NOTES ON CHAPTER III
150 S. G. M., ibid.
151 Die Sabien, I, 296.
152 Nineveh and Its Remains, vol. II, p. 239.
153 Nestorians and Their Rituals, vol. I, p. 117.
154 S. J. Curtis: Primitive Semitic Religion To-day, p. 96; J. A. O. S., vol. 8, 223.
155 Cf. Marti’s Die Religion des A. T., pp. 28-29.
156 The Hibbert Journal, ibid.
157 For different interpretation of the Yezidi New Year, see Brockelmann in Z. D. M. G., vol. 55, p. 388.
CHAPTER IV
Sacraments, Religious Observances and Sacerdotal
System
I
Sacraments
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!158 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 outside. 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.
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.
As to the Eucharist,159 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 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.
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.160
II
Some Other Religious Practices
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 šeiḫ fasts rigidly one month in the year, eating only once in twenty-four hours and immediately after sunset.
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:
”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.”161
“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.”
III
The Sacerdotal Orders
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.
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.
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. 69.)
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.
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 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.
The name of the present amir is ‘Ali, and he resides in Ba‘adrie.