| Yazidism ئێزدیاتی,Êzdîyatî | |
|---|---|
 The tomb of Sheikh Adi atLalish, the holiest Yazidi temple | |
| Type | Ethnic religion |
| Classification | Iranian religions[1][2] |
| Theology | Monotheistic |
| Mir | Hazim Tahsin or Naif Dawud[3] |
| Baba Sheikh | Sheikh Ali Ilyas |
| Language | Kurdish (Kurmanji) |
| Headquarters | Lalish,Nineveh Plains,Iraq |
| Other name | Sharfadin |
| Part ofa series on theYazidi religion |
| Yazidism |
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Main topics |
Yazidism, orYezidism[a] also known asSharfadin,[b] is amonotheisticethnic religion.[8][9][10][11] It developed through a complex historical process involving a pre-Islamic Kurdish religious substratum and the teachings ofSheikh Adi ibn Musafir. Scholars generally regard it as an independent religious tradition with deep roots inancient Iranian beliefs, shaped by laterSufi influences.[12][13][14][15][16][17][1][2] Its followers, calledYazidis, or Yezidis, are aKurdish-speaking community.[c]
Yazidism is based on belief in oneGod whocreated the world and entrusted its guardianship to seven self-emanatedangels.[4][18][19] Preeminent among these angels isTawûsî Melek (lit. 'Peacock Angel'; also spelledMelek Taûs), who is the leader of the angels and has the greatest authority over the world.[4][19][20]
The name of Yazidi is aexonym.[19] The Yazidi, or Yezidi people and religion are named afterSultan Ezid. Most modern historians hold that the name Ezid derives from the name ofYazid I (c. 646–689), the secondCaliph ofUmayyad Caliphate.[21] TheAdawiyya existed in the Kurdish mountains before the 12th century, whenSheikh ʻAdī ibn Musāfir (born 1072–1078, died 1162),[21] a Sufi of Umayyad descent,[22][23] settled there and attracted a following among the adherents of the movement. The name Yazidi seems to have been applied to the group because of his Umayyad origins.[21]
In Yazidi religious lore, there is no trace of any link betweenSultan Ezid and the second Umayyad caliph.[24] Some scholars have derived the name Yazidi from wordyazata, the name for a divine being inOld Iranian.[23][1]
Yazidis believe in one God, to whom they refer asXwedê,Xwedawend,Êzdan,Pedsha (lit. 'King'), and, less commonly,Ellah andHeq.[2][7][18][4][25] According to some Yazidi hymns (known asqewls), God has 1,001 names; in others, he has 3,003 names.[26][27] In Yazidism, fire, water, air, and the earth are sacred elements that are not to be polluted. During prayer, Yazidis face towards the Sun, for which they were often called "sun worshippers". The Yazidicreation myth begins with the description of the emptiness and the absence of order in theUniverse. Prior to the universe'screation, God created adur ('white pearl') in spiritual form from his own pure light and alone dwelt in it.[28] First, there was an esoteric world, and after that, an exoteric world was created. Before the creation of this world God created seven divine beings (oftentimes referred to as the Seven Angels in theYazidi literature) to whom he assigned all the world's affairs; the leader of the Seven Angels was namedMelek Taus (lit. 'Peacock Angel';a.k.a.Tawûsî Melek).[4][19][29] The end of Creation is closely connected with the creation of humankind and the transition from mythological to historical time.[7][20][18]
The Yazidis believe in adivine triad.[4][19][29] The supreme, hidden God of the Yazidis is considered to beremote and inactive in relation to his creation, except to contain and bind it together within his essence.[4] His firstemanation isMelek Taus (Tawûsî Melek), the "Peacock Angel", who functions as the ruler of the world.[4][19][29] The secondhypostasis of the divine triad is theSheikh Adi ibn Musafir, and the third isSultan Ezid. These are the three hypostases of the one God. The identity of these three is sometimes blurred, with ibn Musafir considered to be a manifestation ofTawûsî Melek and vice versa; the same also applies to Sultan Ezid.[4] Yazidis are calledMiletê Tawûsî Melek ('the nation ofTawûsî Melek').[30]
Muslims andChristians have erroneously associated and identified the Peacock Angel with their own conception of the unredeemed evil spiritSatan,[4][19][29][31][18] a misconception that has incited centuries of violent religiouspersecution of the Yazidis as "devil-worshippers".[4][19][29][32][33] Persecution of Yazidis has continued in their home communities within the borders of modernIraq.[4][19][34]
Yazidis, however, believeTawûsî Melek is not a source of evil or wickedness.[4][19][29] They consider him to be the leader of thearchangels, not afallen angel.[4][29][35][18]
The Yazidis of Kurdistan have been called many things, most notoriously 'devil-worshippers', a term used both by unsympathetic neighbours and fascinated Westerners. This sensational epithet is not only deeply offensive to the Yazidis themselves, but quite simply wrong.[36] Non-Yazidis have associatedMelek Taûs withShaitan (Islamic/Arab name) or Satan, but Yazidis find that offensive and do not actually mention that name.[36]
Yazidis believe in Seven Angels—considered the emanations of God—who, in the Yazidi creation myth, were created by God from his own light (nûr) before the creation of Earth. God assigned all of the world's affairs to the Seven Angels, andTawûsî Melek was appointed as the leader. The angels are also referred to asHeft Sirr ('the Seven Mysteries'). The Seven Angels are believed to have parts of God in themselves. Another word that is used for this quality issirr (orsur;lit. 'mystery'), which denotes a divine essence from which the angels were created.[37] The l divine essence has its own personality and will and is also calledSura Xudê ('theSur of God').[38] This term refers to the essence of the Divine itself (i.e., God), which the angels share with God.[37] In Yazidism's religious literature, the Seven Angels are sometimes referred to asCibrayîl,Ezrayîl,Mîkayîl, Şifqayîl,Derdayîl,Ezafîl, andEzazîl.[39] Figures other than the Angels are better known by their earthly incarnations:Fakhr ad-Din ibn Adi (Fexreddin),Sheikh Shems,Nasirdin,Sejadin,Sheikh Obekr, andAl-Hasan ibn Adi (Shex Hesen or Şêxsin).[40][2][18]
TheYazidi pantheon contains a total of 365 holy figures,[41] designated by religious terms includingXudan,Xas,Mêr andBabçak. Yazidi theology holds that God is almighty and absolute, and that theXudans[definition needed] are part of his power. Moreover, in relation to the natural world, Yazidis believe inXudans corresponding to most natural elements and phenomena; they are regarded as divine powers that control these phenomena. In Yazidi mythology, theXudans appeared after the creation of the world for thefour elements of nature and their manifestations.[42]
One of the important figures of Yazidism isSheikh 'Adī ibn Musafir. Sheikh 'Adī ibn Musafir settled in the valley ofLalish (roughly 58 kilometres (36 mi) northeast ofMosul, Iraq) in the Yazidi mountains in the early 12th century and founded the'Adawiyyatariqa. He died in 1162, and his tomb at Lalish is a site for Yazidi pilgrimage and the religion's principalholy site.[43] Yazidism has many influences:Sufi influence and imagery (especially taken from Mansur al-Hallaj)[44] can be seen in the religious vocabulary, especially in the terminology of the Yazidis' esoteric literature, but most of the theology, rituals, traditions, and festivals remains non-Islamic.[relevant?] Itscosmogony for instance has many points in common with those ofancient Iranian religions.[relevant?][45][46][16][17][2]
Yazidis believe in therebirth of the soul. Like adherents ofAhl-e Haqq, the Yazidis use the metaphor of a change of garment to describe the process, which plays an exceptional role in Yazidi religiosity and is called the "chang[ing] of [one's] shirt" (kirasgorîn). There is also a belief that some events repeat themselves in awheel of time. In Yazidism, different concepts of time coexist:[7]
In Yazidism, the older original concept ofmetempsychosis and the cyclic perception of the course of time is harmonised and coexists with the younger idea of a collectiveeschatology.[7]
The Yazidicreation myth is recorded in several sacred texts and traditions. It can therefore only be inferred and understood through an overall view of the sacred texts and traditions. The cosmogony can be divided into three stages:
The termEnzel is one of the most frequently mentioned in religious vocabulary and appears numerous times in the religious hymns, known asQewls. For instance, inQewlê Tawisî Melek:
"Ya Rebî ji Enzel de her tuyî qedîmî" ('Oh, Creator of theEnzel, you are infinite')[50]
AndDûa Razanê:
Ezdayî me, ji direke enzelî me ('I am a follower of God, I come from an "enzelî" [pearl])[50]
Thus, the termEnzel can also be referred to as a "pure, spiritual, immaterial and infinite world", "the Beyond" or "the sphere beyond the profane world". TheEnzel stage describes a spaceless and timeless state and therefore illustrates a supernatural state. In this stage, initially there is only a God, who creates a pearl out of his own light, in which his shining throne (textê nûrî) is located.
Qewlê Bê Elif:
Padşê min bi xo efirandî dura beyzaye (My King created the white pearl from himself)
Textê nûrî sedef (The shining throne in the pearl)[50]
The Yazidiqewls describe the universe as originating from a white pearl that existed in pre-eternity. At the beginning of time, before creation, God emerged from the cosmic pearl, which rested on the horns of a bull standing on the back of a fish. After God and the pearl separated, the universe burst out of the pearl and became visible as waves rippled across from the pearl to form the primevalCosmic Ocean.[26] As the pearl burst open, the beginning of the material universe was set in motion.Mihbet ('love') came into being and was laid as the original foundation, colours began to form, and red, yellow, and white began to shine from the burst pearl.
The Yazidi religion has its own perception of colours, which is reflected in its mythology and shown through clothing taboos, religious ceremonies, customs, and rituals. Colours are perceived as symbols of nature and the beginning of life; the emphasis on colour is found in the creation myth. In particular, the colors white, red, green, and yellow are frequently emphasized. White is considered the colour of purity and peace, and is the main colour of Yazidi religious clothing.[51][2][49]
Yazidi accounts of the creation differ significantly from those of the Abrahamic religions (e.g.,Judaism,Christianity, andIslam), since they are derived from theAncient Mesopotamian andIndo-Iranian traditions; Yazidi cosmogony is closer to those ofAncient Iranian religions,Yarsanism, andZoroastrianism.[52][17]
The religious literature of Yazidis is composed mostly of poetry which is orally transmitted in mainlyKurmanji and includes numerous genres, such asQewl (religious hymn),Beyt (poem),Du‛a (prayer),Dirozge (another kind of prayer),Şehdetiya Dîn (the Declaration of the Faith),Terqîn (prayer for after a sacrifice),Pişt perde (literally 'under the veil', another genre),Qesîde (Qasida),Sema‛ (literally 'listening'),Lavij, Xerîbo, Xizêmok, Payîzok, andRobarîn.[53] The poetic literature is composed in an advanced and archaic language where more complex terms are used, which may be difficult to understand for those who are not trained in religious knowledge.[54] Therefore, they are accompanied by someprosaic genres of the Yazidi literature that often interpret the contents of the poems and provide explanations of their contexts in the spoken language comprehensible among the common population. The prosaic genres includeÇîrok andÇîvanok (legends and myths), andDastan andMenal Pîrs (interpretations of religious hymns).[53][1] Yazidis also possess some written texts, such as the sacred manuscripts calledmişûrs and individual collections of religious texts calledcilvê andKeşkûl, although they are rarer and often safekept among Yazidis.[55] Yazidis are also said to have two holy books,Book of Revelation andBlack Book whose authenticities are debated among scholars.[1]
The Yazidiholy books are claimed to be the Book of Revelation and Black Book. Scholars generally agree that the manuscripts of both books published in 1911 and 1913 were forgeries written by non-Yazidis in response to Western travellers' and scholars' interest in the Yazidi religion; however, the material in them is consistent with authentic Yazidi traditions.[1] True texts of those names may have existed, but remain obscure. The real core texts of the religion that exist today are the hymns known asqawls; they have also been orally transmitted during most of their history, but are now being collected with the assent of the community, effectively transforming Yazidism into a scriptural religion.[56][1] The sacred texts had already been translated into English by the early 20th century.[57]
A very important genre of oral literature of the Yazidi community consists of religioushymns, calledQewls, which literally means 'word, speech' (from Arabicqawl).[58] The performers of these hymns, called theQewal, constitute a distinct class within the Yazidi society. They are a veritable source of ancient Yazidi lore and are traditionally recruited from the non-religious members of otherKurdish tribes, principally the Dumilî and Hekarî.[59][19][7] Theqewls are full of cryptic allusions and usually need to be accompanied byčirōks ('stories') that explain their context.[60][1]
Mishurs are a type of sacredmanuscripts that were written down in the 13th century and handed down to each lineage (ocax) of the Pirs; each of the manuscripts contain descriptions of the founder of the Pir lineage that they were distributed to, along with a list ofKurdish tribes and other priestly lineages that were affiliated with the founder.[61] Themishurs are safekept among the families of Pirs in particular places that are designated for their safekeeping; these places are referred to asstêr inKurmanji.[62] According to the Yazidi tradition, there are a total of 40mishurs which were distributed to the 40 lineages of Pirs.[7]
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The Yazidi New Year (Sersal) is calledÇarşema sor ("Red Wednesday")[28] orÇarşema Serê Nîsanê ("Wednesday at the beginning of April").[63] It falls in spring, on the first Wednesday[64] of the April and Nîsan months in theJulian andSeleucid calendars, i.e. the first Wednesday on or after 14 April according to theGregorian calendar.[65]
One of the most important Yazidi festivals isÎda Êzî ("Feast of Êzî"), which is celebrated in commemoration of the divine figureSultan Ezid. Which every year takes place on the first Friday on or after 14 December. Before this festival, the Yazidis fast for three days, where nothing is eaten from sunrise to sunset. TheÎda Êzî festival is celebrated in honor of God and the three days of fasting before are also associated with the ever shorter days before thewinter solstice, when the Sun is less and less visible. With theÎda Êzî festival, the fasting time is ended. The festival is often celebrated with music, food, drinks and dance.[66]
Another important festival is theTawûsgeran, where Qewals and other religious dignitaries visit Yazidi villages, bringing thesinjaq, sacred images of a peacock symbolizing Tawûsê Melek. These are venerated, fees are collected from the pious, sermons are preached and holy water andberat (small stones from Lalish) distributed.[67][68]
The greatest festival of the year is theCêjna Cemaiya ('Feast of the Assembly'), which includes an annualpilgrimage to the tomb of Sheikh 'Adī' (Şêx Adî) in Lalish, northernIraq. The festival is celebrated from 6 October to 13 October,[69] in honor of the Sheikh Adi. It is an important time for cohesion.[70]
If possible, Yazidis make at least onepilgrimage to Lalish during their lifetime, and those living in the region try to attend at least once a year for theFeast of the Assembly in autumn.[18]
Tiwafs are yearly feasts of shrines and their holy beings which constitute an important part of Yazidi religious and communal life. Every village that contains a shrine holds annual tiwafs in the name of the holy being to which the shrine is dedicated.[41][71]
Prayers occupy a special status in Yazidi literature. They contain important symbols and religious knowledge connected with the Holy Men, God, and daily situations. The prayers are mostly private and as a rule they are not performed in public. Yazidis pray towards the sun,[72] usually privately, or the prayers are recited by one person during a gathering. The prayers are classified according to their own content. There are:
Children arebaptised at birth andcircumcision is not required, but is practised by some due to regional customs.[74] The Yazidi baptism is calledmor kirin (literally: 'to seal'). Traditionally, Yazidi children are baptised at birth with water from theKaniya Sipî ('White Spring') at Lalish. It involves pouring holy water from the spring on the child's head three times.[75][76]
Many Yazidis considerpork to be prohibited. However, manyYazidis living in Germany began to viewthis taboo as a foreign belief from Judaism or Islam and not part of Yazidism, and therefore abandoned this rule.[78] Furthermore, in a BBC interview in April 2010,Baba Sheikh, the spiritual leader of all Yazidis, stated that ordinary Yazidis may eat what they want, but the religious clergy refrain from certain vegetables (including cabbage) because "they cause gases".[79]
Some Yazidis inArmenia andGeorgia who converted toChristianity, still identify as Yazidis even after converting,[80] but are not accepted by the other Yazidis as Yazidis.[81]
The Yazidis are strictlyendogamous;[18][82] members of the three Yazidicastes, themurids,sheikhs, andpirs, marry only within their group.[18]
There are several religious duties that are performed by several dignitaries, such as the Mir Hejj (Prince of the Pilgrimage), Sheikh el-Wazir (who oversees the sanctuary of Sheikh Shems at Lalish), Pire Esbiya (treasurer of the sanctuary of Sheikh Shems at Lalish), Mijewir (local shrine custodian), Baba Chawush (guardian of the sanctuary of Sheikh Adi), and others.[26]
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