwat, the -Mighty King. They never mention his name; and any -allusion to it by others so irritates and vexes them -that they put to death persons who have intentionally -outraged their feelings by its use. They carefully -avoid every expression that resembles in sound the -name of Satan. In speaking of shatt (river) they use -the common Kurdish word Ave, or the Arabic ma -(water). In speaking of the Euphrates, they call it -Ave ‘Azim, or ma al-kabir, <i>i. e.</i>, the great river, or -simply al-Frat.</p> - - -<h5>2. Šeiḫ ‘Adî</h5> - -<p>Next to the devil in rank comes Šeiḫ ‘Adi. But he -is not the historical person whose biography is given -by the Mohammedan authors. He is identified with -deity and looked upon as a second person in a divine -trinity. He is sent by Melek Ṭâ´ûs to teach and to -warn his chosen people lest they go astray. He is -conceived to be everywhere, to be greater than Christ; -and, like Melek-Ṣedek, has neither father nor mother. -He has not died and will never die. In verse ten of -the poems in his praise, he is distinctly said -to be the only God. His name is associated with -all the myth that human imagination can possibly -create about a deity. To express the Yezidi dogma -in terms of Christian formula, Šeiḫ ‘Adi is the Holy -Spirit, who dwells in their prophets, who are called<span class="pagenum" id="Page_159">159</span> -kochaks. He also reveals to them truth and the -mysteries of heaven.</p> - -<p>The entertaining of such views has led some -modern critics to think ‘Adi the good and Melek -Ṭâ´ûs the evil principle. In the poem (30-32), he -is represented as the good deity and the source of all -good. Others identify him with Adde or Adi, a -disciple of Manes or Mani. Still others regard his -name as one of the names of the deity. In this case, -his tomb is a myth and the prefix “Šeiḫ” is added to -deceive the Mohammedans, and thus to prevent them -from desecrating the sacred shrine, just as the Christians -call Mar Mattie, Sheikh Mattie, and the convent -of Mar Behnan, ḫuder Elias.<a id="FNanchor_144_144" href="#Footnote_144_144" class="fnanchor">144</a> But the most ingenious -theory is that advanced by the Rev. G. P. -Badger. He queries whether the Yezidi ‘Adi be not -cognate with the Hebrew Ad, the two first letters in -the original of Adonai, the Lord, and its compounds, -Adonijah, Adonibezek. The writer is aware, however, -that “This derivative is open to objection on the -ground that the Yezidis write the word with ‘ain and -not with alif.” But he explains: “They write so only -in Arabic, of which they know but very little, and not -in their own language (Kurdish) in which they do not -write it at all. Moreover, they may have assimilated -the mode of expressing the title of their deity in bygone -days to that of ‘Adi, one of the descendants of -the Merawian Califs, with whom, from fear of being -persecuted by the Mohammedans, they sometimes -identified him.” Having thus expounded his own<span class="pagenum" id="Page_160">160</span> -view, this English scholar proceeds to repudiate the -suggestion that Šeiḫ ‘Adi “is the same Adi,” one of the -disciples of Mani, since there is no proof, according to -him, that Mani himself was deified by his followers.</p> - -<p>So far as the application of the method of comparative -philology is concerned, Badger’s theory is -more reasonable and tenable than that of Lidzbarski, -who, by the same method, attempts to identify Melek -Ṭâ´ûs with Tammuz. Nevertheless, the inference of -the former is beyond any possible justification. For -such a starting-point is misleading when it is not supported -by historical proof. A failure to support it -thus cannot be regarded as other than deficiency in -treatment. Now, while one may be misguided by the -Yezidi myth surrounding the personality of Šeiḫ ‘Adi, -the critical mind can find much in it to aid him in his -efforts to discover the true identity of the man. In -verse fifty of his poem, for our critic draws -his conclusions in the light of this poem, the -Šeiḫ receives his authority from God who is his lord; -in verse fifty-seven he is a man, ‘Adi of Damascus, -son of Musafir; in verse eighty he declares that the -high place which he had attained is attainable by all -who, like him, shall find the truth. To justify my -criticism, I need only ask the reader to recall the -description by the Mohammedan biographers of the -person in question.</p> - -<p>The Yezidis offer their worship to Šeiḫ ‘Adi, -usually when they assemble at his shrine. This is his -tomb within a temple. The latter lies in a narrow<span class="pagenum" id="Page_161">161</span> -valley which has only one outlet, as the rock rises -on all sides except where a small stream forces its -way into a large valley beyond. The tomb stands in -a courtyard, and is surrounded by a few buildings in -which the guardians and the servants of the sanctuary -live. In the vicinity are scattered a number of shacks, -each named after a šeiḫ, and supposed to be his tomb. -Toward sunset these sacred places are illuminated by -burning sesame oil lamps, putting one at the entrance -to each tomb in token of their respect; the light lasts -but a short time. There are also a few edifices, each -belonging to a Yezidi district, in which the pilgrims -reside during the time of the feast; so that each portion -of the valley is known by the name of the country -of those who resort thither. On the lintel of the -doorway of the temple, various symbols are engraved,—a -lion, a snake, a hatchet, a man and a -comb.<a id="FNanchor_145_145" href="#Footnote_145_145" class="fnanchor">145</a> Their mystical meaning is unknown. They -are regarded as mere ornaments placed there at the -request of those who furnished money for building -the temple. The interior of the temple is made up of -an oblong apartment which is divided into three compartments, -and a large hall in the centre which is -divided by a row of columns; and arches support the -roof. To the right of the entrance are a platform, -and a spring of water coming from the rock. The -latter is regarded with great veneration, and is -believed to be derived from the holy well of Zamzam -at Mecca. It is used for the baptism of children and -for other sacred purposes. Close by there are two<span class="pagenum" id="Page_162">162</span> -small apartments in which are tombs of the saints and -of some inferior personage. In the principal halls a -few lamps are usually burning, and at sunset lights -are scattered over the walls.</p> - -<p>The tomb of Šeiḫ ‘Adi lies in the inner room, which -is dimly lighted. The tomb has a large square cover, -upon which is written Ayat al-Kursi, that is, the -verse of the throne, which is the 256th verse of surat-al-Baḳarah, -or Chapter II of the Koran.</p> - -<p>“God. There is no God but He, the Living, the -Abiding. Neither slumber nor sleep seizeth Him. -To Him belongeth whatsoever is in heaven and whatsoever -is on earth. Who is he that can intercede with -Him but by His own permission? He knoweth what -has been before them and what shall be after them; -yet naught of His knowledge do they comprehend, -save what he willeth to reveal. His throne reacheth -over the heavens and the earth, and the upholding of -both burdeneth Him not. He is the High, the Great.”</p> - -<p>It is related (in the Mishkat, Book IV, 1. 19, Part -III) that ‘Ali heard Mohammed say in the pulpit, -“That person who repeats the Ayat al-Kursi after -every prayer shall in no wise be prevented from -entering into Paradise, except by life; and whoever -says it when he goes to his bedchamber will be kept -by God in safety together with his house and the -house of his neighbor.” Šeiḫ ‘Adi might have been -in the habit of repeating this verse; and this, perhaps, -led to its inscription on the tomb.</p> - -<p>In the center of the inner room, close by the tomb,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_163">163</span> -there is a square plaster case, in which are small balls -of clay taken from the tomb. These are sold or distributed -to the pilgrims, and regarded as sacred relics, -useful against disease and evil spirits. It is said that -there are three hundred and sixty lamps in the shrine -of ‘Adi, which are lit every night. The whole valley -in which the shrine lies is held sacred. No impure -thing is permitted within its holy bounds. No other -than the high priest and the chiefs of the sect are -buried near the tomb. Many pilgrims take off their -shoes on approaching it, and go barefooted as long -as they remain in its vicinity.</p> - -<p>Such is the sanctuary of ‘Adi, where they offer him -their homage. Their worship may be divided into -two kinds, direct and indirect. The former consists -of traditional hymns sung by the ḳawwals, the sacred -musicians of the sect. They are chanted to the sound -of flutes and tambourines. The tunes are monotonous -and generally loud and harsh. The latter kind consists -in celebrating their religious rites with great -rejoicing on the feast day of their great saint. And -their ḳubla, the place to which they look while performing -their holy ceremonies, is that part of the -heaven in which the sun rises.</p> - -<p>The great feast of Šeiḫ ‘Adi is held yearly on April -fifteenth to twentieth, Roman calendar, when the -Yezidis from all their districts come to attend the -festival celebration. Before entering the valley, men -and women perform their ablutions, for no one can -enter the sacred valley without having first purified<span class="pagenum" id="Page_164">164</span> -his body and his clothes. The people of the villages -are gathered and start together, forming a long procession, -preceded by musicians, who play the tambourine -and the pipe. They load the donkeys with -necessary carpets and domestic utensils. While -marching they discharge their guns into the air and -sing their war cry. As soon as they see the tower -of the tomb, they all together discharge their arms.</p> - -<p>The šeiḫs and the principal members of the priesthood -are dressed in pure white linen, and all are -venerable men with long beards. Only the chief and -the ḳawwals and two of the order of the priesthood -enter the inner court of the temple, and they always -go in barefooted. They start an hour after sunset.<a id="FNanchor_146_146" href="#Footnote_146_146" class="fnanchor">146</a> -The ceremony begins with the exhibition of the holy -symbol of Melek Ṭâ´ûs to the priests. No stranger -is allowed to witness this ceremony or to know the -nature of it. This being done, they begin the rite. -The ḳawwals stand against the wall on one side of the -court and commence a chant. Some play on -the flute, others on the tambourine; and they -follow the measure with their voices. The šeiḫs -and the chiefs form a procession, walking two by two; -the chief priest walks ahead. A faḳir holds in one -hand a lighted torch, and in another a large vessel of -oil, from which he pours into the lamp from time to -time. All are in white apparel except the faḳirs, who -are dressed in black. As they walk in a circle, they -sing in honor of Šeiḫ ‘Adi. Afterward, they sing in -honor of ‘Isa (Jesus). As they proceed the excitement<span class="pagenum" id="Page_165">165</span> -increases, the chants quicken, the tambourines are -beaten more frequently, the faḳirs move faster, the -women make tahlil with a great shouting, and the -ceremony comes to an end with great noise and -excitement. When the chanting is ended, those who -were marching in procession kiss, as they pass by, the -right side of the temple entrance, where the serpent -is figured on the wall. Then the emir stands at this -entrance to receive the homage of the šeiḫs and elders -who kiss his hand. Afterward all that are present -give one another the kiss of peace.<a id="FNanchor_147_147" href="#Footnote_147_147" class="fnanchor">147</a> After the ceremony -the young men and women dance in the outer -court until early in the morning.</p> - -<p>In the morning the šeiḫs and the ḳawwals offer a -short prayer in the temple without any ceremony and -some kiss the holy places in the vicinity. When they -end, they take the green<a id="FNanchor_148_148" href="#Footnote_148_148" class="fnanchor">148</a> cover of the tomb of Šeiḫ -‘Adi and march with it around the outer court with -music. The people rush to them and reverently kiss -the corner of the cloth, offering money.</p> - -<p>After taking the cover back to its place, the chiefs -and priests sit around the inner court. Kochaks at -this time bring food and call the people to eat of the -hospitality of Šeiḫ ‘Adi.<a id="FNanchor_149_149" href="#Footnote_149_149" class="fnanchor">149</a> After they have finished -their meal, a collection is taken for the support of the -temple and tomb of their saint. All people that come -to the annual festival bring dishes as offerings to their -living šeiḫ. After he has indicated his acceptance -of them by tasting, these are given to the servants of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_166">166</span> -the sanctuary. When the feast comes to an end, the -people return to their several abodes.</p> - - -<h5>(3.) <span class="smcap">Yezid</span></h5> - -<p>The third essential element in the religion of the -devil-worshippers is the belief that their sect has -taken its origin from Yezid, whom frequently they -call God and regard as their ancestral father, to whom -they trace their descent. No other worship is offered -him. He is given, however, a place of honor in the -court of the temple, where, on one side, there is the -inscription “Melek Yezid, the mercy of God be upon -him”; on the other side “Šeiḫ ‘Adi, the mercy of God -be upon him.” In the corner of this court a lamp is -kept burning all night in honor of the two.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_167">167</span></p> - - -<h3><a id="NOTES_ON_CHAPTER_II-1"></a>NOTES ON CHAPTER II</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_130_130" href="#FNanchor_130_130" class="label">130</a> -P. Anastase: <i>Al-Mašrik</i>, vol. II, p. 151; Bedrus -Efendi Ar-Riḍwani, his letter to A. N. Andrus, April -22, 1887.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_131_131" href="#FNanchor_131_131" class="label">131</a> -Lidzbarski, Z. D. M. G., vol. LI, p. 592; he is -followed by Makas, <i>Kurdische Studien</i>, p. 35.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_132_132" href="#FNanchor_132_132" class="label">132</a> -See “Tammuz” in Jastrow’s Religion of Babylonia -and Assyria, and Cheney’s Dictionary of the Bible.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_133_133" href="#FNanchor_133_133" class="label">133</a> -R. W. Smith: <i>Religion of the Semites</i>, p. 219; Aš-Šahrastanî, -vol. II, p. 434. Yaḳut (vol. IV, p. 780) -says: Originally nasr was worshipped by the people of -Noah, and from them was brought to the tribe of -Ḥamyar. According to the Syriac doctrine of Addai -(Ed. George Philips, p. 24) the people of Edessa worshipped -“the eagle as the Arabians.”</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_134_134" href="#FNanchor_134_134" class="label">134</a> -So far as I am aware no writer on the Yezidis -has ever raised this question.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_135_135" href="#FNanchor_135_135" class="label">135</a> -Hughes: <i>Dictionary of Islam</i>, p. 21.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_136_136" href="#FNanchor_136_136" class="label">136</a> -Victor <i>Dingelstedt</i>, SGM, vol. XIV.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_137_137" href="#FNanchor_137_137" class="label">137</a> -Badger: <i>The Nestorians</i>, vol. I, p. 125; Layard, -Nineveh, vol. I, p. 297.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_138_138" href="#FNanchor_138_138" class="label">138</a> -P. Anastase: <i>Al-Mašrik</i>, vol. II, p. 152.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_139_139" href="#FNanchor_139_139" class="label">139</a> -The Hibbert Journal, vol. V, No. 2, Jan., 1907, -p. 337.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_140_140" href="#FNanchor_140_140" class="label">140</a> -Layard: Ibid; <i>Victor Dingelstedt</i>, Ibid, p. 299.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_141_141" href="#FNanchor_141_141" class="label">141</a> -Dingelstedt: Ibid.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_142_142" href="#FNanchor_142_142" class="label">142</a> -R. W. Smith: <i>Religion of the Semites</i>, p. 120; -Fihrist, p. 322, 326, calls the gods of the Ḥarranians -devils.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_168">168</span></p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_143_143" href="#FNanchor_143_143" class="label">143</a> -<i>Hagibah</i> is a Turkish word, meaning a saddleback.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_144_144" href="#FNanchor_144_144" class="label">144</a> -Badger: Ibid, p. 247. (137) Ibid, p. 112. -</p> -<p> -Mr. Badger seems to contend that the Kurdish-speaking -people do not pronounce the letter ‘ain. This -is not true, the Kurds pronounce this letter as well as -other gutturals. They sometimes even change the -Arabic Alif to ‘ain. This is to be said, however, that in -some localities the ‘ain is pronounced alif, just as the -ḳaf is changed to alif, but this is not confined to the -Kurds, such changes are made by the Arabic-and the -Syriac-speaking people also.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_145_145" href="#FNanchor_145_145" class="label">145</a> -The figures of the bull and of the serpent, or of -the bull and of the lion were placed at the right and -left of the palaces of the Assyrian kings to protect -their path. Layard, Nineveh and Babylon, p. 162; -Nineveh, vol. II, p. 315; B. F. Harper, Assyrian and -Babylonian Literature, pp. 139, 148, 153. The lion -was both an ornament and support in the throne of -Solomon, Layard, Nineveh, vol. II, p. 301. The -hatchet was among the weapons of those who fought -in chariots, and carried in the quiver, with the arrows -and short angular bow, Nineveh, vol. II, p. 343.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_146_146" href="#FNanchor_146_146" class="label">146</a> -The Mandeans, the star-worshippers, also begin -their rasta ceremony after the sunset, and continue it -through the night.—<i>London Standard</i>, October 19, -1894, Al-Mutaḳtataf, 23, 88.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_147_147" href="#FNanchor_147_147" class="label">147</a> -The kiss of the peace is a regular part of the -church service in the East.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_148_148" href="#FNanchor_148_148" class="label">148</a> -In Mohammedanism, green is the color of šeiḫs.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_149_149" href="#FNanchor_149_149" class="label">149</a> -This is a communal meal.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_169">169</span></p></div> - - - - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_III-1" id="CHAPTER_III-1">CHAPTER III</a><br /> - -<small><span class="smcap">Other Deities and Festivals</span></small></h3> - - -<h4>I<br /> - -<span class="smcap">The So-Called Seven Divinities</span></h4> - -<p>Besides their great saint, the Yezidis believe in -seven other šeiḫs through whose intermediation they -invoke God. These are also deified and assigned -places of honor at Šeiḫ ‘Adi’s side. In their case as -in that of their chief, the tradition has led some -critics to believe that they are archangels; others, -different attributes of God; and still others, the seven -Amshaps of Zoroaster, or immortal spirits of the -Avesta. The last conjecture is made by Victor -Dingelstadt.<a id="FNanchor_150_150" href="#Footnote_150_150" class="fnanchor">150</a> Cholsohn goes a step further in -making the assertion, “Der Tempel des sheikh Shams -ist ohne allen Zweifel ein Sonnentempel der so -gebaut ist, dass die ernsten Strahlen der Sonne so -häufig als möglich auf ihn fallen.” The ground for -this positive statement is, we are told “Layard -berichtet.”<a id="FNanchor_151_151" href="#Footnote_151_151" class="fnanchor">151</a> Now, the English scholar seems to base -his contention on the fact that the building is called -the sanctuary of Šeiḫ Šams; that the herd of white -oxen which are slain on great festivals at Šeiḫ ‘Adi<span class="pagenum" id="Page_170">170</span>’s -are dedicated to Šams; “that the dedication of the bull -to the sun” was generally recognized in the religious -system of the ancients, which probably originated in -Assyria; and that the Yezidis may have unconsciously -preserved a myth of their ancestors.<a id="FNanchor_152_152" href="#Footnote_152_152" class="fnanchor">152</a> To my -mind the ground for such a view is the apriori assumption -that the religion of the devil-worshippers is the -remnant of an ancient cult, and that every phenomenon -in it is to be regarded, therefore, a survival of -the past system. For certain reasons I hold that such -is not the case.</p> - -<p>One reason, as Badger rightly remarks, the -Yezidis so designate the place for the sake of -brevity, is the entablature over the doorway records -the name in full, “Sheikh Shams Ali Beg and Faris.” -Two persons are mentioned in the inscription.<a id="FNanchor_153_153" href="#Footnote_153_153" class="fnanchor">153</a> In -like manner, the word Šams frequently enters into the -construction of Mohammedan names. The most -celebrated one that bore this name was Šams ud-Din -of Tabriz, the friend and spiritual guide of Jalal ad-Din, -who flourished during the first half of the 13th -century of our era.</p> - -<p>Moreover, round about the tomb of Šeiḫ ‘Adi are -many such abandoned shrines, each of which is -dedicated to a similar deified šeiḫ. Many of these -šeiḫs are known to be historical personages. Take -for example, Šeiḫ ‘Abd al-ḳadir of Gilan. He is -Šeiḫ Muḥiyy ud Din ‘Abd al ḳadir of Gilan in -Persia, the founder of the ḳadiri order of dervishes. -He was born in <span class="smcap lowercase">A. H.</span> 471 (<span class="smcap lowercase">A. D.</span> 1078-9) and died<span class="pagenum" id="Page_171">171</span> -<span class="smcap lowercase">A. H.</span> 516 (<span class="smcap lowercase">A. D.</span> 1164-5). So also Šeiḫ ḳaḍib al-Ban. -He was from Mosul, and was a contemporary of -Šeiḫ ‘Adi. In giving the life of Muḥi ad Din aš-Šharnozuri, -Ibn Ḫallikan (v. 2,651) says, “His corpse -was removed to a mausoleum built for its reception -outside the Maidan Gate of Mosul, near the tomb of -ḳadib al-Ban, the celebrated worker of miracles.” -Further, Manṣur al-Ḥallaj was a celebrated mystic, -revered as a saint by the more advanced sufis. He -was put to death with great cruelty at Bagdad in -<span class="smcap lowercase">A. H.</span> 309 (<span class="smcap lowercase">A. D.</span> 921-2) on a charge of heresy and -blasphemy, because he had said in one of his ecstacies, -“Ana-l-Ḥaḳḳ, I am the truth, God.” All biographers -of sufi saints speak of him with admiration.</p> - -<p>There are still others who are mentioned even -among the seven šeiḫs enumerated in the principal -prayer. Šeiḫ Ḥasan (written also Šeiḫisin) was -from Baṣrah. He was a celebrated theologian and -died in <span class="smcap lowercase">A. D.</span> 728. His life is given by Ibn Ḫallikan. -He was noted for self-mortification, fear of God and -devotion. And Faḫr ad-Din is ibn Abd Allah -Mohammed Ibn Amar al-Ḥuṣain Ibn al-Ḥasan, Ibn -‘Ali Al-Taim al-Bakri al-Taberstani ar-kai-zi (native -of Kai in Tabarestan), surnamed Faḫr ad-Din -(glory of faith). He was a doctor of the Shafite sect, -a pearl of his age, a man without a peer. He surpassed -all his contemporaries in scholastic theology, -and preached both in Arabic and Persian. He would -draw floods of tears from his eyes. His virtues and -merits were boundless. He was born at Kai, 25th of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_172">172</span> -Ramadan, <span class="smcap lowercase">A. H.</span> 544 (<span class="smcap lowercase">A. D.</span> 1150), and died at Ḥerat, -the first of Shawal, <span class="smcap lowercase">A. H.</span> 606 (March <span class="smcap lowercase">A. D.</span> 1210). -(See ibn Ḫallikan in loco.)</p> - -<p>In the light of these facts, I conclude, then, that -those who cannot be identified—for many bear the -same name, and we do not know which is which—are -also historical personages.</p> - -<p>This is what I mean by the statement that in order -to yield satisfactory results the inductive method -must be supported by historical investigations.</p> - -<p>In a question like this, however, the philosophical -method also, when carried on critically, may yield a -satisfactory result. Accordingly, observations should -be made in the sphere of religious consciousness. -Now one of the characteristics of the human mind is -the tendency to defy man. This is shown in the -titles which men gave to their superiors. In the Tell-al-Amarna -tablets, we find various kinglets of Syria, -in writing to the king of Egypt, address him as “my -gods” (ilani-ia). Thus Abimilki of Tyre writes: “To -my lord, the king, my son, my god.” What is more, -a superhuman character is attributed to the dead. -This appears from the attitude which the primitive -mind entertained towards the deceased. At first, the -relation to the dead was hostile, hence their spirits -were feared. Gradually, the relation became familiar, -so that their association was sought and sacrifices and -gifts were offered to them. They came to be looked -upon as elohim, who knew the future events. Thus -we find that in the Old Testament, worship was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_173">173</span> -offered to the dead, and that the tombs of ancestors -and heroes frequently appear as places of worship, -as, <i>e. g.</i>, the grave of Miriam at Kadish (Num. 26: 1). -Even to-day tombs of saints are common in Arabia, -and thousands of people visit them annually to -ask the intercession of the saints. Likewise, the -Nuṣairiyeh of Syria have deified ‘Ali, the Drus their -chief Hakim, the Babis their Beha, and the Christians -their saints.<a id="FNanchor_154_154" href="#Footnote_154_154" class="fnanchor">154</a> We cannot, therefore, be surprised that -the Yezidis have deified their šeiḫs and heroes. They -have only shown that common trait of the mind—the -tendency to deify man.</p> - -<p>It is to be noticed, further, that in the historical -development of religions we find that when the stage -of the mere belief in spirits is past, individual deities -stand out from the great mass of the spirits, and these -are plainly imagined to be personal gods, such as -Astarte and Ba‘al by the side of Hadad and -Aschirat.<a id="FNanchor_155_155" href="#Footnote_155_155" class="fnanchor">155</a> Now this is practically what we find in -the evolution of modern Yezidism. Out of many -šeiḫs and murids, seven, next to šeiḫ ‘Adi, stand out -as individual divinities.</p> - -<p>Yearly festivals in honor of these šeiḫs are commemorated -in April at different villages with the same -rites as those observed at Šeiḫ ‘Adi’s tomb. Lamps -are nightly lighted and left to burn in the shacks called -after the names of their respective šeiḫs; and in those -to which a room is attached, ḳawwals assemble at -sunset every Tuesday and Thursday, when they burn<span class="pagenum" id="Page_174">174</span> -incense over each tomb; and after watching a short -time, and smoking their pipes, they return home.</p> - -<p>An interesting festival is that of Šeiḫ Mohammed, -celebrated by the people of Ba‘šiḳa, where his tomb -exists. They say that they are solemnizing the -nuptials of Šeiḫ Mohammed, whom they believe to be -married once a year. The men and women dance -together while the ḳawwals play on their flutes and -tambourines. They bring Melek Ṭâ´ûs in procession -from Baḥazanie to Ba‘šiḳa amid rejoicing and sound -of music. Two pirs precede the bearer of the sacred -peacock, carrying in their hands lighted candles -which they move to and fro. As they pass along the -bystanders bow in adoration and, immersing their -hands in the smoke, perfume with it their arms and -faces. They carry the image of Melek Ṭâ´ûs to the -house of the one who is the highest bidder for the -honor of entertaining it. Here it remains two days, -during which all profane festivals are suspended and -visits are paid to it.</p> - - -<h4>II<br /> - -<span class="smcap">The Day of Sarsal</span></h4> - -<p>In addition to the festivals mentioned above is the -one observed on New Year’s day, the first Wednesday -in April. On this day, the Yezidis say, no drums are -to be beaten, for God sits on the throne, holding a -conference at which he decrees the events of the year. -They also stick wild scarlet anemones to the entrance<span class="pagenum" id="Page_175">175</span> -of their houses. The refraining from the sound of -instruments of pleasure on the part of orientals signifies -a state of contrition. Hence, it is very likely -that the Yezidis entertain the view that on this day -God is decreeing their destiny for the coming year; -that they must now, therefore, adjust their relation -to him with sincere sorrow for sin. If this is so, the -significance of the hanging of the flowers at the -entrance of their houses can be taken as intended to -propitiate the Evil Principle, and to ward off calamity -during the coming year. Such a belief has a parallel -in many religions. According to Babylonian mythology -human destiny was decreed on New Year’s day -and sealed on the tenth day thereafter. It was therefore -necessary to placate the deity, or at least to make -sure of one’s relation to him, before this particular -day. The New Year period was held, therefore, to be -of special importance because of the bearing on individual -welfare by reason of the good or the evil -decision of the gods. Our modern custom of wishing -our friends a Happy New Year has perhaps some connection -with this idea.<a id="FNanchor_156_156" href="#Footnote_156_156" class="fnanchor">156</a></p> - -<p>The Day of Atonement (Lev. 23: 27; 25: 29) had -a most important place in the Jewish ecclesiastical -year. This was the occasion of a thorough purification -of the whole nation and of every individual -member thereof in their relation to Yahweh. It was -designed to deepen afresh the national and individual -sense of sin and dread of the judgment of God. -According to Talmud (Mišna, Roš hašana, vol. I, 2)<span class="pagenum" id="Page_176">176</span> -Roš hašana is the most important judgment day, on -which all creatures pass for judgment before the -Creator. On this day, three books are opened -wherein the fate of the wicked, the righteous and -those of the intermediate class are recorded. Hence -prayer and works of repentance are performed on the -New Year from the first to the tenth that an unfavorable -decision might be averted (Jewish Ency., -art. Penitential Day). R. Akiba says: “On New -Year Day all men are judged; and the degree is sealed -on the Day of Atonement (Ibid, art. Day of Judgment).</p> - -<p>Moreover, the red lilies of the doors of the Yezidis -remind us at once of the blood sprinkled on the doorposts -of the dwellings of the Israelites in Egypt as a -sign for the Destroying Angel to pass over. This -notion is found also in a similar practice among the -Parsees of India, who hang a string of leaves across -the entrances to their houses at the beginning of every -new year.</p> - -<p>In the light of what has been said, the Yezidis’ idea -in giving food to the poor at the grave on the day of -Sarsal (New Year day), is to propitiate God on behalf -of the dead, who are, according to their belief, -reincarnated in some form or other.<a id="FNanchor_157_157" href="#Footnote_157_157" class="fnanchor">157</a></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_177">177</span></p> - - -<h3><a id="NOTES_ON_CHAPTER_III-1"></a>NOTES ON CHAPTER III</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_150_150" href="#FNanchor_150_150" class="label">150</a> -S. G. M., ibid.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_151_151" href="#FNanchor_151_151" class="label">151</a> -<i>Die Sabien</i>, I, 296.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_152_152" href="#FNanchor_152_152" class="label">152</a> -<i>Nineveh and Its Remains</i>, vol. II, p. 239.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_153_153" href="#FNanchor_153_153" class="label">153</a> -<i>Nestorians and Their Rituals</i>, vol. I, p. 117.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_154_154" href="#FNanchor_154_154" class="label">154</a> -S. J. Curtis: <i>Primitive Semitic Religion To-day</i>, -p. 96; J. A. O. S., vol. 8, 223.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_155_155" href="#FNanchor_155_155" class="label">155</a> -Cf. Marti’s <i>Die Religion des A. T.</i>, pp. 28-29.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_156_156" href="#FNanchor_156_156" class="label">156</a> -The Hibbert Journal, ibid.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_157_157" href="#FNanchor_157_157" class="label">157</a> -For different interpretation of the Yezidi New -Year, see Brockelmann in Z. D. M. G., vol. 55, p. 388.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_178">178</span></p></div> - - - - -<h3 id="CHAPTER_IV-1">CHAPTER IV<br /> - -<small><span class="smcap">Sacraments, Religious Observances and Sacerdotal -System</span></small></h3> - - -<h4>I<br /> - -<span class="smcap">Sacraments</span></h4> - -<p>Circumcision, the Eucharist and baptism are the -three religious rites administered by the followers of -Yezid. The first rite is optional. But with baptism -the case is different; it is a matter of obligation. -When a child is born near enough to the tomb of Šeiḫ -‘Adi to be taken there without great inconvenience or -danger, it should be baptized as early as possible after -birth. The ḳawwals in their periodical visitations -carry a bottle or skin filled with holy water to baptize -those children who cannot be brought to the shrine. -The mode of baptism is as follows: A šeiḫ carries -the baby into the water, takes off his clothes, and -immerses him three times. After the second time, -putting his hand on the child’s head, he mutters, “Hol -hola soultanie Azid, tou bouia berḫe Azid, saraka rea -Azid.” (“Hol hola!<a id="FNanchor_158_158" href="#Footnote_158_158" class="fnanchor">158</a> Yezid is a sultan. Thou hast -become a lamb of Yezid; thou mayest be a martyr for -the religion of Yezid.”) The parents are not admitted -to the domed shack of the spring; they remain out<span class="pagenum" id="Page_179">179</span>side. -The šeiḫ is paid for his services by the father -of the child. If the baby be a male, the gift must be -more valuable than if it be a female.</p> - -<p>Within twenty days from the time of baptism, a -male child is circumcised. To perform the rite, two -šeiḫs are employed. One holds the child in his lap, -the other performs the operation. Before starting, he -asks the child to say: “As berḫe Azide Sarum.” (“I -am the lamb of illuminating Yezid.”) If he be too -small to repeat, the šeiḫ who holds him repeats the -sentence for him. All this is done in the presence of -the parents, the relatives and the friends, amid -rejoicing with the sound of the flute and the tambourine. -When the ceremony is ended, the father of -the child entertains all those present for seven successive -days, during which period they dance, sing -and eat the food sent to them by the friends and -neighbors of the circumcised child. When this comes -to an end, the two šeiḫs are presented with gifts. -Then every one returns home. The reason why they -observe the two rites, they say, is that if one does not -work the other may, and neither is harmful.</p> - -<p>As to the Eucharist,<a id="FNanchor_159_159" href="#Footnote_159_159" class="fnanchor">159</a> its observance is local. It is -usually administered by the Yezidis of a place called -Ḫalitiyeh, a dependency of Diarbeker. It is observed -in the following manner: They sit around a table. -The chief among them holding a cup of wine, asks in -Kurdish, “Ave Chia.” (“What is this?”) Then he -himself answers, “Ave Kasie ‘Isaya.” (“This is the -cup of Jesus.”) He continues, “Ave ‘Isa naf<span class="pagenum" id="Page_180">180</span> -rounishtiya.” (“Jesus is sitting and present in it.”) -Having first partaken himself, he passes the cup -around. The last person drinks all that is left in the -cup.</p> - -<p>There is another sacrament among the Yezidis. I -refer to the rite of repentance. When persons -quarrel, the guilty one, covering his face with his -hands, betakes himself to the most venerable šeiḫ to -confess his sin. The latter, giving the penitent -instructions, enjoins him to kiss the hands of his -enemy and those of the members of the priesthood. -This having been done, if still no reconciliation be -effected, the offending person, whoever he may be, -must undergo again the same exercises. When peace -is established, the penitent one slaughters a sheep and -offers wine to the reconciled one and the clerical body. -This rite of repentance, however, is not obligatory.<a id="FNanchor_160_160" href="#Footnote_160_160" class="fnanchor">160</a></p> - - -<h4>II<br /> - -<span class="smcap">Some Other Religious Practices</span></h4> - -<p>Fasting is one of the religious observances. It is -kept for three successive days in the month of December, -when they profess to commemorate the death of -Yezid. Some observe also the forty days’ fast in the -spring of the year, when the Eastern Christians celebrate -the memory of Christ’s abstinence from food -at the time of his temptation in the wilderness. One -person in a family may fast for the rest. During this -period fasters abstain from animal food. The chief<span class="pagenum" id="Page_181">181</span> -šeiḫ fasts rigidly one month in the year, eating only -once in twenty-four hours and immediately after -sunset.</p> - -<p>Prayer is not considered a religious duty. They -never pray; they do not even have a form of prayer, -and acknowledge that they do not pray. It is said -that when Šeiḫ ‘Adi came from Mecca, he told his -followers in one of his sermons: “God commanded -me to tell you that there is no need of prayer; believe -in the power of Melek Ṭâ´ûs and ye shall be saved.“ -They have, however, what is called morning recital, -which the devout among them mutters in Kurdish as -he rises up from his bed. It is as follows:</p> - -<p>”<i>Chand-il-manhatie sobayaka rošh halatie. Hatna -mesarmen dou jaladie, meskino raba. Beda šade šada -dina mine eik Allah melek šeih-sin Habib Allah -maḳlub al-mergie ṣalaḥ maḳlub w-mergie al-jem´s -ṣalaḥ Al-bani ma-ieh al-jem´sieh wal jot ḳuobaieh -Kwa-šamsi Tauris wal-Fahra-Dinn, washeikho Pir. -Kawata deira sor, hanpouteka deira chankulie wa-Kabri -Zaman wa-ahro douni, Amin.</i>”<a id="FNanchor_161_161" href="#Footnote_161_161" class="fnanchor">161</a></p> - -<p>“How often two executioners came upon me as the -morning sun arose. O poor man, stand up and bear -witness! Witness for my religion. God is one; the -angel Šeiḫ ‘Adi and upon his congregation; upon the -great shack and the shack of Šeiḫ Tauris and Faḫr -ad-Din and to every šeiḫ and pir, and the power of -Deir Zor and Deir Chankalie (two Christian monasteries), -and the grave of time (mysterious power), -and the Last Day.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_182">182</span></p> - - -<h4>III<br /> - -<span class="smcap">The Sacerdotal Orders</span></h4> - -<p>The hierarchical orders of the Yezidi sect are four. -The head šeiḫ is the patriarch of the sect. He directs -all the religious affairs of the community and leads -them in their rites. He is also the principal interpreter -of their religion, the chief spiritual judge, a -sacred person, whose hearth is regarded as a sanctuary, -only second in importance to Šeiḫ ‘Adi’s temple, -and whose will must be obeyed. His powerful -weapon is excommunication. He presides over a -tribunal composed of ecclesiastical superiors, which -has jurisdiction in religious offences, in questions -relating to marriage, and in disputes between the -clergy. His charge is hereditary, in direct succession; -but if his eldest son be considered unworthy, he may -appoint another to succeed him. He is said to be -descended from Šeiḫ ‘Adi, and is believed to be -endowed with supernatural power for healing diseases, -and for blessing cattle and crops. Twice a -year he visits the neighboring villages to collect contributions, -and sends his ḳawwals to far distant districts -for the same purpose. Occasionally he takes -part in celebrating the marriage of persons of distinction -in his community. He is also at times solicited to -preside over funeral rites, which are generally conducted -by the ḳawwals and šeiḫs. The chief šeiḫ -wears a black turban and white garments.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_183">183</span></p> - -<p>Besides the head šeiḫ, the Yezidis have many other -šeiḫs. Each has a parish to look after. Twice a year -he visits his parishioners to receive their free-will -offerings. If a member of a congregation does not -satisfy his šeiḫ, he is anathematized by his spiritual -leader, and no one will speak to him or eat with him. -Every one of these šeiḫs is supposed to possess a -special power, such as the power to drive scorpions -away by praying over water and sprinkling it in the -corners of the house. They have one called Šeiḫ -Deklie, that is, Šeiḫ of the Cocks. His office is to go -from village to village to collect chickens. Several of -these šeiḫs always reside at Šeiḫ ‘Adi’s.</p> - -<p>The next in dignity are pirs, from the Persian -meaning an old man. They wear red turbans and -black garments. Then come the ḳawwals, from the -Arabic, meaning one who speaks fluently, an orator. -And lastly, the fakirs, from the Arabic poor. These -are the lowest order in the Yezidi priesthood. (For -the different offices of the last three orders, (see p. -<a href='#Page_69'>69</a>.)</p> - -<p>The clergy of all ranks enjoy particular respect. -Their persons and homes are held inviolate. They -take precedence at public gatherings. And the šeiḫs -and pirs possess the much dreaded power of excommunication.</p> - -<p>Besides the above, the Yezidis have a temporal -chief, who is called amir. His dignity is also hereditary -and confined to one family. He is believed to be -a descendant of Yezid. He exercises a secondary<span class="pagenum" id="Page_184">184</span> -authority over the Yezidis. He is a mediator between -his sect and the Turkish government. He has the -power to cut off any refractory member from the -community. He has charge of fifty ḳawwals who try -to collect for him at their annual visits to each -Yezidi district a certain amount of money. The -money received by them is divided into two equal -parts, one of which goes to the support of the tomb of -Šeiḫ ‘Adi, and the second part is divided, one-half -being for the amir, the other half being shared equally -by the ḳawwals.</p> - -<p>The name of the present amir is ‘Ali, and he resides -in Ba‘adrie.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_185">185</span></p> - - -<h3><a id="NOTES_ON_CHAPTER_IV-1"></a>NOTES ON CHAPTER IV</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_158_158" href="#FNanchor_158_158" class="label">158</a> -Hol Hola is an interjection, or exclamation, expressing -sudden emotion, excitement, or feeling, as -“Oh!” “Alas!” “Hurrah!” “Hark!” in English.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_159_159" href="#FNanchor_159_159" class="label">159</a> -P. Anastase: <i>Al-Mašrik</i>, vol. II, p. 309.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_160_160" href="#FNanchor_160_160" class="label">160</a> -Ibid, p. 311.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_161_161" href="#FNanchor_161_161" class="label">161</a> -Ibid, p. 313.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_186">186</span></p></div> - - -<h3 id="CHAPTER_V-1">CHAPTER V<br /> - -<small><span class="smcap">Their Customs</span></small></h3> - - -<h4>I<br /> - -<span class="smcap">Marriage</span></h4> - -<p>The Yezidis are endogamic. They forbid union -between the secular and the religious classes, as also -within certain degrees of relationship. A šeiḫ’s son -marries only a šeiḫ’s daughter; so pirs’ sons, pirs’ -daughters. A layman cannot marry a šeiḫ’s or a pir’s -daughter, but he may take for a wife a ḳawwal’s or -a kochak’s daughter; and ḳawwals’ or kochaks’ sons -may marry laymen’s daughters. But if a layman -marries a šeiḫ’s or a pir’s daughter, he must be killed. -Marriage is for life, but it is frequently dissolved, -divorce being as easy to obtain among them as among -Moslems. When a man wants to get rid of his wife, -he simply lets her go. Polygamy is allowed, but -usually confined to rich men, who generally have two -wives. The number of wives is limited to six, except -for the amir. A man must have money or cattle in -order to be able to get married. The price is called -ḳalam. A respectable girl will not sell herself at a -low price. Parents get rich if they have several pretty -girls; they are the father’s property. The ḳalam,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_187">187</span> -dowry, is usually thirty sheep or goats, or the price -of them. The man must give presents to the relatives -of his bride, parents, brothers, etc. If a couple love -each other and cannot marry because the man has no -money to pay his sweetheart’s father, then they elope. -They usually make arrangements before elopement as -to where they will stay for a few weeks to escape -detection. Some strong men accompany them when -they elope. The father of the girl with his relatives -follow. If they catch the fugitives, bloodshed may -ensue. But if they succeed in escaping, they return -after some time and are then forgiven. According to -a Kurdish proverb everything is pardoned the brave.</p> - -<p>The couple choose one another. The girl informs -her mother that she loves so and so. The latter -informs her husband. The father acquaints the father -of the young man with the fact. When they agree, -and the daughter is given to the young man, his kindred -come to the house of the bride’s father on an -appointed day, and give the girl a ring; then they -dance, rejoice all night, play, wrestle, and eat black -raisins. After that the young couple are allowed to -arrange nuptial meetings in the company of a matron, -who is presented with a gift.</p> - -<p>When the time of marriage comes, the family of the -bridegroom invites the relatives. Each takes with him -a silk handkerchief as a present for the bride. For -three days they drink “ărak,” sing and dance to the -sound of flutes and drums at the house of the young -man. After that, the women, two by two, ride on<span class="pagenum" id="Page_188">188</span> -horseback together, and likewise the men. The men -take with them their children, who ride behind them. -In this manner they go to the bride’s house, discharging -their guns as they proceed. When they reach the -house they all discharge their guns together. Hearing -the sound, the father comes out and according to -the custom, asks the visitors what they want. They -respond “Your daughter,” all answering at once. -Then he goes in and tells his wife. After putting -upon their daughter a scarlet ḫailiyah (veil), which -covers her from head to foot, they bring her out. -Everyone of the children takes a spoon from the -bride’s house and sticks it in his turban. After being -brought to the house of the bridegroom, the bride is -kept behind a curtain in the corner of a darkened -room for three days, and the young man is not -allowed to see her during this period.</p> - -<p>On the third day, the bridegroom is sought early in -the morning, and led in triumph by his friends from -house to house, receiving at each a small present. He -is then placed within a circle of dancers, and the -guests and bystanders wetting small coins stick them -to his forehead. The money is collected as it falls in -an open handkerchief held by his companions. After -this ceremony a number of the young men, who have -attached themselves to the bridegroom, lock the most -wealthy of their companions in a dark room until they -are willing to pay a ransom for their release. The -money thus taken is added to the dowry of the newly -married couple.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_189">189</span></p> - -<p>On the evening of the third day the šeiḫ takes the -bridegroom to the bride. Putting the hand of one in -that of the other, and covering the couple with a -ḫailiyah, he asks the bride, “Who are you?” “I am -the daughter of so and so,” responds she. Then he -asks the bridegroom the same question. After receiving -an answer, the šeiḫ asks, “Will you take this young -woman as a wife,” and “Do you want this young man -as a husband?” After hearing each say “Yes,” the -šeiḫ marks their shoulders and foreheads with red ink, -and hands them a stick. As each holds one end of it, -he asks them to break it in the middle, leaving one-half -in the hand of each. Then the šeiḫ says, “So you -remain one until death breaks you asunder.”</p> - -<p>When this is done, he takes the couple to a room -and locks them in, waiting at the door. After a while -the bridegroom knocks at the door three times. -Understanding the signal, the priest discharges his -gun, and all the bystanders outside follow his example. -After shouting and dancing for some time, -the šeiḫ sends them home. When they first meet, the -newly wedded husband strikes his young wife with a -small stone as a token of his superiority over her. -For seven days, they stay at home and do no work. -Now, if the husband dies first, the wife goes to her -father’s house.</p> - -<p>With the Yezidis, the family bonds are stronger -than those of the tribe. The family proper consists of -parents and their children, married, and unmarried, -living in the same house. Respect for parents and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_190">190</span> -elder persons is considered a virtue, as it is among -all the eastern people. The head of the family is the -sole proprietor of the possessions of the family, and -holds full control over his wife and children, who are -bound to obey him. Only personal objects and dress -are the property of the wife. He can punish his wife -and the children. If a son leaves his father’s house, -he is beyond the father’s authority, but not beyond -his moral influence. A father is to maintain his -family, defend it, and answer charges brought against -its members. Next to the father in authority stands -the eldest son.</p> - -<p>Women are inferior to men; married women must -obey their husbands. They work like men; they till -the ground, take care of cattle, fight the enemy and -are courageous and very independent. This enables -the young women to choose their sweethearts and run -away with them. They converse with men freely. A -woman does not conceal her face unless she is stared -at, when she draws a corner of her mantle over her -face.</p> - -<p>Married women are dressed entirely in white, and -their shirt is of the same cut as the man’s, with a -white kerchief under their chin, and another over -their heads, held by the ‘agal or woollen cord of the -Bedouins. The girls wear white skirts and drawers, -and over them colored zabouns, long dresses open in -front and confined at the waist by a girdle ornamented -with pieces of silver. They bind fancy kerchiefs<span class="pagenum" id="Page_191">191</span> -around their heads and adorn themselves with coins -as well as with glass and amber beads.</p> - -<p>The men wear shirts closed up to the neck, and their -religious law forbids them to wear the common eastern -shirts open in front. Their shirt is the distinctive -mark by which the Yezidi sect is recognized at once. -They are clothed besides with loose trousers and -cloaks, both of white, and with a black turban, from -beneath which their hair falls in ringlets. They -usually carry long rifles in their hands, pistols in their -girdles, and a sword at their side.</p> - -<p>In their physical characteristics they are like the -Kurds, wild, rough, uncultured. They are muscular, -active, and capable of bearing great hardship. In -general, they are a fine, manly race: tall or of medium -stature, with large chest; strong deep voice, audible -afar; clear, keen eye; frank and confident, or fierce -and angry; nose of moderate length, and fairly small -head. Their legs are rather short, but the soles of -their feet are large. Their complexion is usually dark -and their eyes are black. But there are different -types. The predominant type is tall, with black hair, -fine regular nose, and bluish brown eyes. The rest -are of shorter stature, with longer features; light, -bright eyes; and large, irregular nose. The Yezidis -sometime shave the hair off their head, leaving only -a long, thin forelock.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_192">192</span></p> - - -<h4>II<br /> - -<span class="smcap">Funerals</span></h4> - -<p>If a young or well-known man dies, they make in -his likeness a wooden form and clothe it in the dead -man’s clothes. Then the musicians play mourning -tunes, while the relatives stand round the model. -After wailing for a while, they walk in procession in -a circle around the form, and now and then kneel -down to receive a blessing from it. Those who come -to the scene, according to their custom, ask the -parents of the dead man, “What have you?” They -reply, “We have the wedding of our son.” They -continue wailing for three days. Afterward they distribute -food on behalf of the dead. For a year they -give a plate of food with a loaf of bread daily to some -person, thinking that thereby they are feeding their -own dead. On the seventh and fortieth day from the -time of death, they visit the grave to mourn over their -lost one. Now, if the dead be a common man, he is -not honored with such a ceremony. He is usually -buried an hour or two after his death.</p> - -<p>The funeral rites are simple. The body of the -Yezidi, like that of a Mohammedan, is washed in -running water. After being laid on a flat board, they -dress him with his former clothes, close the openings -in his body with pieces of cotton, place the sacred -clay of Šeiḫ ‘Adi in his mouth, on his face and forehead, -under his shoulders and eyes, and on his<span class="pagenum" id="Page_193">193</span> -stomach. This done, they carry the dead on the board -to the cemetery. The ḳawwals, burning incense, lead -the procession; the immediate relatives, especially the -women, following, dressed in white and throwing -dust over their heads, and accompanied by male and -female friends and neighbors. If the dead be a man, -they then dance, the mother or the wife holding in -one hand the sword or shield of the dead, and in the -other, long locks cut from her own hair. They bury -him with his face turned toward the north star. -Everyone present throws a little dust over the grave -while saying, “O man, thou wert dust and hast -returned to dust to-day.” Then the šeiḫ says, “When -we say, ‘Let us rise and go home,’ then the dead man -will say, ‘I will not go home with the people.’ And -when he tries to get up, his head will strike the stone, -when he will say, ‘O, I am among the dead.’” When -they return home, the family slaughters oxen and -sheep and gives meat to the poor. The poor kill four -or five sheep; the rich, a hundred. The kochaks -prophesy of the dead, whether he will return to the -earth or will go to another world.</p> - -<p>They hold that some will be eternally condemned, -but that all will spend an expiatory period; and that -the dead have communion with the living, in which -the good souls dwelling in the heavens make revelations -to their brethren on earth.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_194">194</span></p> - - -<h4>III<br /> - -<span class="smcap">Nationality</span></h4> - -<p>Four different theories have been advanced as to -the race to which the Yezidis belong. There are those -who think them to be of Indo-European origin, for -there is a type among them that has a white skin, a -round skull, blue eyes and light hair. And there are -those who suppose them to be Arabs on the ground -that the color of skin of another type is brown, their -eyes are wide, their lips are thick and their hair is -dark. The western writers, moreover, have in the -past always taken them for Kurds because of the -close resemblance of the two in appearance and manners. -In his “La Turquie d’Asie,” Vital Cunet says -that though the Yezidis have been taken for Kurds, -they can no longer be regarded as such, for in many -ways they resemble other nationalities. On the other -hand Hormuzd Rassam, in his “Asshur and the Land -of Nimrud” seems to agree with those who suppose -them to be of Assyrian origin. He bases this inference -on the independent and martial spirit which they -possess, and their tendency to rebel against their -oppressors, which, according to him, may be taken -as an indication of ancestral inheritance.<a id="FNanchor_162_162" href="#Footnote_162_162" class="fnanchor">162</a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_195">195</span></p> - - -<h4>IV<br /> - -<span class="smcap">Locality</span></h4> - -<p>The Yezidis dwell principally in five districts, the -most prominent among these being that of Šeiḫan. -This term is the Persian plural of šeiḫ, an old man; -and it signifies the country where šeiḫs dwell. This -district lies northeast of Mosul, covering a wide area -in which are many villages. It is their Palestine. In -it lies their Mecca, Lalish, where their sacred shrine, -the tomb of Šeiḫ ‘Adi, is. Lališh is the centre of their -national and religious life. It is situated in a deep, -picturesque valley. Its slopes are covered with a -dense wood, and at the bottom of it runs the sacred -water. Other notable places here are the two adjoining -villages, Ba‘ašiḳa and Baḥazanie, at the foot of -the mountain of Rabban Hormuzd, a six hours’ ride -from Mosul. The former is the center of the tombs -of their šeiḫs; the latter is their principal burial place, -to which bodies are carried from all the various districts. -It was formerly a Christian village with a -monastery. And Ba‘adrie, northeast of the City of -Mosul, about ten hours’ ride away, is the village where -their amir resides. It is close to Šeiḫ ‘Adi’s.</p> - -<p>Next in importance is Jabal Sinjar. The term -“Sinjar” is Persian, meaning a bird, perhaps an eagle. -It signifies that its inhabitants are, like the eagle, safe -and cannot be caught.<a id="FNanchor_163_163" href="#Footnote_163_163" class="fnanchor">163</a> Sinjar is about three days’ -journey from Mosul. It is a solitary range, fifty<span class="pagenum" id="Page_196">196</span> -miles long and nine miles broad, rising in the midst of -the desert. From its summit, the eye ranges on one -side over the vast level wilderness stretching to the -Euphrates, and on the other over the plain bounded -by the Tigris and the lofty mountains of Kurdistan. -Nisibin and Mardin are both visible in the distance. -One can see the hills of Ba‘adrie and Šeiḫ ‘Adi. -Among the sacred places of this district are two -villages: Assofa, where two ziarahs are found, and -distinguished from afar by their white spires, and -Aldina, where one ziarah exists. In almost every -Sinjar village, there is to be found a covered water -which they use as a fortress during their fights with -the Kurds or with the Turkish army. The devil-worshippers -of this locality are commonly called -Yezidis, while those of Šeiḫan are known both as -Yezidis and Dawaseni.</p> - -<p>Another district is Ḫalitiyeh, which includes all the -territory north and northeast of the Tigris in the -province of Diarbeker. The Malliyeh region includes -all the territory west of the Euphrates and Aleppo. -And the Saraḥdar section includes the Caucasus in -southern Russia. Some regard the Lepchos of India -also as Yezidis, who, in the early appearance of the -sect, went there to proselyte the Hindoos.<a id="FNanchor_164_164" href="#Footnote_164_164" class="fnanchor">164</a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_197">197</span></p> - - -<h4>V<br /> - -<span class="smcap">Dwellings</span></h4> - -<p>In regard to their dwellings, the Yezidis are divided -into two classes: Ahl al-ḥaḍar, the people of the -villages or cultivated land, and Ahl al Wabar, the -people of the tents. The villages are built of clay, -stone or mud, and unburned brick. A village consists -of about sixty houses. A house is divided into three -principal rooms, opening one into another. These are -separated by a wall about six feet high, upon which -are placed wooden pillars supporting the ceiling. The -roof rests on trunks of trees raised on rude stones in -the centre chamber, which is open on one side to the -air. The sides of the room are honeycombed with -small recesses like pigeon-holes. The whole is plastered -with white plaster, fancy designs in red being -introduced here and there. The houses are kept neat -and clean. They say that cleanliness is next to -heaven.</p> - -<p>Now, the people of the tents are, like the Arab -Bedouins, nomadic, having no houses and no permanent -place of abode. They form but a small portion -of the Yezidis, and are called Kotchar.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_198">198</span></p> - - -<h4>VI<br /> - -<span class="smcap">The Language</span></h4> - -<p>The language of the Yezidis, in common with the -Kurds, is Kurdish, which belongs to the Iranian -group of the Indo-European or Indo-Germanic stock. -This Kurmanji possesses a number of dialects not -differing much from one another, except the zaza -dialect, which is spoken in eastern Mesopotamia by -the Kurds, called Ali Alla. The main characteristic -of the Kurmangi are the great brevity of its words -and the simplicity of its grammatical forms. It is -fairly rich in vowels, and richer in deep guttural -sounds. Though Kurdish is the general language of -the Yezidis, their religious mysteries are in Arabic. -Both languages are spoken by those living in the -Sinjar hills and in Šeiḫan.</p> - - -<h4>VII<br /> - -<span class="smcap">Occupation</span></h4> - -<p>Generally speaking, the Yezidis are an industrious -people, but they do not engage in business. This is -due to their belief that any form of business leads to -cheating and lying, and hence to cursing Melek-Ṭâ´ûs, -<i>i. e.</i>, the devil. Their usual occupation is agriculture -and cattle-raising. The Yezidis of Sinjar, who constitute -almost the entire population, raise fruit, such<span class="pagenum" id="Page_199">199</span> -as figs and grapes; also almonds and nuts. Jabal -Sinjar is famous for its figs. Those who live in the -Russian territory, like the sweeper class of India, are -mainly engaged in menial work. But those in the -districts of Reḍwan and Midyat are given to housebreaking -and highway robbery; they are the terror of -those regions.</p> - -<p>The Yezidis seldom appear in the cities; and when -they do they conceal their peculiarities as much as -possible, for the Christians and Mohammedans are -wont to seek amusement at their expense. When -they find a Yezidi in their company, they draw a -circle about him on the ground, from which he superstitiously -believes he cannot get out, until some one -breaks it. They annoy him by crying out, Na‘lat -Šaitan, <i>i. e.</i>, Satan be cursed. Moreover, city people -keep aloof from the habitations of these despised -devil-worshippers. Accordingly the Yezidis have -little intercourse with their neighbors.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_200">200</span></p> - - -<h3><a id="NOTES_ON_CHAPTER_V"></a>NOTES ON CHAPTER V</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_162_162" href="#FNanchor_162_162" class="label">162</a> -In his letter to me, of date August 6, 1907, the -Rev. A. N. Andrus, of Mardin, expresses the opinion -that “many of the Yezidis around Sinjar might have -come from Indian stock” on the ground that “they -are darker and more lithe than the Kurds around -them.”</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_163_163" href="#FNanchor_163_163" class="label">163</a> -P. Anastase: <i>Al-Mašrik</i>, vol. II, p. 831.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_164_164" href="#FNanchor_164_164" class="label">164</a> -Cf. <i>Al-Mašrik</i>, vol. II, p. 734.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_201">201</span></p></div> - - - - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</a><br /> - -<small><span class="smcap">List of the Yezidi Tribes</span></small></h3> - -<p class="center">(The materials were collected for me by A. N. -Andrus, of Mardin)</p> - - -<h4><span class="smcap">The Tribes Across the River From Mosul</span></h4> - -<p>1 The tribe named Šeiḫan lives in the mountains -of Al-ḳôš, and has sixteen villages. They are all -under the orders of Šeiḫ ‘Ali Beg Paša, the Amir, or -chief of the Yezidis. This tribe can furnish 1,600 -guns for war. Said ‘Ali Paša has received from the -Turkish government the order of Amir ul-Umara -“the Amir of Amirs.” He has a brother who has -received the order of Miry Miran, “the Amirs of -Amirs.” He has a second brother who has received -the order of Romeli Beglar Begi, “the Beg of Begs.” -These three are all sons of the former Amir Husein -Beg.</p> - -<p>2 The Denôdi tribe lives in Dakoke district. It -occupies fifteen villages, and can bring 800 guns to -war.</p> - -<p>3 The Howari tribe lives in the region of Zaḫo. -This tribe is nomadic, lives in tents, and can furnish -200 guns for war. It has two chiefs, Bedri Sohr and -Dar Bazi Ḥusein. They are all shepherds.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_202">202</span></p> - -<h4><span class="smcap">The Tribes at Sinjar and Jezireh Districts</span></h4> - -<div class="center small"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr> - <th>Tribes.</th> - <th>Tents.</th> - <th>Villages.</th> - <th>Guns.</th> - <th>Population.</th> - <th>District.</th></tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="2">Aldaghi</td> - <td></td> - <td class="tdr">1</td> - <td class="tdr">100</td> - <td class="tdr">500</td> - <td class="tdr">Sinjar</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="2">Bekura</td> - <td class="tdr">1</td> - <td class="tdr">100</td> - <td class="tdr">500</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="2">Chalka</td> - <td class="tdr">1</td> - <td class="tdr">100</td> - <td class="tdr">500</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="2">Dalka</td> - <td class="tdr">1</td> - <td class="tdr">100</td> - <td class="tdr">500</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="2">Fakir</td> - <td class="tdr">1</td> - <td class="tdr">100</td> - <td class="tdr">500</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="2">Gabara</td> - <td class="tdr">2</td> - <td class="tdr">150</td> - <td class="tdr">650</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="2">Haska</td> - <td class="tdr">1</td> - <td class="tdr">200</td> - <td class="tdr">1,000</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="2">Hubaba</td> - <td class="tdr">6</td> - <td class="tdr">900</td> - <td class="tdr">4,500</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="2">Jabri</td> - <td class="tdr">1</td> - <td class="tdr">50</td> - <td class="tdr">250</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="2">Jovana</td> - <td class="tdr">6</td> - <td class="tdr">500</td> - <td class="tdr">2,000</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="2">Kiran</td> - <td class="tdr">2</td> - <td class="tdr">600</td> - <td class="tdr">3,000</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="2">Menduka</td> - <td class="tdr">2</td> - <td class="tdr">300</td> - <td class="tdr">1,500</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="2">Mihrka</td> - <td class="tdr">2</td> - <td class="tdr">200</td> - <td class="tdr">1,000</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="2">Sumoka</td> - <td class="tdr">6</td> - <td class="tdr">1,200</td> - <td class="tdr">6,000</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="2">Uleki</td> - <td class="tdr">1</td> - <td class="tdr">70</td> - <td class="tdr">350</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="right" colspan="3">——</td> - <td class="tdr">———</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="right" colspan="3">34</td> - <td class="tdr">4570</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">Amoad</td> - <td class="tdr">400</td> - <td class="tdr">...</td> - <td class="tdr">400</td> - <td class="tdr">2,000</td> - <td class="tdl">Alḳoš</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">Dunadi</td> - <td class="tdr">...</td> - <td class="tdr">15</td> - <td class="tdr">800</td> - <td class="tdr">4,800</td> - <td class="tdl">Duhok</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">Havveri</td> - <td class="tdr">100</td> - <td class="tdr">...</td> - <td class="tdr">100</td> - <td class="tdr">500</td> - <td class="tdl">Zaḫo</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">Shekan</td> - <td class="tdr">...</td> - <td class="tdr">16</td> - <td class="tdr">1,200</td> - <td class="tdr">7,200</td> - <td class="tdl">Alḳoš</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">Rashukan</td> - <td class="tdr">150</td> - <td class="tdr">...</td> - <td class="tdr">150</td> - <td class="tdr">750</td> - <td class="tdl">Jezireh</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">Samukie</td> - <td class="tdr">...</td> - <td class="tdr">6</td> - <td class="tdr">500</td> - <td class="tdr">2,500</td> - <td class="tdl">Midyat</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">Sohranie</td> - <td class="tdr">...</td> - <td class="tdr">15</td> - <td class="tdr">300</td> - <td class="tdr">1,500</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="right" colspan="2">———</td> - <td class="tdr">———</td> - <td class="tdr">———</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">Grand total 650</td> - <td class="tdr">86</td> - <td class="tdr">8,020</td> - <td class="tdr">42,000</td> -</tr> -</table></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_203">203</span></p> - -<h4><span class="smcap">The Tribes of Midyat Region, Usually Called -Jabal Tor Al-‘Abedin (Mountain of the -Worshipers)</span></h4> - -<p>This region lies one day’s journey east of Mardin. -There are three tribes here.</p> - -<p>1 The tribe of Šemmike. This tribe inhabits six -villages and can produce, when needed, 500 guns.</p> - -<p>2 The tribe called Soḥrani. There are fifteen -small villages to this tribe with 300 guns. These all -have houses built of stone, and till the ground.</p> - -<p>3 The tribe called Mamila. This tribe has seven -villages:</p> - -<p>Mazazah, Bajinne, Kochano, Keunos, Taka, -Harobia, and Namirdani.</p> - -<p>Mr. Andrus writes me that he has learned of this -tribe from ḳas Samuel, a Jacobite Syrian priest of -Mazazeh near Midyat.</p> - -<p>The tribe of Bešreyeh, northwest of Jabal Al-Tor.</p> - -<p>There was only one tribe in this district; it was -called Ḫaltah. This tribe had five villages:</p> - -<p>Reḍwan, Dooshah, Selaḫar, Bimbarik, and Ṣoolân.</p> - -<p>On account of the oppression of the government on -the one hand, and of the Kurdish tribes around them -on the other, this tribe has moved to the Sinjar -Mountains.</p> - -<p>The tribes around Weran Šahr or Goran Šahr, “the -destroyed or the sunken city,” because it was destroyed -by earthquake or in war. This district lies -southwest of Mardin.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_204">204</span></p> - -<p>1 The Denodi tribe. This is probably an offshoot -of the Dahoke tribe of the same name. It occupies -three villages, and has Ḥasan ḳanjo for the chief. -He is now the right arm of Ibrahim Paša of the -Ḥamideyeh army. The three villages are Salmi, -Payamlo and Desi.</p> - -<p>2 The tribe called Šerḳiân. This tribe has seven -subdivisions:</p> - -<p>a. Turnah lives in one village called Laulanji.</p> - -<p>b. ḳupan occupies four villages: (1) Aḫmazut. -(2) Nuḳti. (3) Al-Ašeḫan. (4) Ṣhda Auṣman.</p> - -<p>c. Beleki has six villages: (1) Sahda Nasu. (2) -Mouzan Šeiḫ Bersef. (3) Mouzan Auṣo. (4) Menkšuri -Minet. (5) Al-ḳaureyee. (6) Menmenik.</p> - -<p>d. Adi has three villages: (1) Tal Ṭarik. -(2) Karmi Apo ‘Alo Rešo. (3) Karmi Sim, u, Kor -Kahiah. Sim means hoof; u, and; kor, blind; kahiah, -head man.</p> - -<p>e. Mardanah occupies two villages: (1) Hajj Zain. -(2) ḳara ḳuzeye.</p> - -<p>f. Malla ḳachar has one village: Malla ḳachar -means the Malla flees.</p> - -<p>g. Maskan occupies two villages: Birj Baluji.</p> - -<p>h. Suḥan has one village, Kafar Bali.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_205">205</span></p> - - - - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</a><br /> - -<small><span class="smcap">Persecution</span></small></h3> - - -<p>The history of the Yezidis, like that of the Jews, -has been one of persecution. The causes of their -misfortune have been (1) the fact that they are not -regarded as the people of the Book; and with such -the Mohammedans have no treaty, no binding oath, -as they do with the other non-Mohammedan bodies. -For this reason they have to make choice between -conversion and the sword, and it is unlawful even to -take taxes from them. Consequently they must -accept the faith or be killed. (2) Their ceremonies -have given rise among their neighbors to fables confounding -their practices with those of the Nuṣairi of -Syria and ascribing to them certain midnight orgies, -which obtained for them the name of cheraḡ -sanderañ, i. e., the extinguishers of light. (3) Their -determined refusal to enter the military service. The -Yezidis with the Christians have been exempt from -the military service on the general law sanctioned by -the Koran; namely, that none but true believers can -serve in the armies of the state. But from time to -time the Turkish government has endeavored to raise -recruits for the regular troops among the Yezidis on -the ground that, being of no recognized infidel sect,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_206">206</span> -they must be included like the Druses of Mount -Lebanon among Mohammedans. But they have resisted -the orders, alleging that their religious law -absolutely forbids them to take the oath to which the -Turkish soldiers are weekly subjected, to wear the -blue color and certain portions of the uniform, and to -eat several articles of food that are offered to the -troops. Hence they have suffered severely at the -hands of the local authorities.</p> - -<p>One of the most cruel persecutions which the -Yezidis have suffered was that brought upon them in -the Šeiḫan district by the famous Beg Rawmanduz in -1832, who had united most of the Kurdish tribes of -the surrounding mountains under his command. His -cry was to crush the hateful sect of the devil-worshippers. -The forces of ‘Ali Beg, the then amir -of the Yezidis, were much inferior in number to those -of the Kurdish Beg. The latter (‘Ali Beg) was defeated, -therefore, and fell into the hands of his enemy, -who put him to death. The people of Šeiḫan fled to -Mosul. It was in the spring and the river had overflowed -and carried the bridge away. A few succeeded -in crossing, but the greater multitude of men, women -and children were left on the opposite side and -crowded on tal ‘Armus. The hostile Beg followed -and butchered them indiscriminately, showing no -mercy, while the people of Mosul were witnessing the -horrible massacre from the other side of the stream -and hearing the cry of the unfortunate for their help, -unwilling to render any assistance. For the Christians<span class="pagenum" id="Page_207">207</span> -were helpless and Mohammedans rejoiced to see the -devil-worshippers exterminated. From this cruel -action of the Beg of Rawmanduz, the mounds of -Nineveh gained the name “Kuyunjik,” <i>i. e.</i>, “the -slaughter of the sheep.”</p> - -<p>Soon after this Suleiman Paša of Bagdad sent a -large army to Sinjar under the command of Lutfee -Effendi, who set fire to the Jabal Sinjar and caused -all the inhabitants to flee. Then Ḥafiz Paša of -Diarbeker attempted the subjugation of the Yezidis -of Sinjar, on the ground that they were plunderers. -After meeting some resistance, he accomplished his -purpose in 1837, and appointed a Moslem to watch -over them. At another time Mohammed Rašid Pasha -of Mosul attacked Sinjar. On both occasions there -was a massacre. The Yezidis took refuge in caves, -where they were either suffocated by smoke or killed -by the discharge of cannon. And thus the population -was reduced by three-fourths. These and other -similar injustices at the hands of the Pašas of -Bagdad and Mosul and the Kurdish chiefs led the -Yezidis from time to time to send a deputation to lay -their grievances before the agents of the European -powers, and they have even sent commissioners to the -Sultan. They finally succeeded in enlisting the interest -of Lord Stratford in 1847 to obtain at Constantinople -a proper recognition of their religion and exemption -from military service.</p> - -<p>But the severest of all persecutions, to which I was -an eye-witness, was perhaps the one which the Yezidis<span class="pagenum" id="Page_208">208</span> -of both Šeiḫan and Sinjar suffered in 1892 at the -hands of Fariḳ ‘Omar Paša, Lieutenant-General of -the Turkish Army. This Fariḳ was sent in the -summer of 1892 as a special commissioner by the -Sultan to accomplish certain definite things in the -states of Mosul and Bagdad: to collect twenty years’ -unpaid taxes; to induce the Bedouins to exchange -their nomadic life for village life; to convert the -Yezidis of Šeiḫan and Jabal Sinjar from their idolatry -to the true faith. He was a harsh man in his manners -and methods. He first invited some of their chiefs to -Mosul. They came and listened to what the new -Paša had to say. They met him when Mijlis al-Edarah, -council of the state, composed of ‘Olama and -a few Christians, was in session. In the presence of -these noblemen he began to tell them that if they would -give up their devil-worship, they would be rewarded -with high place and rank, and would please the great -Allah. But they answered not. When the Fariḳ saw -that his words failed to persuade them, he began to -apply the weapon of cruelty. He cast them into -prison; some died; others fled; and a few, through -the fear of torture and painful death, pronounced -al-šehâdah<a id="FNanchor_165_165" href="#Footnote_165_165" class="fnanchor">165</a> with their lips but not from their hearts. -Then he sent an army to their villages, and commanded -them to choose between Islam and the sword. -‘Omar Beg, his son, who was commanding the soldiers, -directed them to slaughter the men, and take -captives the pretty women and girls and marry them. -He slew about five hundred men. Many became<span class="pagenum" id="Page_209">209</span> -Moslems from fear, among these Merza Beg, their -civil chief.</p> - -<p>Then he placed mullas among them to teach the -children the Muslim faith, and ordered the newly converted -Yezidis to pray five times every day and to -perform all the religious rites. To make them continue -to be Mohammedans, he tore down their shrines, -especially those at Baḥzanie and Baašiḳa. Such events -encouraged the Kurds to come down and add greater -cruelty to what was already done.</p> - -<p>But amir ‘Ali Beg, their chief in civil and religious -affairs, after long imprisonment and torture, did not -change his religious belief. That he might not be an -example of firmness to the Yezidis, the Fariḳ banished -him with soldiers to Katamuni, a place near -Constantinople.</p> - -<p>As a consequence of these persecutions, the number -of the Yezidis has been considerably decreased. In -the fifteenth century there were 250,000. At the beginning -of the nineteenth century there were 200,000. -They are still declining and remaining under the -clouds of misconception, and are consequently -objects of aversion and hatred. But they console -themselves with the idea that they suffer in the cause -of their religious convictions.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_210">210</span></p> - - -<h3><a id="NOTES_ON_CHAPTER_VII"></a>NOTES ON CHAPTER VII</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p>(Footnote, not referenced in text. Cherog sonderan is Turkish; sonderan is the -participle of the infinitive of to put out, and cherag, -literally lamp, is the object of sonderan. In Turkish -the object precedes the verb; cf. Yani sarfi Otamani -“the New Turkish Grammar” (in the Turkish language, -ed. Ahmad Jaudat & Co., Constantinople, -1318 <span class="smcap lowercase">A. H.</span>), p. 77.)</p> -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_165_165" href="#FNanchor_165_165" class="label">165</a> -Kalimatu, š-Šehâdah is as follows: “I testify that -there is no deity but God and that Mohammed is -apostle of God.”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_213">213</span></p></div> - - -<h2 id="BIBLIOGRAPHY">BIBLIOGRAPHY</h2> - - -<h4><span class="smcap">Arabic</span></h4> - -<p>A manuscript containing the Sacred Book of the -Yezidis and their traditions.</p> - -<p>Two other manuscripts containing the history of -the Yezidis.</p> - -<p>Aš-Šahrastani: Kitab Al-Milal wa, n-Niḥal (ed. -Wm. Eureton, London, MDCCCXLIII, vol. 1, p. 101 -seq).</p> - -<p>Yasin Al-Ḫatib Al ‘Omari Al-Mauṣili: Al Der al -Maknûn fi-l-Miâṯer Al-Maḍiyat min Al-ḳerûn, “Šeiḫ -‘Adi.”</p> - -<p>Mohammed Al-‘Omari Mauṣili: Manhal-al-Uliya -wa Masrab ul Asfiya, “Šeiḫ ‘Adi.”</p> - -<p>Ibn Ḫallikan: Wafaiyat-el-‘Aiyan (Cairo <span class="smcap lowercase">A. H.</span> -1310, <span class="smcap lowercase">A. D.</span> 1894), vol. 1, p. 316.</p> - -<p>Fihrist: ed. Flügel: The Religion of Ḥauran, p. -190 seq.</p> - -<p>Yakout: Lališ. Vol. IV, p. 373.</p> - -<p>Abu-l-ḳasim Ibn Hauḳal: Kitab Al-Masalik Wal-Mamalik -(ed. M. J. De Goeje, 1873, Leyden) Hakkari, -p. 144.</p> - -<p>Anistase: Al-Mašriḳ, vol. II.</p> - -<p>Tabari on Sabeans: The Sixth Session of the -Oriental Congress. Leide, 1883, pp. 300-340.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_214">214</span></p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Syriac</span></p> - -<p>A manuscript containing an abstract about the -History of the Yezidis.</p> - - -<h4><span class="smcap">Kurdish</span></h4> - -<p>Yezidis Songs and Prayers, in manuscript.</p> - - -<h4><span class="smcap">Turkish</span></h4> - -<p>Vital Cunet: Translation of <i>La Turquie d’Asie</i>, -Constantinople.</p> - -<p>Turkish Reader (Constantinople, <span class="smcap lowercase">A. H.</span> 1318), Second -Part, p. 20 seq.</p> - - -<h4><span class="smcap">English</span></h4> - -<p>G. P. Badger: <i>The Nestorians and Their Rituals</i>, -vol. I.</p> - -<p>Layard: <i>Nineveh and Its Remains</i>, vol. II.</p> - -<p>Layard: <i>Nineveh and Babylon</i>.</p> - -<p>Ainsworth: <i>Travels and Researches in Asia Minor</i>.</p> - -<p>H. Southgate: <i>A Tour Through Armenia, Persia, -and Mesopotamia</i>, vol. II.</p> - -<p>J. B. Fraser: <i>Mesopotamia and Persia</i>.</p> - -<p>G. J. Rich: <i>Residence in Kurdistan</i>, vol. II, 1836.</p> - -<p>Fletcher: <i>Notes From Nineveh</i>, 1850.</p> - -<p>F. Parrot: <i>Journey to Ararat</i>.</p> - -<p>J. S. Buckingham: <i>Travels in Assyria, Media, and -Persia</i>.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_215">215</span></p> - -<p>F. Millingen: <i>Wild Life Among the Kurds</i>, 1870.</p> - -<p>Hormuzd Rassam: <i>Asshur and the Land of Nimrod</i>.</p> - -<p>O. F. Pary: <i>Six Months in a Syrian Monastery</i>.</p> - -<p>F. D. Green: <i>The Armenian Crisis in Turkey</i>.</p> - -<p>A. V. Williams Jackson: <i>Persia, Past and Present</i>.</p> - -<p>A. V. Williams Jackson: J. A. O. S., 25, 178 seq.</p> - -<p>A. V. Williams Jackson: The Article, “Yezidis,” in -New Inter. Enc., vol. 17, p. 939.</p> - -<p>Victor Dingelstedt: Scottish Geog. Mag., vol. 14, -p. 295.</p> - -<p>Ainsworth: <i>Transactions of the Ethnographical -Society</i>, vol. 1, 1861.</p> - -<p>Forbes: J. R. G. Sc., vol. LX, p. 409; <i>Account of -Yezidis of Jabal Sinjar</i>.</p> - -<p>Tylor: Journal of Geographical Society, 1868.</p> - -<p>Hextheusen: Transcaucasia: <i>Account of Yezidis in -Russia</i>.</p> - -<p>Ainsworth: <i>Travels and Researches in Asia Minor</i>, -Ch. XXXI.</p> - -<p>Transactions of the Syro-Egyptian Society, 1855, -the article, “Yezidis.”</p> - -<p>A. N. Andrus: Missionary Ency. Art. “Yezidis.”</p> - -<p>The Independent, January 17, 1895.</p> - -<p>R. Gottheil: <i>Mandeans</i> in J. U. Cycl.</p> - -<p>R. Gottheil: <i>Sabeans</i> in J. U. Cycl.</p> - -<p>K. Kessler: <i>Mandeans</i>, Enc. Brit.</p> - -<p>E. H. Bunbury: <i>Sabeans</i>, Enc. Brit.</p> - -<p>T. H. Hughes: Muslim Sect, in Dict. of Islam.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_216">216</span></p> - - -<h4><span class="smcap">French</span></h4> - -<p>J. Menant: <i>Les Yezidis</i>.</p> - -<p>Niebuhr: <i>Voyage en Arabie</i>, 1776.</p> - -<p>Olivier: <i>Voyage dans l’Empire Othoman</i>, T. 2, p. -342.</p> - -<p>Ernest Chantre: <i>Le Tour du Monde, de Beyrouth à -Tiflis</i>, p. 184.</p> - -<p>Michel Febvre: <i>Theatre de la Turquie, Paris</i>, 1682.</p> - -<p>Vital Cunet: <i>La Turquie d’Asie</i>, p. 772.</p> - -<p>Eugene Bore: Dict. des Religions, T. IV, Yezidis.</p> - -<p>Eugene Bore: <i>Correspondence d’Orient</i>, T. I, p. -401; T. II, pp. 188, 272.</p> - -<p>Siouffi: Journal Asiatique, 1885, p. 78, and 1882, -p. 252.</p> - -<p>J. B. Chabot: Journal Asiatique, 1896, p. 100.</p> - -<p>M. Tcheraz: <i>Le Museon</i>, T. LX No. 2, p. 194.</p> - -<p>M. Garzoni: <i>Sylvestre de Sacy</i>, 1809, pp. 105, 191.</p> - -<p>E. Reclus: Nouvelle Geographie, T. LX, p. 432.</p> - -<p>Spiro: Bulletin Soc. Neuchatel Geog., Tome 12, -p. 275.</p> - -<p>Annales des Rois d’Assyria, sall II, No. 39.</p> - -<p>Revue du Monde Musulman, August, 1908.</p> - - -<h4><span class="smcap">German</span></h4> - -<p>Schwolsohn: <i>Die Sabien</i>, vol. II, p. 201.</p> - -<p>Hugo Makas: <i>Kurdische Studien</i>, p. 35.</p> - -<p>M. Lidzbarski: Z. D. M. G., vol. 51, p. 592.</p> - -<p>C. Brockelmann: Z. D. M. G., vol. 55, p. 388.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_217">217</span></p> - -<p>C. Brockelmann: Z. A., vol. 16, p. 399.</p> - -<p>Archive fur Anthropologie, vol. 27, p. 3.</p> - -<p>Das Ausland, 50 Jahrgang, No. 39 und 40 Stuttgart, -1886, p. 790.</p> - - -<h4><span class="smcap">Latin</span></h4> - -<p>Assemani: <i>Bibliotheca Orientalis, Clementino-Vatican</i>, -vol. III, p. 493.</p> - -<p>T. Hyde: <i>Historia Religionis vetrum Persarum</i>, -1760.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_219">219</span></p> - - -<h2 id="INDEX">INDEX</h2> - -<div class="index"> -<ul class="index"> - -<li class="ifrst">Abadiya, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_20'>20</a>, <a href='#Page_120'>120</a>, <a href='#Page_121'>121</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Ablution, <a href='#Page_163'>163</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Adam and Eve, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a>, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>, <a href='#Page_38'>38</a>, <a href='#Page_39'>39</a>, <a href='#Page_41'>41</a>, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a>, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a>, <a href='#Page_54'>54</a>, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a>, <a href='#Page_70'>70</a>, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a>, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a>, <a href='#Page_108'>108</a>, <a href='#Page_151'>151</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Adawiah, <a href='#Page_111'>111</a>, <a href='#Page_116'>116</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">‘Adi, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a>, <a href='#Page_14'>14</a>, <a href='#Page_16'>16</a>, <a href='#Page_21'>21</a>, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a>, <a href='#Page_29'>29</a>, <a href='#Page_38'>38</a>, <a href='#Page_45'>45</a>, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a>, <a href='#Page_54'>54</a>, <a href='#Page_55'>55</a>, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a>, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a>, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a>, <a href='#Page_63'>63</a>, <a href='#Page_64'>64</a>, <a href='#Page_66'>66</a>, <a href='#Page_67'>67</a>, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a>, <a href='#Page_71'>71</a>, <a href='#Page_77'>77</a>, <a href='#Page_79'>79</a>, <a href='#Page_80'>80</a>, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">temple of, <a href='#Page_95'>95</a>, <a href='#Page_98'>98</a>, <a href='#Page_111'>111</a>, <a href='#Page_112'>112</a>, ff.; <a href='#Page_136'>136</a>, <a href='#Page_158'>158</a>, ff.; <a href='#Page_160'>160</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">tomb of, <a href='#Page_112'>112</a>, <a href='#Page_113'>113</a>, <a href='#Page_115'>115</a>, <a href='#Page_116'>116</a>, <a href='#Page_119'>119</a>, <a href='#Page_160'>160</a>, ff.;</li> -<li class="isub1">worship of, <a href='#Page_160'>160</a>-163;</li> -<li class="isub1">feast of, <a href='#Page_163'>163</a>-166.</li> - -<li class="indx">‘Ain Sifni, <a href='#Page_41'>41</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Al Jilwah, <a href='#Page_11'>11</a>, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a>, <a href='#Page_14'>14</a>, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a>, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a>, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a>, <a href='#Page_37'>37</a>, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Al-Lat, <a href='#Page_135'>135</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Al-‘Ozza, <a href='#Page_135'>135</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Andrus, A. N., <a href='#Page_14'>14</a>, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a>, <a href='#Page_105'>105</a>, <a href='#Page_139'>139</a>, <a href='#Page_167'>167</a>, <a href='#Page_200'>200</a>-201.</li> - -<li class="indx">Angels, <a href='#Page_37'>37</a>, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a>, <a href='#Page_123'>123</a>, <a href='#Page_124'>124</a>, <a href='#Page_125'>125</a>, <a href='#Page_128'>128</a>, <a href='#Page_130'>130</a>, <a href='#Page_133'>133</a>, <a href='#Page_150'>150</a>, <a href='#Page_152'>152</a>, <a href='#Page_154'>154</a>, <a href='#Page_169'>169</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Apostle, <a href='#Page_120'>120</a>, <a href='#Page_122'>122</a>, <a href='#Page_123'>123</a>, <a href='#Page_127'>127</a>, <a href='#Page_128'>128</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Arafat, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Ash-Shahrastânî, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_24'>24</a>, <a href='#Page_119'>119</a>, ff.; <a href='#Page_123'>123</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">As-Sâig, <a href='#Page_11'>11</a>, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Assemani, <a href='#Page_98'>98</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Assyrians, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a>, <a href='#Page_45'>45</a>, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a>.</li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Ba‘adrie, <a href='#Page_29'>29</a>, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Ba´ashika, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a>, <a href='#Page_63'>63</a>, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a>, <a href='#Page_174'>174</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Badger G. P., <a href='#Page_158'>158</a>, ff., <a href='#Page_170'>170</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Bahazani, <a href='#Page_45'>45</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Baptism, <a href='#Page_69'>69</a>, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a>, ff.; <a href='#Page_161'>161</a>, <a href='#Page_178'>178</a> ff.</li> - -<li class="indx">Basra, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>, <a href='#Page_171'>171</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Bath, <a href='#Page_80'>80</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Birds, worship of, <a href='#Page_134'>134</a>, <a href='#Page_147'>147</a>, <a href='#Page_150'>150</a>, ff.</li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Candles, <a href='#Page_156'>156</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Ceremonies, <a href='#Page_137'>137</a>, <a href='#Page_164'>164</a>, ff.</li> - -<li class="indx">Cholsohn, <a href='#Page_169'>169</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Christ, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a>, <a href='#Page_61'>61</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Circumcision, <a href='#Page_178'>178</a>, ff.</li> - -<li class="indx">Comb, <a href='#Page_161'>161</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Cosmogony, <a href='#Page_133'>133</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Creation, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a>, <a href='#Page_41'>41</a>, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a>.</li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Dancing, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a>, <a href='#Page_179'>179</a>, <a href='#Page_188'>188</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Daseni, <a href='#Page_99'>99</a>, <a href='#Page_101'>101</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Devil, <a href='#Page_108'>108</a>, <a href='#Page_113'>113</a>, <a href='#Page_116'>116</a>, <a href='#Page_117'>117</a>, <a href='#Page_148'>148</a>, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Devil worship, <a href='#Page_108'>108</a>, <a href='#Page_113'>113</a>, <a href='#Page_116'>116</a>, <a href='#Page_150'>150</a>, <a href='#Page_151'>151</a>, <a href='#Page_152'>152</a>, <a href='#Page_153'>153</a>-158.</li> - -<li class="indx">Devil Worshippers, see Yezidis.</li> - -<li class="indx">Dewish, <a href='#Page_116'>116</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Dowry, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a>, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a>, ff.</li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Emir, <a href='#Page_75'>75</a>, <a href='#Page_156'>156</a>, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a>, <a href='#Page_183'>183</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Eucharist, <a href='#Page_178'>178</a>, <a href='#Page_179'>179</a>-180.</li> - -<li class="indx">Evil, <a href='#Page_107'>107</a>, <a href='#Page_154'>154</a>, <a href='#Page_159'>159</a>, <a href='#Page_163'>163</a>, <a href='#Page_175'>175</a>.</li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Fahr-ad Dîn, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a>, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a>, <a href='#Page_37'>37</a>, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a>, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Fakir, <a href='#Page_76'>76</a>, <a href='#Page_164'>164</a>, ff.; <a href='#Page_183'>183</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Family, <a href='#Page_189'>189</a> ff.</li> - -<li class="indx">Fasting, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>, <a href='#Page_66'>66</a>, <a href='#Page_69'>69</a>, <a href='#Page_79'>79</a>, <a href='#Page_180'>180</a> ff.</li> - -<li class="indx">Feasts, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a>, <a href='#Page_135'>135</a>, <a href='#Page_148'>148</a>, <a href='#Page_149'>149</a>, <a href='#Page_150'>150</a>, <a href='#Page_163'>163</a>-165,</li> -<li class="isub1">festivals <a href='#Page_173'>173</a> ff.</li> - -<li class="indx">Funeral, <a href='#Page_192'>192</a> ff.</li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Hatchet, <a href='#Page_161'>161</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Heaven, <a href='#Page_60'>60</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Hell, <a href='#Page_54'>54</a>, <a href='#Page_62'>62</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Hierarchy, <a href='#Page_182'>182</a> ff.</li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Ibn Hazm, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Ibn Khallikân, <a href='#Page_107'>107</a>, <a href='#Page_111'>111</a>, <a href='#Page_115'>115</a>, <a href='#Page_116'>116</a>, <a href='#Page_129'>129</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Ibn Unaisa, Yezid, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_20'>20</a>, <a href='#Page_107'>107</a>, <a href='#Page_119'>119</a>, <a href='#Page_120'>120</a>, <a href='#Page_123'>123</a>, <a href='#Page_127'>127</a>, <a href='#Page_128'>128</a>-130.</li> - -<li class="indx">Idol, <a href='#Page_47'>47</a>, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a>, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a>, <a href='#Page_55'>55</a>, <a href='#Page_101'>101</a>, <a href='#Page_107'>107</a>, <a href='#Page_125'>125</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Incense, <a href='#Page_174'>174</a>, <a href='#Page_193'>193</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Iranian, <a href='#Page_108'>108</a>-110.</li> - -<li class="indx">Ishtar, <a href='#Page_133'>133</a>, <a href='#Page_149'>149</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Islam, <a href='#Page_110'>110</a>, <a href='#Page_116'>116</a>, <a href='#Page_118'>118</a>, <a href='#Page_122'>122</a>, <a href='#Page_128'>128</a>, <a href='#Page_134'>134</a>.</li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Jackson, A. V., <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_108'>108</a> ff.</li> - -<li class="indx">Jesus, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a>, <a href='#Page_60'>60</a>, <a href='#Page_61'>61</a>, <a href='#Page_101'>101</a>, <a href='#Page_102'>102</a>, <a href='#Page_164'>164</a>, <a href='#Page_180'>180</a>.</li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Kawwal, <a href='#Page_45'>45</a>, <a href='#Page_46'>46</a>, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a>, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a>, <a href='#Page_75'>75</a>, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a>, <a href='#Page_156'>156</a>, <a href='#Page_157'>157</a>, <a href='#Page_164'>164</a> ff., <a href='#Page_173'>173</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Khawarij, <a href='#Page_121'>121</a>, <a href='#Page_122'>122</a>, <a href='#Page_128'>128</a> ff.</li> - -<li class="indx">Kissing, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Kochak, <a href='#Page_47'>47</a>, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a>, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a>-57, <a href='#Page_63'>63</a>, <a href='#Page_75'>75</a>, <a href='#Page_159'>159</a>, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Koran, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_120'>120</a>, <a href='#Page_122'>122</a>-124, <a href='#Page_127'>127</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Kremer, <a href='#Page_20'>20</a>.</li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Lalish, <a href='#Page_29'>29</a>, <a href='#Page_37'>37</a>, <a href='#Page_38'>38</a>, <a href='#Page_112'>112</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Lamps, <a href='#Page_162'>162</a>-164, <a href='#Page_174'>174</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Lettuce, <a href='#Page_44'>44</a>, <a href='#Page_64'>64</a>, <a href='#Page_80'>80</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Lidzbarski, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a>, <a href='#Page_149'>149</a>, <a href='#Page_160'>160</a>.</li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Mary, <a href='#Page_61'>61</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Marriage, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a>, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a>, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a> ff.</li> - -<li class="indx">Maṣḥaf Resh, <a href='#Page_11'>11</a>, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a>, <a href='#Page_21'>21</a>, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a>, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a>, <a href='#Page_49'>49</a>, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Melek Ṭâ´ûs, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a>, <a href='#Page_21'>21</a>, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a>, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a>, <a href='#Page_37'>37</a>, <a href='#Page_38'>38</a>, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a>, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a>, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>, <a href='#Page_60'>60</a>, <a href='#Page_62'>62</a>, <a href='#Page_64'>64</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">form of, <a href='#Page_43'>43</a>, <a href='#Page_44'>44</a>, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a>, <a href='#Page_77'>77</a>, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a>, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a>, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Mohammed, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a>, <a href='#Page_43'>43</a>, <a href='#Page_67'>67</a>, <a href='#Page_71'>71</a>, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>, <a href='#Page_101'>101</a>, <a href='#Page_106'>106</a>, <a href='#Page_120'>120</a>, <a href='#Page_122'>122</a>, <a href='#Page_123'>123</a>, <a href='#Page_125'>125</a>, <a href='#Page_128'>128</a>, <a href='#Page_130'>130</a>, <a href='#Page_162'>162</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Moon, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a>, <a href='#Page_126'>126</a>, <a href='#Page_133'>133</a> ff.</li> - -<li class="indx">Mu‘âwiya, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a>, <a href='#Page_43'>43</a>, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a>, <a href='#Page_104'>104</a>, <a href='#Page_105'>105</a>, <a href='#Page_106'>106</a>, <a href='#Page_128'>128</a>, <a href='#Page_130'>130</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Mulla Haidar, <a href='#Page_11'>11</a>, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a>, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Musicians, <a href='#Page_164'>164</a>, <a href='#Page_175'>175</a>.</li> - - -<li class="ifrst">New Year, <a href='#Page_46'>46</a>, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a>, <a href='#Page_174'>174</a> ff.</li> - -<li class="indx">Noah, flood of, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a>-42.</li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Oath, <a href='#Page_66'>66</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Oil, <a href='#Page_164'>164</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Omari, <a href='#Page_112'>112</a>, <a href='#Page_113'>113</a>, <a href='#Page_118'>118</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Orientalists, <a href='#Page_103'>103</a> ff., <a href='#Page_110'>110</a>.</li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Peacock, <a href='#Page_43'>43</a>, <a href='#Page_44'>44</a>, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a>, <a href='#Page_150'>150</a>-153, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a>, <a href='#Page_157'>157</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Peter, <a href='#Page_61'>61</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Pilgrimage, <a href='#Page_55'>55</a>, <a href='#Page_65'>65</a>, <a href='#Page_112'>112</a>, <a href='#Page_114'>114</a>, <a href='#Page_116'>116</a>, <a href='#Page_119'>119</a>, <a href='#Page_135'>135</a> ff., <a href='#Page_163'>163</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Pir, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a>, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>, <a href='#Page_75'>75</a>, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a>, <a href='#Page_79'>79</a>, <a href='#Page_157'>157</a>, <a href='#Page_183'>183</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Prayer, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a>, <a href='#Page_181'>181</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Priests, <a href='#Page_164'>164</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">Isaac, <a href='#Page_16'>16</a>, <a href='#Page_63'>63</a>, <a href='#Page_64'>64</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Prophets, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a>, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">from Persia, <a href='#Page_67'>67</a>, <a href='#Page_95'>95</a>, <a href='#Page_120'>120</a>, <a href='#Page_124'>124</a> ff.; <a href='#Page_130'>130</a>, <a href='#Page_132'>132</a>, <a href='#Page_158'>158</a>.</li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Sabians, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_69'>69</a>, <a href='#Page_120'>120</a>, <a href='#Page_122'>122</a>-128, <a href='#Page_133'>133</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Sacrament, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a> ff., <a href='#Page_178'>178</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Sacrifice, <a href='#Page_69'>69</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Sanjak, <a href='#Page_44'>44</a>-47, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a>, <a href='#Page_133'>133</a>, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a> ff.</li> - -<li class="indx">Scholars, <a href='#Page_103'>103</a> ff., <a href='#Page_106'>106</a>, <a href='#Page_110'>110</a>, <a href='#Page_115'>115</a>, <a href='#Page_129'>129</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Serpent, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a>, <a href='#Page_71'>71</a>, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>, <a href='#Page_161'>161</a>, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a>, <a href='#Page_168'>168</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Shammas Eremia, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Shaving, <a href='#Page_80'>80</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Sheikh, <a href='#Page_75'>75</a>, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a>, <a href='#Page_79'>79</a>, <a href='#Page_164'>164</a> ff., <a href='#Page_168'>168</a> ff., <a href='#Page_183'>183</a> ff.</li> - -<li class="indx">Sheikh Mattie, <a href='#Page_55'>55</a>, <a href='#Page_85'>85</a>, <a href='#Page_159'>159</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Shirt, <a href='#Page_79'>79</a>-80, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a> ff.</li> - -<li class="indx">Sinjar, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a>, <a href='#Page_45'>45</a>, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a>, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Siouffi, M. N., <a href='#Page_11'>11</a>, <a href='#Page_14'>14</a>, <a href='#Page_24'>24</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Springs, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a>, <a href='#Page_134'>134</a>, <a href='#Page_136'>136</a>, <a href='#Page_161'>161</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Stars, <a href='#Page_123'>123</a>, <a href='#Page_125'>125</a>-128, <a href='#Page_130'>130</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Stone, kissing of, <a href='#Page_47'>47</a>, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">worship of, <a href='#Page_135'>135</a>-137.</li> - -<li class="indx">Sun, kiss of, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a>, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">worship of, <a href='#Page_116'>116</a>, <a href='#Page_126'>126</a>, <a href='#Page_133'>133</a> ff., <a href='#Page_149'>149</a>, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Syriac, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a>.</li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Tahlil, <a href='#Page_195'>195</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Tamerlane, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Tammuz, <a href='#Page_147'>147</a>, ff.</li> - -<li class="indx">Taus, see Melek Ṭâ´ûs.</li> - -<li class="indx">Tax, <a href='#Page_82'>82</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">Torch, <a href='#Page_164'>164</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Transmigration, <a href='#Page_33'>33</a>, <a href='#Page_67'>67</a>, <a href='#Page_69'>69</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Trees, <a href='#Page_55'>55</a>, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a>, <a href='#Page_95'>95</a>, <a href='#Page_135'>135</a>, ff.</li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Vow, <a href='#Page_55'>55</a>, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a>.</li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Wine, <a href='#Page_54'>54</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Woman, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a> ff.</li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Yezid, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a>, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>, <a href='#Page_43'>43</a>, <a href='#Page_44'>44</a>, <a href='#Page_75'>75</a>, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a>, <a href='#Page_104'>104</a>, <a href='#Page_105'>105</a>, <a href='#Page_106'>106</a>, <a href='#Page_107'>107</a>, <a href='#Page_113'>113</a>, <a href='#Page_130'>130</a>, <a href='#Page_147'>147</a>, <a href='#Page_166'>166</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Yezidis, <a href='#Page_11'>11</a>, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">number and locality of, <a href='#Page_13'>13</a>-14, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a>, <a href='#Page_195'>195</a> ff.;</li> -<li class="isub1">manuscripts of, <a href='#Page_14'>14</a> ff.;</li> -<li class="isub1">origin of, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>-20, <a href='#Page_89'>89</a>, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a>, ff., <a href='#Page_103'>103</a> ff., <a href='#Page_129'>129</a> ff.;</li> -<li class="isub1">religion of, <a href='#Page_21'>21</a>, <a href='#Page_29'>29</a>, <a href='#Page_38'>38</a>, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a>, <a href='#Page_43'>43</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">sign of, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>, <a href='#Page_64'>64</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">myth of, <a href='#Page_89'>89</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">nationality of, <a href='#Page_194'>194</a> ff.;</li> -<li class="isub1">tradition of, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">dwellings of, <a href='#Page_197'>197</a> ff.;</li> -<li class="isub1">language of, <a href='#Page_198'>198</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">occupation of, <a href='#Page_198'>198</a> ff.;</li> -<li class="isub1">tribes of, <a href='#Page_201'>201</a> ff.;</li> -<li class="isub1">persecution of, <a href='#Page_205'>205</a> ff.</li> - -<li class="indx">Yezidism, <a href='#Page_103'>103</a>, <a href='#Page_129'>129</a>, <a href='#Page_131'>131</a>, <a href='#Page_133'>133</a>, <a href='#Page_134'>134</a>, <a href='#Page_136'>136</a>, <a href='#Page_145'>145</a>, ff.; <a href='#Page_173'>173</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Zamzam, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a>-57, <a href='#Page_134'>134</a>, <a href='#Page_161'>161</a>.</li> - -<li class="indx">Zoroaster, <a href='#Page_108'>108</a>, <a href='#Page_109'>109</a>, <a href='#Page_131'>131</a>, <a href='#Page_151'>151</a>, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a>, <a href='#Page_169'>169</a>.</li> -</ul></div> - - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Devil Worship, by Isya Joseph - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DEVIL WORSHIP *** - -***** This file should be named 60468-h.htm or 60468-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/4/6/60468/ - -Produced by MFR, Les Galloway and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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