JBO'C's Historical Reference

The Yezidis or Devil Worshippers

The Yezidis or Devil Worshippers

 

  • Wing bones from large birds have been found in Archeological digs in Kurdistan dating back 10,800 years. Izady speculates a connection to the Cult of Angels religions of the Kurds. Izady, The Kurds. Pg. 21.

  • Since Peacocks are not native to Kurdistan or the Caucasus Izady speculates that the so-called Peacocks are actually the Great Bustard once found in the region. The great bustard had multicolored tail feathers but shorter than a peacocks and more like a Turkey's. Izady, The Kurds. Pg. 156.

  • Yezidism is one of the three Kurdish religions commonly called the Cult of Angels. Malak Tawas or Lucifer as we know him was the first Archangel of the Great Creating Spirit or God as we know him. Malak Tawas was given dominion over earth. He is often represented as a great bird usually called a peacock but Izady speculates the bird is actually a great bustard. Izady, The Kurds. Pg. 156.

  • Alevism is one of the three Kurdish religions commonly called the Cult of Angels. The are also called the "deifiers of Ali" and suggest that Ali and Mohammed were temporal manifestations of the same spirit being which they refer to as Alimohammed. Shah Ismail would refer to himself as Alimohammad suggesting his own . Izady, The Kurds. Pg. 150.

  • The Yezidi cap is the same as the Mithras cap. Izady, The Kurds. Pg. 260

The Yezidis (Infidels) or “Devil Worshippers," whose proper name is Asdai, are tribal and non-tribal, nomad and sedentary. Most of them are sedentary, and they are found scattered over the country between Erivan and J. Sinjar, and between the Kurt D. on the W. and Zakho, E. of the Tigris. At Badri, near Mosul, and in J. Sinjar, they form a fairly compact population. They number about 40,000 in Turkey and 6000 in Transcaucasia.

The origin of the Yezidis is unknown; they are variously supposed to be of Kurdish, Armenian (from those Armenians who moved S. when Christianity was forcibly introduced by Tiridates and S. Gregory), and Hebrew descent. Their religion is, apparently, a curious mixture of the old Babylonian religion, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, and Christianity; and it has an affinity with that of the Ansariyeh. They believe in two antagonistic spirits or beings,—the good (light), and the evil (darkness), and they consider it of importance to conciliate the evil spirit. They celebrate mysteries analogous to Baptism and the Lord's Supper; and kneel, looking towards the sun, at sunrise. Their priests chant prayers to Sheikh Adi, and Sh. Shems (the sun). The Moslems accuse them of practicing obscene rites, and indulging in disgusting orgies during their nocturnal religious ceremonies; but,' apparently, as unjustly as the Christians accused the Manicheans of similar offences. They have a chief priest, and a civil head, both of whom live at Badri, and a shrine, to which pilgrimages are made, at Sheikh Adi (p. 240), where their founder is buried. .'

Their language is Kermanji, but all written documents are in Persian. They have no schools, and few can read or write. The Yezidis, with the exception of a few townsmen in Mosul, Aleppo, and Damascus, are agricultural and pastoral; they have vineyards, olive-groves, and fruit gardens, and also grow cereals. They are industrious, civil and well-disposed towards Christians; and their dwellings are cleaner than those of Kurds, Arabs, or Christians. Round Mosul they are inoffensive and harmless, but in some districts they are noted freebooters.

Handbook for Travellers Asia Minor, Trancaucsia, Persia, Etc… Edited By Major-General, Sir Charles Wilson,  R.E, K.C.B.
London (UK): John Murray, Albemarle Street 1896.

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