Yazidism

The Yazidis' own name for themselves is or, in some areas, , although the latter, strictly speaking, is a tribal name. Some western scholars derive the name from the Umayyad Caliph Yazid ibn Muawiyah (Yazid I). However, all Yazidis reject any relationship between their name and the caliph. The word Yazidi means 'the servant of the creator'. Although Yazidism was not named after Yazid ibn Muawiyah, the caliph was revered in Yazidism. Other scholars derive it from Old Iranian , Middle Persian , "divine being". Another derivation of the word origin relates to ('Created me'): Yazidis also refer to ('God created me') and to ('We are the Ezdayi nation'). ==History==

, partially destroyed by ISIL, in the Sinjar Mountains. Yazidis believe in one God, to whom they refer as , , , (), and, less commonly, and . According to some Yazidi hymns (known as ), God has 1,001 names; in others, he has 3,003 names. In Yazidism, fire, water, air, and the earth are sacred elements that are not to be polluted. During prayer, Yazidis face towards the Sun, for which they were often called "sun worshippers". The Yazidi creation myth begins with the description of the emptiness and the absence of order in the Universe. Prior to the universe's creation, God created a ('white pearl') in spiritual form from his own pure light and alone dwelt in it. 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 the Yazidi literature) to whom he assigned all the world's affairs; the leader of the Seven Angels was named Melek Taus (; ). The end of Creation is closely connected with the creation of humankind and the transition from mythological to historical time. Persecution of Yazidis has continued in their home communities within the borders of modern Iraq. Yazidis, however, believe is not a source of evil or wickedness. Figures other than the Angels are better known by their earthly incarnations: Fakhr ad-Din ibn Adi (Fexreddin), Sheikh Shems, Nasirdin, Sejadin, Sheikh Obekr, and Al-Hasan ibn Adi (Shex Hesen or Şêxsin). The Yazidi pantheon contains a total of 365 holy figures, designated by religious terms including , , and . Yazidi theology holds that God is almighty and absolute, and that the are part of his power. Moreover, in relation to the natural world, Yazidis believe in corresponding to most natural elements and phenomena; they are regarded as divine powers that control these phenomena. In Yazidi mythology, the appeared after the creation of the world for the four elements of nature and their manifestations.'''' Sheikh 'Adī One of the important figures of Yazidism is Sheikh 'Adī ibn Musafir. Sheikh 'Adī ibn Musafir settled in the valley of Lalish (roughly northeast of Mosul, Iraq) in the Yazidi mountains in the early 12th century and founded the . He died in 1162, and his tomb at Lalish is a site for Yazidi pilgrimage and the religion's principal holy site. Yazidism has many influences: Sufi influence and imagery (especially taken from Mansur al-Hallaj) can be seen in the religious vocabulary, especially in the terminology of the Yazidis' esoteric literature, but most of the theology, rituals, traditions, and festivals remains non-Islamic. Its cosmogony for instance has many points in common with those of ancient Iranian religions. Rebirth and concept of time Yazidis believe in the rebirth of the soul. Like adherents of Ahl-e Haqq, the Yazidis use the metaphor of a change of garment to describe the process, which plays an exceptional role in Yazidi religiosity and is called the "chang[ing] of [one's] shirt" (). There is also a belief that some events repeat themselves in a wheel of time. In Yazidism, different concepts of time coexist: • An esoteric time sphere (). This term denotes a state of being before the creation of the world. According to Yazidi cosmogony, there is God and a pearl in this stage. • or (a cyclic course of time): it means literally 'change, changing' or 'turning, revolution' and in the Yazidi context denotes a new period of time in the history of the world. Therefore, it may also mean 'renewing' or 'renewed' and designates the start of a renewed period of time. • A linear course, which runs from the start of the creation by God to the collective eschatological end point. • Three ('storm' or 'flood'; i.e., disasters), which are intended to play a purificatory role, improving the quality of life. Each catastrophe, which ultimately brings renewal to the world, takes place through a classical element: the first through water (), the second through fire (), and the last is connected with wind or air (). It is believed that the first has already occurred in the past and that the next will occur through fire. According to this perception, the three sacred elements, namely water, fire, and air, purify the fourth one, the earth. These events, however, are not considered eschatological. They occur throughout a person's life. Although the purificatory events cause many deaths, ultimately life continues. In Yazidism, the older original concept of metempsychosis and the cyclic perception of the course of time is harmonised and coexists with the younger idea of a collective eschatology. The term Enzel is one of the most frequently mentioned in religious vocabulary and appears numerous times in the religious hymns, known as Qewls. For instance, in :"" ('Oh, Creator of the Enzel, you are infinite') And '''''': ('I am a follower of God, I come from an "" [pearl]) Yazidi accounts of the creation differ significantly from those of the Abrahamic religions (e.g., Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), since they are derived from the Ancient Mesopotamian and Indo-Iranian traditions; Yazidi cosmogony is closer to those of Ancient Iranian religions, Yarsanism, and Zoroastrianism. ==Yazidi sacred texts==

The religious literature of Yazidis is composed mostly of poetry which is orally transmitted in mainly Kurmanji and includes numerous genres, such as ' (religious hymn), ' (poem), Du‛a (prayer), ' (another kind of prayer), ' (the Declaration of the Faith), ' (prayer for after a sacrifice), ' (literally 'under the veil', another genre), '' (Qasida), ‛'' (literally 'listening'), ' and '. 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. Therefore, they are accompanied by some prosaic genres of the Yazidi literature that often interpret the contents of the poems and provide explanations of their contexts in the spoken language comprehensible among the common population. The prosaic genres include ' and ' (legends and myths), and ' and 's (interpretations of religious hymns). Yazidis also possess some written texts, such as the sacred manuscripts called 's and individual collections of religious texts called ' and '''', although they are rarer and often safekept among Yazidis. Yazidis are also said to have two holy books, Book of Revelation and Black Book whose authenticities are debated among scholars. Holy books The Yazidi holy books are claimed to be the Book of Revelation and Black Book. Scholars generally agree that the manuscripts of both books published in 1911 and 1913 were forgeries written by non-Yazidis in response to Western travellers' and scholars' interest in the Yazidi religion; however, the material in them is consistent with authentic Yazidi traditions. True texts of those names may have existed, but remain obscure. The real core texts of the religion that exist today are the hymns known as qawls; they have also been orally transmitted during most of their history, but are now being collected with the assent of the community, effectively transforming Yazidism into a scriptural religion. The sacred texts had already been translated into English by the early 20th century. Qewl and Beyt A very important genre of oral literature of the Yazidi community consists of religious hymns, called ''''s, which literally means 'word, speech' (from Arabic ). The performers of these hymns, called the Qewal, constitute a distinct class within the Yazidi society. They are a veritable source of ancient Yazidi lore and are traditionally recruited from the non-religious members of other Kurdish tribes, principally the Dumilî and Hekarî. According to the Yazidi tradition, there are a total of 40 mishurs which were distributed to the 40 lineages of Pirs. == Festivals ==

festival at Lalish, Iraqi Kurdistan Yazidi New Year The Yazidi New Year (') is called ' ("Red Wednesday") or '''' ("Wednesday at the beginning of April"). It falls in spring, on the first Wednesday of the April and Nîsan months in the Julian and Seleucid calendars, i.e. the first Wednesday on or after 14 April according to the Gregorian calendar. Feast of Êzî in the town of Bashiqa in Iraq. One of the most important Yazidi festivals is ' ("Feast of Êzî"), which is celebrated in commemoration of the divine figure Sultan Ezid. Which every year takes place on the first Friday on or after 14 December. Before this festival, the Yazidis fast for three days, where nothing is eaten from sunrise to sunset. The ' festival is celebrated in honor of God and the three days of fasting before are also associated with the ever shorter days before the winter solstice, when the Sun is less and less visible. With the '''' festival, the fasting time is ended. The festival is often celebrated with music, food, drinks and dance. Tawûsgeran Another important festival is the Tawûsgeran, where Qewals and other religious dignitaries visit Yazidi villages, bringing the '', sacred images of a peacock symbolizing Tawûsê Melek. These are venerated, fees are collected from the pious, sermons are preached and holy water and berat'' (small stones from Lalish) distributed. Feast of the Assembly The greatest festival of the year is the '''' ('Feast of the Assembly'), which includes an annual pilgrimage to the tomb of Sheikh 'Adī' (Şêx Adî) in Lalish, northern Iraq. The festival is celebrated from 6 October to 13 October, in honor of the Sheikh Adi. It is an important time for cohesion. If possible, Yazidis make at least one pilgrimage to Lalish during their lifetime, and those living in the region try to attend at least once a year for the Feast of the Assembly in autumn. Tiwaf Tiwafs are yearly feasts of shrines and their holy beings which constitute an important part of Yazidi religious and communal life. Every village that contains a shrine holds annual tiwafs in the name of the holy being to which the shrine is dedicated. ==Religious practices==

Prayers Prayers occupy a special status in Yazidi literature. They contain important symbols and religious knowledge connected with the Holy Men, God, and daily situations. The prayers are mostly private and as a rule they are not performed in public. Yazidis pray towards the sun, usually privately, or the prayers are recited by one person during a gathering. The prayers are classified according to their own content. There are: • Prayers dedicated to God and holy beings • Prayers of Yazidi castes • Prayers for specific occasions • Rite of passage prayers • Prayers against health problems and illnesses • Daily prayers • Prayers connected with the nature, i.e. the Moon, stars, Sun, etc. Customs of a Yazidi child in Lalish Children are baptised at birth and circumcision is not required, but is practised by some due to regional customs. The Yazidi baptism is called '''' (literally: 'to seal'). Traditionally, Yazidi children are baptised at birth with water from the '''' ('White Spring') at Lalish. It involves pouring holy water from the spring on the child's head three times. Purity and taboos in northern Iraq. The temple is so old that no one remembers how it came to have that name, but it is believed to derive from the burial of forty men on the mountaintop site. Many Yazidis consider pork to be prohibited. However, many Yazidis living in Germany began to view this taboo as a foreign belief from Judaism or Islam and not part of Yazidism, and therefore abandoned this rule. Furthermore, in a BBC News 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". Some Yazidis in Armenia and Georgia who converted to Christianity, still identify as Yazidis even after converting, but are not accepted by the other Yazidis as Yazidis. ==Religious organisation==

The Yazidis are strictly endogamous; members of the three Yazidi castes, the murids, sheikhs, and pirs, marry only within their group. 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. ==See also==