Our questions become instead: what ideas do we encounter in a study of the Yezidis-and do these tell us anything? As we acquaint ourselves with the Yezidis and their beliefs, we will see that Gurdjieff has led us to materials for a deeper understanding of the nature of an esoteric teaching, of the implications of a teaching transmitted "orally," and of the reasons for his unlikely choice of Beelzebub as the hero of the First Series. - Gurdjieff and Yezidism, by Prof. Henry Korman, introductory section.
WHEN we first produced this segment, we had next to nothing, that could be called real information, pertaining to the Yezidis. That is to say, when we first wrote this segment, five years ago this November. A year ago, when we published Version 1 of this segment, we had perhaps a little more information. Still, real good information is very difficult to acquire on the Yezidis.
There are several different types of information one could look for: 1) - Historical material; 2) - Statistical details; 3) - Materials pertaining to the ethnicity of the Yezidis; 4) - Materials on the Religious cultus personified by the Yezidi peoples; 5) - Details on the persecution of the Yezidis, by just about every other group that is in their midst.
For our work, we are concentrating mainly on numbers 1 and 4, above. These can be broken down even more, if we wanted to.
For example, which Historical narrative are we to use? How many strata exist in the background of this group? When we use a term such as "group", we mean far more than we can, by simply using terms such as "race", "sect", "tribe", "cultus". Because, with a group such as the Yezidis, the lines can get rather blurry. This, in fact, becomes the case with other groups that fall within the generic title "Angel Cults". These include not only the Yezidis, but also the Yaresani, the Ahl-i-Haqq, the Alevis, and possibly others. It is tempting to add the Druzes to this list.
These groups all have strong racial ties to ancient roots. Some regard these peoples as being Kurds, some say they are Assyrians, some say they are Syrians. Some regard them as Hivites. Some might use the term Cuthites. We are looking at a branch of the Serpent Tribe, which we shall analyze in depth later on in our Work.
At least one of these groups, the Alevis, have more than one group within the main group title: There are Ansairi and then there are Nusairi. The latter title gets more coverage in some areas, particularly among French scholars of the mid 19th to early 20th Centuries c.e. Even within the Nusairi, we get a four-way division. It is undoubtedly the case with the other groups.
There are different strata, as we have stated, in the past of the Yezidis. What are these? They include indigenous roots, going back to the Shanidar Culture. Later on, we can include the Sumerian Tradition. Beyond that, we get the Assyrian Tradition, as well as that of the Chaldean Magi. Beyond that, it is the Persian Magi, and, of course, as some would have it, the Zoroastrians. Then we get early Gnostic Christianity, and, too, perhaps, some strands of the various Mystery cults that flourished during the golden days of Paganism. In Christian Times, we can find some historical traces of the Jewish Christians, of the Elkesaites and Sampsaeans. In the particular regions where the Yezidis flourish (and in those where they flourished), we can add groups like the Nestorians, the Bardesanites (Daisaniyya, of whom Abd 'Allah ibn Maimun al Qaddah, was a member), possibly, too, the Archontics of Armenia.
The story of the Yezidis can be traced back more than four thousand years-before they came to be called Yezidis-until the trail disappears into the mists of time. Based on few accounts, and those often contradictory, it is complex and difficult to follow.
Typical of the difficulties encountered in learning about them is a story told by the anthropologist Sami Said Ahmed, who completed a massive study of the Yezidis (or Yazidis) in 1975. He was given two manuscripts at different times, written by a Yezidi friend. Each purported to explain the beliefs of Yezidism with seemingly superficial legendary tales taken as fact, and each contradicted the other. Working assiduously, Ahmed eventually found that the manuscripts contained real facts and genuine articles of Yezidi belief, but in disguised form. When told of this, the Yezidi friend replied, "The book which I presented to you contains only one (fact) of the thousands (of facts) of Yazidism." Further, he maintained that "Yazidism is the mother of all Eastern religions." -- Gurdjieff and Yezidism, part 1.
Perhaps, what we are looking at is something that is far older than anything else we have come across, save for the Mandaeans, and, with some reservations, the Harranians. However, the Mandaeans appear to be a completely different group, and one which is not exactly what we would regard as a friendly group when it comes to the types of groups that come under the designation of Angel (and, too, Stellar) Cults.
Then we can add the Islamic strata, the Classical Yezidi strata, perhaps even the Sufi strata. Isya Joseph speaks of al-Hallaj has having been revered by the Yezidis. This is of course important to Thelemites.
There are those who say that the origins of Egyptian society, religion, culture, go back to the group that originated the Yezidis. Gurdjieff seems to have been pointing to a relationship between the Yezidis and the Ashokhs of Transcaucasia. Indeed, we can see where such a relationship could exist. Further, he seemed to point to a relationship between the Yezidis and the Sarmoung Brotherhood -- that Elusive "Order That Hath No Name" that he sought. Oddly enough, it does bear the Initials S.'. S.'., when we get to his pupil's analysis of it: Sarman Society. In following the etymology of this word, we are greeted with two important ideas: (more actually, but two shall suffice here.) FIRST, the term can be seen to be referring to Keepers or Purveyors of the Authentic Tradition. (And there will be some brief parallels within some of the WORDS which Pike analysed for his reformation of the AASR.) ALSO, we can see a relationship to Buddhist Monks. Not your typical Buddhists, mind you, but a peculiar class of them. More on this below.
What about the RELIGIOUS and/or SPIRITUAL practices? We have to separate the different kinds of rituals into a list. First, we have actual Religious texts, their Sacred Books, which give the narratives pertaining to the origins, and rites which maintain the Sect. Then, we have the rituals which pertain to the said maintaining of said sect. These would be the regular rituals, the holy days, festivals, such as the Jam festival at Lalesh. Then, we have Initiatory rites, which are practised upon those who are Initiated into higher levels of the Yezidi hierarchy, which, according to one source, amounts to four or five levels, and which, according to Isya Joseph, amounts to seven, which would correspond with the number of chief Archangels of the sect, who can be seen to be holdovers from the Book of Enoch: a text which can be placed in the second century B. C. E., and not really much farther back than that. To go back farther, we would need to syncretise the names in the Book of Enoch with traditions that took place in the areas in question.
Beyond this, then, we would have to look at a body of knowledge, the wisdom teachings. Did this sect, which is considered to be illiterate, and unable to read, due to taboos against such upstart activity, practise a wisdom tradition, with teachings pertaining to the origins of the universe, on an esoteric level? Did it have a body of teaching relating to practical magick, occult science and other related areas? That is hard to say. However, a sect that could be considered above the rank and file, like the dwindling group of elusive bards in the Caucasus, known as the Ashokhs, might have preserved such Wisdom Teachings, and if some of these made it to the time of Gurdjieff and his father, chances are that they have survived to this very day.
Where do we get proofs of such things? Well, for one thing, it helps when one knows what to look for, what questions to ask. And, it also helps, being able to draw things together, from very diverse strands, and make the connections. And, it is a great help, to have a text sitting on our desk here at the Twin Cedars Lodge, such as "A SYSTEM OF CAUCASIAN YOGA", received by the Count Stefan Colonna Walewski, in the early part of the twentieth century, in the Transcaucasian region, from some "leftovers" from the old tradition, to paraphrase the preface by Charles A. Muses.
It is important to see such a work commented on by such an important figure. Muses wrote plenty of material that had an influence on work of Thomas Bearden, author of The Excalibur Briefing, one of our favorite works of all time.
THE Magick imparted in that work is the sort of Magick one cannot normally get out of books. Trust us. OR, better yet, order your copy today, from Borderland Sciences Research Foundation.
Can we lay out a system that approximates the Yezidi religion, including its magical practices? Well, no. Not really. Nor would we, if we could. There are recent works available, in the above $100 range, that may assist one in piecing this together.
In our own Western Occult Traditions, we can draw from elements in the classical Agrippa Magical system, and, later, in the Golden Dawn Magical system. Further, we can derive from elements to be found in the esoteric materials Albert Pike wrote, including Morals and Dogma, The Magnum Opus, The Liturgies of the AASR, the Legenda and Readings of the AASR, Sepher ha-Debarim, or the Book of the Words; Lecture on Masonic Symbolism, etc. These are all available in reprint editions elsewhere.
Also, one can study the writings of Max Theon, who seems to have gotten some of this tradition, and to have embodied it in his Cosmic Tradition series. And, too, one of his spiritual descendants, Sri Aurobindo, whose writings are pure gems of nectar.
Finally, we can turn to Gurdjieff, and derive plenty, and enjoy ourselves as we go, if we know that the object is not in being a student, or a disciple of the teachings, but lies in being a Master, for how can one aspire to Mastery if one does not possess it to begin with, yea, how can one aspire to Mastery if one does not possess it to begin with?
We are grateful to the Arabs for several reasons. Firstly, we are grateful to them for the preservation of Hellenistic Philosophy and Science and their development of these into what would eventually transform Western Society. Secondly, we are grateful to them for the preservation, via the sects we have been examining, of the Near-Eastern and Arabian versions of the Assyrian, Babylonian, Sumerian and even the Ophite Gnostic traditions -- in short, what used to be generically referred to as "Sabeism". Thirdly, we are grateful to them for the preservation, development, fusion and transformation of the Gnosis, with the Buddhist elements intact, in the various sects which come under the designation of Sufism.
Unfortunately we cannot say we are grateful to them for preserving for posterity the various important archaeological sites, sites of significance to the Authentic Tradition, such as Jabal al-Lawz, perhaps under the assumption that by dominating THAT mountain, they could dominate their region of the planet. Or by obliterating the monuments of Egypt, the past could be destroyed. It doesn't work that way.
The practitioners of Judaism today may think it cruel of us to remind them of the fact that the majority of their rites, traditions and beliefs stem from the Arab world and bear the mark of the influence of Islam. While Moslems and Zionists kill each other over the real estate in Palestine, it must also be remembered that once upon a time it was in Islamic countries where Jews were granted sanctuary more readily during the diaspora, since the Christians had the bogus notion that the Jews and not the Romans killed their "saviour".
How do we get from this monologue to a subject that is really far removed from the subject matter here discussed?
What we now have to discuss has little to do with the Arabs, although
the Arabs and other Moslems have had an impact on the culture with which we
are presently concerned. Certainly the present group under consideration has
been persecuted long enough by the Moslems.
What we are presently concerned with could in fact be the oldest native cultus in existence on the planet. Before the spokespersons of various aboriginal faiths raise a protest at this statement, we shall state that nobody is infallible, ourselves included. However, there are elements in this one tradition that may go back at least to the Halaf culture that existed in northern Mesopotamia, over 7000 years ago.
We are about to present our materials on the Yezidis. This is not easy to do, since this material is not easily available to us. One must live where the materials are accessible, not in the middle of nowhere. To travel to these places now, is not what we would call a possibility, at this stage in the world game, present situations taken into consideration.
This work is going to take a long time to present in its entirety,
and we may not post the entire amount in the Internet Edition of Qadosh:
The Johannite Tradition.
Before we embarked on this survey, we had not found anything that tied the Yezidis (Dasni) to the Johannite Tradition. This may have been premature, because we have found a few indications, but they require research, and the following of some fairly old, but generally unavailable, leads. And, this work is going to evolve into its own project, a sort of side-degree, as it were.
Our work, in this section, shall analyze the information we possess in re the Yezidis, and, too, some material pertaining to the Sufis. We cannot call it conclusive material, since much of it is old, and, like the material presented above on the Mandaeans, subject to change as new information becomes available.
Much of what we possess is based upon travels to the area where the Yezidis lived, during the mid-19th century, c.e. These are mainly French accounts, published in Journals, and, too, Layard's account Discoveries at Nineveh. From there, we must go to the accounts that came out based on these; and then on the material produced by Sufi scholars such as Idries Shah. Once upon a time Shah was considered to be the pre-eminent expert on the Sufis, but in recent times, it has been publicised that he was not such an expert, nor was he what he claimed to be. Unfortunate, but then T. Lobsang Rampa ended up being none other than Cyril Hoskins, and Erich von Daniken ended up being a Mormon fraud from Switzerland. That's what you call Swiss Stake!
Also, it is worth making a note of some of the remarks on the Yezidis offered by Kenneth Grant; by the editor(s) of the Avon edition of the Necronomicon; by Anton LaVey, even if we have gone past these works, a long time ago.
Since there is a connection to the Fallen Ones of the Book of Enoch, present in the Yezidi literature, this, too shall be worth pursuing.
Also, since there are ties to Persian forms of worship, and since Yezidi territory has been in an area where there are descendants of the Fire Worship of old, this too may be discussed, someday, as may some parallels to be found in the work Albert Pike did for the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, but which is all but forgotten, except as a quaint curio, while the membership cards pad the wallets.
It is, however, of even more importance, in this, the second version of this Chapter, to discuss curious Christian influences upon the sect of the Yezidis and/or both/and its ancestors, because a relationship exists, and, for no extra charge: it may have connections to symbolism in some of the more Western Esoteric traditions that have become popular over the past twenty years or so. [hint hint: T-h-e-e- P-r-i-o-r-y- o-v S-I-O-N!!!!!! ] Of course, if one is named Paul Smith, then this is to be disregarded without any further consideration, because Paul Smith has everything figured out. He told us so, last August, remember, fellow travellers? Let the games begin!
This is taken from Isya Joseph in its entirety. RIP RIP RIP [Seih in the original is replaced with Sheikh, etc.]
The Myth of the Yezidis concerning their origin may be derived from three different sources: from their sacred book, from the appendix of the manuscript, and from actual conversation of travellers with them or with natives dwelling among them. One noticeable fact is that this tradition assumes the religion of the sect as existing long before the time of their chief saint, Sheikh 'Adi. Al-Jilwah begins with the statement that Melek Taus sent his servant, i.e., the Yezidis, that they might not go astray. Starting from this assumption, the writer of the revealed book goes on to trace the origin of the 'elect' to the very beginning of human history. He asserts that fromt he start God created them as a peculiar people of 'Azazil, i.e., Melek Taus. In the main, this idea finds expression in the oral traditions. But here we have a mass of material so clouded by superstition and ignorance that it is next to impossible to come to any conclusion as to the history of this interesting people. One point the myth repeatedly emphasizes, as an explanation of the origin of the sect, is that it was descended from Adam alone; while the other sects were descended from Adam and Eve. For this reason, the same tradition implies, the Yezidis are nobler than the others. But how they have come to be such unique descendants is a question not easily answered. One account has it that when Adam and Eve disputed as to the generation of the human race, each claiming to be the sole begetter of the race, they finally agreed to put their seed in separate jars and seal them with their own seals. After nine months they opened the jars, and in Adam's jar they found two children, a male and a female. From these two the Yezidis were descended. Another explanation is that from Adam's essence was born Seher bn Jebr, of whom nothing is known; and of him, a separate community, which is the sect of Melek Taus. We have, moreover, the tradition that the Yezidis are descendants of a son born to Adam of his spittle. Now whether this son be identical with Seher bn Jebr is not certain. Writing in one of the oriental periodicals, an eastern scholar quotes a Yezidi sheikh in a statement which seems to corroborate the tradition that the Yezidis are a noble progeny of Adam; but the quotation differs from the instance previously cited in stating that the quarrel which took place between Adam and Eve led to their separation to places distant from each other a journey of forty days. There, it is said, Adam miraculously gave birth to a son. Distressed by an incident, Eve asked God that she might find favor in her husband's eyes by giving birth to a child. Thereupon, it continues, she begot a very pretty daughter. Attracted by her beauty, Adam married her to his son. Now, the Yezidis, we are told, are the blessed seed of these two children.
Not only when the tradition, tracing the origin of the Yezidis as a race, asserts that, as a religious body, they come from a very ancient time; but also when it speaks of them as a nation, it points out their antiquity. On this latter, as well as on the former point, their book and their oral tradition agree. The Yezidis are said to have sprung from a noble personage, the King of Peace, whose name was Na-'umi, but whom they now call Melek Miran. The rest of mankind, however, are from the seed of Ham, who mocked his father. Whom they signified by Na-'umi or Miran it is hard to say; but it is likely that they regard him as one of the other two sons of Noah. They claim also that the ancient Assyrian kings were members of their race, and that some of the Persian, Roman and Jewish kings were appointed for them by Melek Taus. They likewise seem to trace their origin to the prophets and personages of the Old Testament; as Seth, Enoch, Noah, etc. Their religion furthermore, they relate, antedates Christ.
There is still another tradition that traces the devil-worshippers to a different origin. I refer to the statement which Masehaf Res makes regarding Mu'awiya, Mohammed's servant. Mu'awiya was asked by his master to shave his head. While performing the duty, he cut the prophet's scalp, and began to lick the bleeding spot. When he was told that this act would result in his giving birth to a nation which would oppose the followers of his master, Mu'Awiya declared that he would not marry. He was afterwards, however, bitten by a serpent, and was told that he would die unless he married. He therefore consented to marry, but chose an old woman in order not to have children. But she miraculously became a young woman of twenty-five. And from her the God Yezid was born. The story, of course, is a myth, and it is of such a nature that no historic fact can be derived from it. It is further complicated by the fact that this Yezid is identified with Melek Ta'us; and, in another myth, is represented in form as being half angel and half man and as remaining a bachelor long after the marriage of Adam. He was, however, finally possessed of a desire to marry, and, unable to marry a mortal's daughter, being himself half angel, sought the assistance of Melek Ta'us, who presented to him an houri, and from this union there sprang a pious people, the Yezidis.
But the devil-worshippers have still another story, which goes to show that Yezid bn Mu'awiya is not their founder. This myth asserts that they are the progeny of Adam's son who was married to Eve's daughter; that the descendants continued worshipping God and Melek Ta'us without bringing a foreign element into their religion; and that, at first, the sect did not bear the name Yezidis, which, in their own opinion, is a comparatively new appellative. As to how they came to be called by this new name, it is explained that when, in the course of time, some corruption entered the Yezidi religion, there arose a certain Calif by the name of Yezid who wrought miracles. Since then, his followers have been called Yezidis. This Yezid, it is said, is the son of Mu'awiya bn Sufian, and his mother was of Christian origin. To accomplish his desire, bn Mu'awiya went to Sheikh 'Adi, who was a learned and devout but cunning person, and had instituted a religious innovation. Yezid, the tradition continues, learned 'Adi's religion and taught it to his followers; and, from that time on, the sect came to be called after him. But while some, considering this legend as authoritative, venerate the man bearing the name, others deny all connection with him.
The testimony of some travellers offers another explanation
of the origin of the sect in question, an account which has perhaps more historical
significance than the preceding stories. It is stated that the Yezidis have
a tradition to the effect that they came from Basrah and from the country watered
by the lower part of the Euphrates; and that after their emigration they first
settled in Syria, and subsequently took possession of the Sinjar Hill and the
district now inhabited in Kurdistan. As to the date of their settlement in Mesopotamia,
no positive information can be obtained. Some scholars infer that it took place
about the time of Tamerlane, toward the end of the fourteenth century. It is
related that the devil-worshippers hold that, among their own number, the ancient
name for God is Azd, and from it the name of the sect is derived; that the conviction
that they are Yezidis, i.e., God's People, has been their consolation and comfort
through the ages in their tribulations; and that they have taken many religious
observances from different bodies -- Mohammedans, Christians, Jews, Pagans,
Arabs, Shiites, and Sabians.
Besides these different explanations of the origin of the devil-worshippers
as descendants of Adam, of Yezid bn Mu'awiyam as being of the colony from the
north, as taking their name from Azd, God, there is another account. I refer
to a myth which is current among the people of Seistan, an eastern province
of Persia, where there are a considerable number of these Shaitan parasts (devil
worshippers):
"In former times there existed a prophet named Hanalalah, whose life was prolonged to the measure of a thousand years. He was their ruler and benefactor; and as by his agency, their flocks gave birth to lambs and kids miraculously once a week, though ignorant of the use of money, they, with much gratitude to him, procured all the comforts of life. At length, however, he died, and was succeeded by his son, whom Satan, presuming on his inexperience, tempted to sin by entering a large mulberry tree, when he addressed the successor of Hanalalah, and called on him to worship the prince of darkness. Astonished, yet unshaken, the youth resisted the temptation. But the miracle proved too much for the constancy of his flock, who now began to turn to the worship of the devil. The young prophet, enraged at this, seized an axe and a saw, and prepared to cut down the tree. He was arrested in this by the appearance of a human being, who exclaimed, 'Rash boy, desist! Turn to me and let us wrestle for the victory. If you conquer, then fell the tree.'
"The prophet contended and vanquished his opponent, who, however, bought his own safety and that of the tree by the promise of a large weekly treasure. After seven days the holy victor again visited the tree to claim the gold or fell it to the ground; but Satan persuaded him to hazard another struggle on the promise that, if he conquered again, the amount would be doubled. This second encounter proved fatal to the youth. He was put to death by his spiritual antagonist, and the result confirmed the tribes over whom he had ruled in their worship of the tree and its tutelary demon."
According to this legend, the Satan parasts are the victims of their young prophet who, as long as he was actuated by a disinterested zeal for religion, was victorious over the principle of evil; but failed as soon as that zeal gave place to a sordid cupidity for earthly treasure.
I have dwelt upon the superstitious theories of the Yezidis themselves regarding their religious origin, not because these theories have an importance in themselves, but because of their bearing upon the views advanced by modern scholars. The scholars have based their theories on some of these conflicting stories without sufficient criticism. I shall dwell upon this more at length later on.
- pp. 89 - 96.
So, then, who are the Yezidis? It is about as easy to answer that question, as it is to explain in this small space, just who the Sabians are, and how they connect the Ancient world with pre-Renaissance Europe. The Yezidi are perhaps one of the most highly misunderstood of all the groups we are surveying. They are also one of the most intriguing, at least to Westerners, due to their worship of the Devil, so-called. The Yezidis would appear to be an amalgamation of native Pagan cults, Harranians (which we shall discuss later), Mandaeans and Sufis.
Before we are dismissed as bogus, consider that combination. According to the Testimonia to the Hermetica, in Scott's edition:
"We learn from them, [i.e., Arabic writers], however, that there was at Harran a temple of the Moon-god Sin, and that among the deities worshipped by the Harranians the seven planet-gods were prominent; and there are also descriptions of a cult which seems to show some resemblances to Mithraism." -- Solos Press abridged edition, Appendix, p. 246.
This appears to be close to the idea of the ancient cultus preserved in the Necronomicon. But were these Yezidis worshippers of the Ancient Ones? It appears unlikely, at least in the Lovecraftian context. Now if we consider the Ancient Ones to include the Fallen Ones of Genesis Chapter Six, or of the Book of Enoch, we are closer to the mark, especially when we take a look at the Mishaf Resh, which is available on the Internet.
It would seem that the earliest reports in Europe came as a result of French Archaeologists and Anthropologists during the early-mid 19th century c.e. This would be around the time of the Discovery of Nineveh. Most of the reports that came after these used these early materials as a source.
Later, when we come to the early 20th Century c.e., we get the hands-on experiences of persons like Lady Drower and William Seabrook.
Reports from the anti-Masonic world, including Edith Starr Miller (Occult Theocrasy), Nesta Webster, and, too, anti-Catholic writers like Alexander Hislop (The Two Babylons), all draw from the earlier sources mentioned above.
We could also add Madame Blavatsky's Isis Unveiled, but cannot regard it as a source, since it is wholly unreliable.
Before the European articles and books started arriving, Arabic scholars wrote about the Yezidis.
By the mid-20th Century c.e., we get to the writings of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky, which cover some of the material. It is said that Gurdjieff drew his inspiration from the Yezidis. From what we have seen (Beelzebub's Tales to his Grandson, Meetings With Remarkable Men), we would agree. And the narrative style of Gurdjieff's work bears a resemblance to Max Theon's La Tradition Cosmique. [Note to the purist: WE ONLY STATED "BEARS A RESEMBLANCE"!]
After this comes Idries Shah and Arkon Daraul (said to be one and the same person). Daraul's A History of Secret Societies has a rather nice chapter on the Peacock Angel Cult. Shah's The Sufis and some of his other works mentions the cult of the Peacock Angel, whose saint is the Sufi Saint Sheikh Adi ben Musafir.
After all these come writers like Anton LaVey and Kenneth Grant. LaVey, in his Satanic Rituals, gives us a rather brief rundown of the Yezidis, from the point of view of an American Satanist / carnival barker. He also presents what purports to be a part of the Al-Jilwah, the Black Book. Kenneth Grant, in Aleister Crowley and the Hidden God states that the Yezidis worship Shaitan, and that Crowley was interested in perpetuating the Sumerian Tradition, which was to be meant as that of the Yezidis. Grant goes further, in other works, claiming that Crowley was an avatar of Sheikh 'Adi. When the Necronomicon was first published in the 1970s, c.e., the Avon Edition, the introduction stated that the Yezidis are likely to be the basis for the cult of the Ancient Ones as depicted in the Necronomicon. So far, we have not been able to see why this was stated.
The Mandaeans in some respects, the Harranians in others, but the Yezidis from what we have seen do not fit the paradigm.
There are undoubtedly much newer studies, and studies which we have neglected to mention. We can only refer to that which we have in front of us as we work. Therefore if your favorite academic study is not noticed here, send us copies!
Geographically, the Yezidis are scattered from Mosul to the Caucasus, in the districts of Mosul, Van, Diarbekr, Bitlis. We have some French literature we are working on that will clearly lay out the whole system and the locations. Here is a map of the general regions we are studying. It is not the same as the map in the previous segment.
The hierarchy is as follows:
KHALIFAH, head of the Community, descendant of Shaikh Adi. [It is actually possible that Shaikh Adi is a later addition to an already ancient people. There is an account that speaks of the Angel Gabriel (Jibrail), who asked God to send one of the Houri girls in Paradise, unto Chahid, a sort of first Man, but from what we are reading, not necessarily Adam. The beauty from the stars comes forth and mates with Chahid, and from them the race of the Yezidis (Dasni) is said to have descended.]
SHAIKHS
KAVVALS (Note that this is a level in the Druze hierarchy as well)
FAQIRS
Priesthood is hereditary. Women are not veiled. We may see a relation to the four=tiered priesthood of the Mandaeans:
| RISH AMMA | KHALIFAH | Head |
| GANZIVRA | SHAIKHS | Bishop |
| TARMIDA | KAVVALS | Priest |
| SHKANDA | FAQIRS | Deacon |
Yezidi Archangels, Names and Functions.
1. Shams - ed - din Sun of the Faith;
2. Fkr-ed-din The Poor One of the Faith;
3. Nasr-ed-din Health of Faith; [note: this is like Nasrudin, and this name also shows up in Gurdjieff's works.]
4. Sij-ed-din Power of Mercy
5. Sheikh Ism Power of Mercy
6. Sheikh Bakra Power of Mercy
7. Kadir-Rah-man Power of Mercy
-- A Dictionary of Angels Gustav Davidson.
Let us see, too: we have a listing, in Isya Joseph's work on the Yezidis, of the hierarchy, and it has seven levels. They are:
Hierarchy |
|
1 |
Seih, i.e., Sheikh / Shaykh. Servant of the Tomb. Descendant of Hasan al - Basri. The Sheikhs sell a place in paradise to anyone who wishes to pay money. Any takers? |
2 |
Emir. Emirship is said to belong to the descendants of Yezid. Said to have a genealogical tree, preserved from their fathers and forefathers, which goes up to Yezid himself. The emirs have charge of temporal and governmental affairs, etc. |
3 |
Kawwal. Has charge of tambourines and flutes and religious hymns. |
4 |
Pir. Conduct of fasts, breaking of fasts, hair-dressing. |
5 |
Kochak. Duties of religious instruction, sepulture, interpretation of dreams, i.e., prophecy. |
6 |
Fakir. Duties of instruction of boys and girls in playing on the tambourines, in dancing and religious pleasure. He serves Sheikh 'Adi. |
7 |
Mullah. Duties of instructing children. Guards the books and the mysteries of religion and attends to the affairs of the sect. |
Now, are there any parallels, between these seven classes in the hierarchy, and the seven angels? Only time, and further research, shall tell us.
There are some parallels in the Druze tradition. That is impostant, since Sheikh 'Adi came from Ba'albek right about the time of the First Crusade, and migrated to the vicinity of Mosul. And too in the various levels of the Thelemic hierarchy.
While the Yezidi call themselves DASNI, Yezidi is the name given them by outsiders. The word Dasni may (we are not certain, however) be associated with TAS, for which see L. A. Waddell's writings, such as our extract of his writing on John, elsewhere in this work. It is etymologically related to the Avesta word Yazata, 'deity', Persian, Yazadan, 'God'.
"Although their priesthood is of the Muhammedan type and they recognize Muhammad and Abraham as prophets, they are far from being a Muhammedan sect. Nor are they Nestorians, although they have baptism and regard Christ as an angel in human form. In fact they perpetuate with various admixtures a doctrine of the Magian type, combining Iranian and Assyrian elements. Their cult of Fire is Iranian. They profess that the Devil is a Creative Agent of the Supreme God, inasmuch as he produced evil. HENCE HE DESERVES OUR ADORATION. These ideas resemble closely Mazdaean cosmogony. Zoroastrianism regarded the worship of the evil spirit (Ahriman) as an abomination, but this did not apply to all Iranian sects. The Mithraists used to offer sacrifices 'deo Arimanio', and Plutarch (De Is. et Osir. Sec. 46), reports that the Magians invoked Hades and Darkness in a sombre place, with libations of the Haoma-plant juice and of the blood of a wolf. No doubt the devil-worship of the Yezidis is a survival of the Magian sects who in those districts could resist orthodox Mazdeism.
"The doctrine is supposed to be contained in a sacred book called YALVAH...
"...it has made more certain that Yezidism is an offshoot of Mazdeism. It is, in fact, simply an effort to bring unity in dualism. It secures that result through presenting darkness as a mere absence of light, and evil as imperfection the positive element of which is good in the eyes of God, whose plan it serves although TO OUR INSUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE, IT SEEMS TO BE BAD. The book literally says: 'I [the Spirit of Good] am active in all events which the outsiders regard as bad because they do not answer to their wishes while they answer to mine.' Sin therefore can only be a deficit which is to be made good through the wandering of the Soul. The Good Spirit of the First Principle is conceived in a pantheistic way as the light radiating from God and a kind of Logos. It is compared to a white pearl in the sea of Chaos out of which everything has arisen.
[Compare this with the Dragon deity of Chinese Shinto (Which is not the same thing as Japanese Shinto) -- In the funeral kits that one can find at Asian grocery stores, are all the trappings for the ceremonial, in tissue paper. The t-shaped piece that is to go up on the wall, above the altar, is black paper, with a Dragon prominently displayed. Below the Dragon is the Flaming Pearl, and below that is the Temple of Heaven, the four pillars, etc. We can also associate the Pearl motif found in the Gnostic paean of the journey of the Soul, The Hymn of the Pearl.]
In this conception we recognize the White Hom of Pahlavi
books, a sacred plant growing in the sea Vourukasha and in which the creative
power of God is contained. This White Pearl is also a bird, a Peacock, the most
revered symbol of the Yezidis (Malak-Taus). It is also an old Iranian symbol.
On the Gaokerna (another name of the White Hom) growing in the cosmic sea roosts
the marvellous bird Simurgh (Av. Saena), who under the name of Varegha,
is said to have seized the Godly glory (Old Pers. Farnah) that rested
on Yima, the primeval King (also on Zoroaster). The Logos-bird of the Yezidis
was also supposed to incorporate himself in prophets. They believe him to have
manifested himself both in Christ and in Shaikh Adi. The Aryans often compared
the Sun to a bird. Preference is given to the peacock on account of its way
of spreading out its tail like a wheel (the wheel is a still better known symbol
of the Sun). The same symbol has been found on a Coptic coffin, and in the sacred
books of the Mandaites. [I.e., the Mandaeans.] To what extent the Yezidi doctrine
is permeated by that old symbolism can be shown by a quotation from their books:
'Before Heaven and Earth arose, God rested on the seas. He had made for himself
a boat and was sailing on the waves, glorifying himself alone. Then emanated
out of him a white pearl, and he reigned upon it forty thousand years till he
threw it off out of anger.'"
-- Hastings, ERE, 12:830-1.
We have read in the works we have before us that not only the Peacock, but the regular Rooster, is considered sacred, and symbolizes the same thing. Is it possible that this was acquired from an earlier group? Students of the Gnosis will know what I am referring to: SOTER KOSMOI, The Saviour of the World, which can be seen in the following plate:
This was taken from Richard Payne Knight's monumental essay, A Discourse on the Worship of Priapus (1786), Plate II, figure 3. It is described on page 61 of the book, as follows:
"For instance; the celebrated bronze in the Vatican has the male organs of generation placed upon the head of a cock, the emblem of the sun, supported by the neck and shoulders of a man. In this composition they represent the generative power of the Eros(in Greek), the Osiris, Mithras, or Bacchus, whose centre is the sun, incarnate with man. By the inscription on the pedestal, the attribute this personified, is styled The Saviour of the World [Soter Kosmoi); a title always venerable, under whatever image it be represented."
Knight goes on to describe the ceremonies that took place in Mendes, but that would be more fitting in another part of the Work.
"The snake and the cock (or peacock) are symbols of power. As such they are worshipped or propitiated by the Yezidis, and have given many a headache of identification to those experts on the Gnostic mysteries who have found them engraved upon seals of uncertain origin in the Middle East." -- Daraul, pp. 141-142.
Who was Sheikh 'Adi? He was a descendant of the Umayyad lineage. The Umayyads ruled from Damascus. They had all but died out by the time the venerable Sheikh enters the stage of history. His full name, or lineage, is as follows:
Adi ben Musafir ben Ismail ben Musa ben Marwan ben al-Hassan ben Marwan ben al-Hakam ben al-'As ben Umayya.
He was born circa 1072-1073, at a village named Bayt-Far, (which we have not yet located), which was a dependancy of Ba'albek, in the Lebanon. One report says, that when he was in his thirties, he removed to Mosul. He was directed there by a vision, to find a certain monastery, and occupy it for the work he was to commence. He was a very ascetic Moslem, some say he was a Sufi saint, perhaps he was. In the Lebanon, the Moslems and Christians were more in the North of the country, and Ba'albek was the site of a university and a cultural center that had been established by the Moslems. However, knowing what we do know about the various sects of this nature, namely, the Sabians, Harraneans, Mandaeans, Nusairi, Druzes, and Yezidis, it is quite possible that he was a Moslem on the surface and practiced the Old Faith in secret.
We do not say this in order to tarnish any reputations or to poke holes in people's views of the past.
It is said that there is yet another sect, called the 'Adouiya, that took its name from Sheikh 'Adi, but we have nothing on this.
The Druzes shall be the subject of a later chapter. And, too, the Nusairi, shall be covered later in this work. The sacred mountain of the Druzes is Jabal ash Shaykh, otherwise known as Mount Hermon. This is where the Watchers descended, that are recorded in the Book of Enoch, and in Genesis, Chapter Six. The Yezidis, according to some of their doctrines, like we see in the Mishaf Resh (which has been stated to be, if not a forgery, then a mishmash of half truths, by the leading expert on the Yezidis today), held that the Watchers (Angels) who fell, were the ancestral spirits of the cultus. This is not out of order, certainly. This has ties to the Healers that formed the basis of the Essenian and Therapeutic cults of the Dead Sea and Egypt. Indeed, this is the central mystery behind the Gnosis, and those who would disagree should endeavour to not only read, but to experience, the Gnostic mythos as it IS.
Albert Pike wrote a side lecture on the Druzes, which supposedly includes some of their scriptures, and from the descriptions, there are some things which remind us of both the Nusairis and the Yezidis.
AT THE TIME that Sheikh 'Adi went to Mosul, or, really, to Lalesh, to the north of Mosul, in what is now called Ash Shaykh 'Adi, he came upon a Convent, dedicated to Saint John (we are not informed as to whether this was the Apostle, the Divine, or the Baptist, but we have our reasons for holding to the opinion that the cult of the Head was rather popular in the area, as much as the cult of the Twins, in the case of the Thomasine churches). Two monks there did not want to leave. In fact, the Rabban Hormizd and his supporters lamented the Yezidi movement, for the fact that Christians were being forced out of the convent. Hormizd was not of Lalesh. The Christians in the area, for the most part, were of the Nestorian variety, if they were not of the Chaldean variety. The Church in this region was known as the Church of the East. This has its parallels in the Johannite Legend of the Templars, in that while Egypt was the cradle of the Order of the East, by the time of the Crusades, this Order had centres in Syria, most notably the Hauran region, adjacent to both the Lebanon, where the Druzes are, and coastal Syria, where the Nusairi are. The legend states:
"These knights were all Freemasons from some of the Syrian Christians, who had yet retained the Mysteries of the Craft they received from their Initiation..."
Did the Yezidis get their teachings and culture solely from Sheikh 'Adi? Hardly. He brought the monastic life to a culture that, according to many, and according to its own doctrines, is descended from the Magi. Now, when we say Magi, are we referring to the Chaldean Magi, or the Persian Magi? It is hard to say, though most people think of the Persian Magi, because of the Zoroastrian dualism. There are some that say that the Yezidis were originally part of a cult within Zoroastrianism called the Zurvanists, also known as followers of Zerouane Akherane, the Unity or Aeon that is Above both Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu.
Well, we do see a septenary system and a dualistic system. It is said that the Harranians also possessed such a system. The Star Cultus, and the Dualistic cultus. The Starry Wisdom School, to quote Grant and the editor(s) of the Necronomicon; The Stellar Cult, to quote Albert Churchward.
We are not prepared to present any material at this time on the Magi cults because we have precious little. This, with time, shall be corrected.
The Mithraic cultus is said to have influenced the Yezidis. Maybe so, because of the items found on the walls outside the shrine. Yet, it has also been said that these were left by the Masons who built the shrine. One of the symbols which hardly gets noticed is the Double Headed Axe, which implies the Druzes, for which see our future survey on them.
Native cults also were influential.
Another Johannite tie-in is this: The various Fish-god statues that existed at Nineveh, Mosul, and Kouyunjik. Some say these were to Dagon, some to Oannes, one account tells us that at Mosul was a Bearded Ishtar, with the body of a fish. There is a Baphomet tie-in if ever there was one. The Jonah tradition in the area of Nineveh is not without significance either. And the idea that the Monastery was devoted to John, suggests the Oannes symbolism.
At any rate, we now take leave of this narrative, and present some of the information we have gleaned from our sources, and we shall be adding more to this, in the next few scheduled updates of AntiqIllum Version 3.
The venerable Godfrey Higgins, in his work ANACALYPSIS, Volume One, Book X, Chapter VI, Section 11, p. 715 of the facsimile edition:
"The Ishmaelites are the same, I believe, as the Nasareens or Nasourians, or Nesseenes or Nessaries, and the Yezeedis or Yezidis or Yesdes. Mr. Buckingham has observed their similarity to one another and to the Hindoo castes [Travels in Mesopotamia, 8vo., Vol. I, p. 210.]. The Yezdes or in fact Yes-des, that is, the followers of the holy Yes or IHS = 608, are said to worship Satan or Sheitan. Mr. Buckingham gives an account of them from one Père Garzoni, who says of them Ils n'ont ni jeunes, ni prières; et disent, pour justifier l'omission de ces oeuvres de religion, que le scheikh Yezid a satisfait pour tous ceux qui feront profession de sa doctrine jusqu'a la fin du monde. [P. 212.] The judgement of the father and the dependance to be placed on him, may be estimated from the following passage, which he gives a little previously: Le matin, a peine le soleil commence-t-il a paroitre, qu'ils se jettent a genoux les pieds nus, et que tournes vers cet astre, ils se mettent in adoration, le front contre terre. These people are found at present in the Mesopotamia of the Euphrates, near a place called RAS-AL-AIN, (the fountain of wisdom,) at the foot of what Mr. Buckingham calls Mt. Sinjar, and Ptolemy Mount Masius, in about lat. 37 1/2, on the River Khaboor or Chaboras. Garzoni says, they hold that the devil whom they worship has resided in Moses, Jesus, and Mohamed; that the devil has no name in their language, byt "Ils se servent tout au plus pour le designer de cette paraphrase,scheikh mazen, le grand chef." [Ibid.] I have a strong suspicion that these dwellers at Ras-el-Ain, call their chief Scheikh Raz-en, not Maz-en; and that the latter is a mistake; or M-Raz-en has become Mazen. They are a very large and powerful tribe. In their country a Chalcos, an Houran, or Urriana, are found, and in short the evident remains of the Chaldean mythos. In their doctrine the renewed incarnation in Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed, is obvious; and the creative and destructive power confounded by them or by Garzoni. In lat. about 35 1/2 is a Sulimania, and near it is a Jebel Judee. [Buckingham, p. 474.]
"In the language of the Yezeedis Yesdan means God, and it makes Yesdam in the plural. [Ibid., vol. II., p. 109.] This is evidently a Hebrew termination. The author of the Desatir calles God Yesdan. This raises a presumption that he was of this tribe -- Yes-dan, Wisdom, of YES, or YHS."
One thing worth pondering is that Yes-Dan is a sort of permutation of Dasni. Also, Dan-el was one of the Watchers who descended upon Mount Hermon, as narrated in the Book of Enoch. And, Das, may be Tas, like we find written of in Waddell's account of John the Baptist, the Sun Fire Priest.
A couple of passages from Madame Blavatsky, now considered to be an inaccurate mish-mash, but still containing perhaps a clue or more, shall serve to close off this section of our present survey.
"The Persian Iezidi say that they originally came to Syria from Busrah. They use baptism, and believe in seven archangels, though paying at the same time reverence to Satan. Their prophet Iezed, who flourished long prior to Mahomet, taught that God will send a messenger, and that the latter would reveal to him a book which is already written in heaven from the Eternity. The Nabatheans inhabited the Lebanon, as their descendants do to the present day, and their religion was from its origin purely Kabalistic. Maimonides speaks of them as if he identified them with the Sabaeans[sic]." -- II Isis, 197.
Here are jumbled together the Nabateans, Nusairi, Druzes, Mandaeans, Harranians and Nazaraeans. True, if one takes this paragraph apart, one can trace a story that goes back at least to the early centuries of the Common Era. This might just be a key to understanding that there was once one group. What we obtain from this passage is that at one time, the school that became the Yezidis was a part of the Mandaean group that migrated south to the Shatt-el-Arab. Busrah is Bostra or Bosra, east of Galilee, in the Decapolis or Hauran. Whereas the Mandaeans consider the seven planetary genii to be evil, the Yezidi reverence them. Here is Blavatsky quoting a Yezidi proverb:
"Keep friends with the demons; give them your property, your blood, your service, and you need not care about God -- He will not harm you." (I Isis, 459.)
Compare this with our oft-quoted passage from the Evans-Wentz translation of The Tibetan Book of the Dead (concerning the instructions for the 8th to 14th days, pp. 132-3):
"As for the common worldly folk, what need is there to mention them! By
fleeing, through fear, terror, and awe, they fall over the precipices into the
unhappy worlds and suffer. But the least of the least of the devotees of the
mystic Mantrayana doctrines, as soon as he sees these blood-drinking deities,
will recognize them to be his tutelary deities, and the meeting will be like
that of human acquaintances. He will trust them; and becoming merged into them,
in at-one-ment, will obtain Buddhahood.
"By having meditated on the description of these blood-drinking deities, while in the human world, and by having performed some worship or praise of them; or, at least, by having seen their painted likenesses and their images, upon witnessing the dawning of the deities at this stage, recognition of them will result, and liberation. IN THIS LIETH THE ART."
This, then, is the Secret of Secrets that hath but rarely ever been revealed. This is the Truth, yea and verily, perceived as a falsehood by the vulgar-minded. It eats them up with madness, and the fear enslaves them.
Returning to Madame,
"We have met few sects which truly practice sorcery. One such is the Yezidis, considered by some a branch of the Koords, though we believe erroneously. These inhabit chiefly the mountaintops and desolate regions of Asiatic Turkey, about Mosul, Armenia, and are found even in Syria, and Mesopotamia. [The Yezidi must number over 200,000 men altogether. The tribes which inhabit the Pushalik of Baghdad, and are scattered over the Sindjar mountains are the most dangerous, as well as the most hated for their evil practices. Their chief Sheik lives constantly near the tomb of their prophet and reformer Adi, but every tribe chooses its own sheikh among the most learned in the 'black art'...] They are called and known everywhere as devil-worshippers; and most certainly it is not either through ignorance or mental obscuration that they have set up the worship and a regular inter communication with the lowest and the most malicious of both elementals and elementaries. They recognize the present wickedness of the chief of the 'black powers'; but at the same time they dread his power, and so try to conciliate to themselves his favors. He is in an open quarrel with Allah, they say, but a reconciliation can take place between the two at any day; and those who have shown marks of their disrespect to the 'black one' may suffer for it at some future time, and thus have both God and the Devil against them. This is simply a cunning policy that seeks to propitiate his Satanic Majesty, who is no other than the great Tcherno-Bog (the black god) of the Variagi-Russ, the ancient idolatrous Russians before the days of Vladimir.
"Like Wierus, the famous demonographer of the sixteenth century (who in his PSEUDOMONARCHIA DAEMONUM describes and enumerates a regular infernal court, which has its dignitaries, princes, dukes, nobles and officers), the Yezidis have a whole pantheon of devils, and use the Jakshas, aerial spirits, to convey their prayers and respects to Satan their master, and the Afrites of the Desert. During their prayer-meetings, they join hands, and form immense rings, with their Sheik, or an officiating priest in the middle who claps his hands, and intones every verse in honor of Sheitan (Satan). Then they whirl and leap in the air. When the frenzy is at its climax, they often wound and cut themselves with their daggers, occasionally rendering the same service to their next neighbors. But their wounds do not heal and cicatrize as easily as in the case of Lamas and holy men; for but too often they fall victims to these self-inflicted wounds. While dancing and flourishing high their daggers without unclasping hands -- for this would be considered a sacrilege, and the spell instantly broken, they coax and praise Sheitan, and entrat him to manifest himself in his works by 'Miracles'. As their rites are chiefly accomplished during night, they do not fail to obtain manifestations of various character, the least of which are enormous globes of fire which take the shapes of the most uncouth animals."
Clearly Madame did not care much for the Yezidis, but it seems that she must have been describing them from a travel magazine, perhaps while she was in New York City.
Alexander Hislop left us with a legacy. Under the pretext of warning the sheep about the "papist menace", 19th century Red Scare, or Nesta Webster in reverse, what he did was to preserve ancient Pagan truths for posterity, at least for those of us who can read between the lines and separate the Tillamook from the Cheez Whiz.
Truly, thus it has been said, there was a real papist menace, there always has been since the Papacy began. It is true that the Papacy co-opted our ancient institutions and customs, and made a complete fraud and mockery of them. All the while condemning our kindred for practicing according to the Authentic Tradition.
They stole the Institutions, Rites, and Symbols of the Authentic Tradition and repackaged them in the most insidious slave religion ever concocted, at least before the 20th century of the Common Era. But, it is unnecessary to condemn the originals, since they represent Natural Religion, and Natural Practical Living, therefore they are in keeping with Nature and with the Positive Planetary Karma.
Hislop is quoting Layard [Nineveh and Babylon. If this book is ever available anywhere, kindly mail us a copy. -- The Mgt.] The book we are referring to by Hislop, of course, is THE TWO BABYLONS. This work is part of the curriculum of a present day Western Magical Organization, because of the wealth of data included between its covers. In a section referring to the practice of Lent, we learn the following:
"Such a Lent of forty days 'in the spring of the year', is still observed by the Yezidis, or Pagan Devil-Worshippers [sic] of Koordistan, [sic] (Layard's Ninevah and Babylon, p. 93.) who have inherited it from their early masters, the Babylonians." -- pp. 104-5.
Before sending us an infuriated email, remember, that we are presenting all the material that we have available to us, both positive and negative, because somewhere in the midst of it all, upon case analysis, the truth shall be revealed. Real truth is never as obviously visible as implied truth is, after all.
Next, we find the Yezidis mentioned in the chapter pertaining to the Feast of the Nativity of Saint John (John the Baptist, IOANNES, perhaps Dositheos / DOSTAI, as well; U-An, Oannes, EnKi, too perhaps? Perhaps!):
"Among the Yezidis, or Devil-Worshippers of modern Chaldea, the same festival is celebrated at this day, with rites probably almost the same, so far as circumstances will allow, as thousands of years ago, when in the same regions the worship of TAMMUZ was in all its glory. Thus graphically does Mr. Layard describe a festival of this kind at which he himself had been present:
'As the twilight faded, the fakirs, or lower orders of priests, dressed in brown garments of coarse cloth (wool?), closely-fitting to their bodies, and wearing black turbans on their heads, issued from the tomb [Our note: Cf. the Gnostic Mass, where the Priest issues from the Tomb.], each bearing a light in one hand, and a pot of oil, with a bundle of cotton wick, in the other. They filled and trimmed lamps placed in niches in the walls of the courtyard and scattered over the buildings on the sides of the valley, and even on isolated rocks, and in the hollow trunks of trees. Innumerable stars appeared to glitter on the black sides of the mountain and in the dark recesses of the forest. As the priests made their way through the crowd to perform their task, men and women passed their right hands through the flame; and after rubbing the right eyebrow with the part which had been purified by the sacred element, they devoutly carried it to their lips. Some who bore children in their arms anointed them in like manner, whilst others held out their hands to be touched by those who, less fortunate than themselves, could not reach the flame.... As night advanced, those who assembled -- they must now have amounted to nearly five thousand persons -- lighted torches, which they carried with them as they wandered through the forest. The efect was magical: the varied groups could be faintly distinguished through the darkness -- men hurrying to and fro -- women with their children seated on the house-tops -- and crowds gathering round the pedlars, who exposed their wares for sale in the court-yard. Thousands of lights were reflected in the fountains and streams, glimmered amongst the foliage of the trees, and danced in the distance. As I was gazing on this extraordinary scene, the hum of human voices was suddenly hushed, and a strain, solemn and melancholy, arose from the valley. It resembled some majestic chant which years before I had listened to in the cathedral of a distant land. Music so pathetic and so sweet I never before heard in the East. The voices of men and women were blended in harmony with the soft notes of many flutes. At measured intervals the song was broken by the loud clash of cymbals and tambourines; and those who were within the precincts of the tomb then joined in the melody..... The tambourines, which were struck simultaneously, only interrupted at intervals the song of the priests. As the time quickened they broke in more frequently. The chant gradually gave way to a lively melody, which, increasing in measure, was finally lost in a confusion of sounds. The tambourines were beaten with extraordinary energy -- the flutes poured forth a rapid flood of notes -- the voices were raised to the highest pitch -- the men outside joined in the cry -- whilst the women made the rocks resound with the shrill tahlehl.
"'The musicians, giving way to the excitement, threw their instruments into the air, and strained their limbs into every contortion, until they fell exhausted to the ground. I never heard a more frightful yell than that which rose in the valley. It was midnight. Thus were probably celebrated ages ago the mysterious rites of the Corybantes, when they met in some consecrated grove.' Layard does not state at what period of the year this festival occurred; but his language leaves little doubt that he regarded it as a festival of Bacchus; in other words, of the Babylonian Messiah, whose tragic death and subsequent restoration to life and glory, formed the corner-stone of ancient Paganism. The festival was avowedly held in honour at once of Sheikh Shems, or the Sun, and of the Sheikh Adi, or 'Prince of Eternity', around whose tomb nevertheless the solemnity took place, just as the lamp festival of Egypt, in honour of the sun-god Osiris, was celebrated in the precincts of the tomb of that god at Sais." -- pp. 119-120.
[This festival is probably that festival which is mentioned in the Hastings' article as taking place on the 10th of August.]
Finally, in discussing Lamps and Wax Candles, Hislop speaks of this festival:
"When the Yezidis of Koordistan, at this day, once a year celebrate their festival of 'burning lamps' that, too, is to the honour of Sheikh Shems, or the Sun (identified with Sheikh Adi...)" -- pp. 191-192.
How is all this identified with the festival of John the Baptist, whose feast is in late June? While we might not be able to regard Shah / Daraul as a quotable source, ponder the following, and consider it "Food for thought, and grounds for further research":
"The focus of the religion is the former Christian monastery of Lalesh, where Sheikh Adi lived his last years surrounded by disciples and zealously performing miracles. This is the Shrine to which pilgrimages take place. this, too, is where the shiny black snake (symbolizing regeneration and reincarnation) lies, carved against the portal of the sacred precincts. The snake is blackened each morning with the soot from the olive-oil lamps which are kept perpetually burning. The symbolism of this is that 'the soot is the product of the oil, which does not die, as nothing really dies; it is but changed.'
"The baptism which is a part of Yezidi ceremonies is not an essential feature, but is a symbolic act of dedication by the person being baptized. This is reflected in the words which are used by the officiating priest: 'As in this clean water you purify yourself so shall you cast off sin, as evil has been cast off from the world, and exists not except in the minds of evil-doers; therefore, be this your resolve reaffirmed, not to think evil.'" -- A History of Secret Societies, pages 154-155.
In a French work, which we have not yet translated, we found a reference to the Tomb of Sheikh Adi, being Notice sur la secte des Yezidis, by Siouffi:
"This one [Sheikh Adi] received one day a divine revelation thus conceived: "although to be born in Syria, this country will not be your final resting place. Transport yourself to Maraga (2) where you shall find the Christian convent of Hanna and Mar-Hanna (John and Saint-John). You find the monks that live in this convent and you yourself take it, for I give it to you." When Sheikh Adi himself was presented in the convent, the two monks that we have just named kept only the cloister, refusing to him to yield their dwelling and turn away. Not having wanted to remove them from the building by force, the Sheik left, went to live in a cave that he found in the vicinity. After his departure, the two Christian monks themselves changed into snakes and directed themselves towards the dwelling of the Sheik with the intention of killing him. The Sheikh having seen them coming, recognized them and himself changed to an epoque(?) or the two monks were to find themselves in his service. (3)
2. The Yezidis claim that the locality of this name was then in the mountains of Amadiya that begin fifteen leagues to the northeast of Mossoul.
3. The era of which it acts himself here is the one where 'Adi existed again in his divine state, that is to say before his incarnation.
After this, the two snakes returned to the human form, and prostrated themselves before the Sheikh, and prayed, and gave him the grotto as well as the grounds around the monastery, and the monastery itself to the service of the Sheikh.
15 Leagues north-east of Mosul: about 50 miles. This is where Ash Sheikh Adi is located, which also means that this is where Lalish is. This would tend to confirm the Daraul account. This was a convent of Saint John.
There is a Marhan Dagli on the Border between Iraq and Turkey, north of Amadiyah. We do not know anything about it, save that we found it on the map in our 1930 edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Just another reason why the older versions are superior to the present day ones, and why we wouldn't even cite Encarta or Compton's as most people do these days!
We have not so far been able to find a monastery of Saint John, or Mar-Hanna in Lalish, or in the same vicinity, so far as the record is concerned, in the few Christian histories we possess relating to the region. If so, this may be more than a mere wonder tale. It may indicate a Johannite survival. John the Baptist, John the Aryan Sun Fire Priest (as per Waddell), John, like Crassus, having his head cut off, ceremonially. Crassus being disposed of during the Bacchic mysteries at Harran, the festival of the lamps at Lalish being similar to the Saint John festival. Interesting parallels. Now, did these people meet the first Templars? Were they the Johannites? We doubt it, but then, we did not, until a week before this is published, know about the Mar-Hanna monastery. Perhaps Godfrey Higgins has a clue or more in his works?
We are not going to write a history of the Sufis, nor are we going to elaborate on their doctrines. We present basic materials here, showing a connection with the Authentic Tradition.
"I am the winedrinker and the wine and the cup-bearer."
"I went from God to God, until they cried from me in me,
'O Thou I.'" -- Bayezid, Sufi Saint, d. 874 c.e.
Sufism is truly the hallmark of Islamic mysticism. It is truly the primary tradition which has influenced every other. We shall here refer to our antiquated, but superior, edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, the 14th Edition (any spare sets of the 11th Ed. lying around collecting dust? Send them to us, we use that sort of thing like other people use groceries.) EB-21:523a-c:
"SUFIISM (TASAWWUF) is formed from the Arabic word Sufi, which was applied, in the second century of Islam, to men or women who adopted an ascetic or quietistic way of life. The word SUFI from SUF (wool) refers to the garments worn by such persons.
"Sufiism was originally a practical religion, not a speculative system. It arose, as Junayd of Baghdad says, 'from hunger and taking leave of the world and breaking familiar ties and renouncing what men deem good, not from disputation.' The early Sufis were closely attached to the Muslim Church. It is said that Abu Hashim of Kufa (d. before AD 800) founded a monastery for Sufis at Ramleh in Palestine, but such fraternities seem to have been exceptional. Many ascetics of this period used to wander from place to place, either alone or in small parties, sometimes living by alms, and sometimes by their own labours...
"In the evolution of Sufism, influences outside of Islam made themselves powerfully felt. Christian influence had its source, not in the Church, but in the hermits and UNORTHODOX SECTS, to whose ideal of unworldliness Sufism owed much. More than one Sufi doctrine -- that of TAWAKKUL in particular -- show traces of Christian teachings. The monastic strain which insinuated itself into Sufiism in spite of Mohammed's prohibition, was derived, partially at any rate, from Christianity. But Buddhistic influence may also have been at work. Buddhism flourished in Balkh, Transoxiana, and Turkestan before the Mohammedan conquest and in later times Buddhist monks carried their religious practices and philosophy among the Muslims who had settled in these countries. The use of rosaries, the doctrine of Fana, which is probably a form of Nirvana, and the system of 'stations', (Maqamat) on the road thereto, would seem to be Buddhistic in their origin. The third great foreign influence on Sufiism is the NeoPlatonic Philosophy. Between A.D. 800 and 860 the tide of Greek learning, then at its height, streamed into Islam. The so-called 'Theology of Aristotle' which was translated into Arabic about A. D. 840, is full of Neo-Platonic theories, and the mystical writings of the Pseudo Dionysius, were widely known throughout western Asia. It is not mere coincidence that the doctrine of Gnosis was first worked out in detail by the Egyptian Sufi, Dhu-L Nun (d. A. D. 859), for Sufiism on its theosophical side was largely a product of Alexandrian speculation."
In the world religions textbook, MAN'S RELIGIONS, Sixth Edition, 1980, by John B. Noss, we learn more about the evolution of Mysticism within the Dar ul Islam:
"The forerunners of the Mystics appeared almost as soon as Islam reached Syria. Early in the Umayyad caliphate, Syrian Muslims, yearning to know Allah in this strange context and influenced by, among other things, passages from the New Testament, wandered about, neither begging nor yet working for a living, but endlessly reciting a litany of the 'beautiful names' and titles of Allah and resigning themselves to his care, in trustful dependence on such a promise as that contained in the saying of Jesus: 'Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.' Ascetics rather than mystics, they practiced an utter indifference toward hunder and illness or the abuse they received from men, saying that they must be under the hand of Allah 'as passive as a corpse under the hand of him who washes it.' In Iraq there was al-Hasan of Basra (d. 728), an ascetic who was at the same time a religious scholar. His holy life caused him to be revered as a saint in his own lifetime. He rejected this world (DUNYA) as a 'lower' place full of wretchedness and grief and called upon his hearers to seek heavenly mansions which long ages will not decay nor alter.'
"The first Sufis to bear the name (meaning 'wool-wearer', i.e., wearers of the ascetics' coarse, undyed woollen robe) appeared in the eighth century, but they soon went beyond their forerunners in the development of intellectual and mystical interests that took them into directed contemplation. Eventually, although they based themselves on the Qur'an, they sought philosophical aid from Neo-Platonism and Gnosticism, while Christian monasticism supplied them with hints toward organization. They adopted a monkish rule of life, practiced long vigils and stated periods of meditation, and finally gathered into fraternities (this by the twelfth century) with communal religious services, marked by Muslim rituals and music much like that of the Christian churches. Their consuming interest was Union with God NOW rather than AFTER DEATH. Because there were no distinctively Muslim lines of thought to guide them, they strained at the leash of Muslim orthodoxy toward mysticism and pantheism." -- pp. 523-4.
"God is the sole reality (AL-HAQQ) and is above all names and definitions. He is not only absolute being, but also absolute good, and therefore absolute beauty. It is the nature of beauty to desire manifestation; the phenomenal universe is the result of this desire, according to the famous tradition in which God says, 'I was a hidden treasure and I desired to be known, so I created the creatures in order that I might be known.' As things can be known only through their opposites, being can only be known through not-being, wherein as in a mirror being is reflected; and this reflection is the phenomenal universe, which accordingly has no more reality than a shadow cast by the sun.
"The Sufi theosophy as it appears in Persian and Turkish poetry tends to abolish the distinction between Good and Evil -- the latter is nothing but an aspect of not-being and has no real existence -- and it leads to the deification of the hierophant who can say, like Husain b. Mansur al-HALLAJ, 'I am the Truth.' Sufi fraternities, living in a convent under the direction of a shaykh, became widely spread before A. D. 1100 and gave rise to dervish orders, most of which INDULGE IN THE PRACTICE OF EXCITING ECSTASY BY MUSIC, DANCING, DRUGS, AND VARIOUS KINDS OF HYPNOTIC SUGGESTION." -- EB-21:524a.
Idries Shah, alleged Sufi Master, wrote many books on the Sufis. See our note above on Shah. From his writings, it is clear that the Sufis claim to be at the root of all religions, secret societies, myths, fables, and most of the important institutions and customs of the Middle, Near, and Far East as well as the Mediterranean and Western Europe. In The Way of the Sufi, p. 20, he mentions the "Near Eastern Cult of the Peacock Angel." In a list that includes everything from Robinson Crusoe and Aesop's fables to the Oxford University Press, Illuminati,, Rosicrucians, Templars, and Masons, and:
"In the secret books of the Ismailis, in the organization, name and techniques of some of the so-called Assassins..."
In his footnote to the Peacock Angel cult, he states that it was founded by the Sufi Master Sheikh Adi ben Musafir (died 1162). In Hastings' ERE, 12:830, their great saint, Sheikh Adi ben Musafir died in 1155. Their greatest festival is in honor of him, on 10 August, held in the village of Ba'adri, where a procession of flagellants takes place, and fires of naphtha and bitumen are kept burning.
The relationship between Sheikh Adi and the Yezidis, however, has been challenged in recent years. In an article we found online, entitled The Yezidis of Kurdistan -- Are They Really Zoroastrians? written by Noshir H. Dadrawala, a Zoroastrian, gives at least one of these challenges.
"Dr. R. C. Zaehner in 'The Hutchinson Encyclopaedia of Living Faiths,' considers the Yezidi faith as an "aberrant form of the Sufi movement."'
We can see some relationships, but as we shall see, the Yezidis are more of a native movement, than a group of ascetics. The Sufis actually sound much more like a survival of the Qadosh Fathers themselves. We must expand on this material in a future revision, and as we acquire more information. Be sure and make known any such information as would be helpful to the work.
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