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.
NOTES ON CHAPTER IV
[158] Hol Hola is an interjection, or exclamation, expressing sudden
emotion, excitement, or feeling, as “Oh!” “Alas!” “Hurrah!” “Hark!” in
English.
[159] P. Anastase: _Al-Mašrik_, vol. II, p. 309.
[160] Ibid, p. 311.
[161] Ibid, p. 313.