Contents bid 3515) X ot SRERSREREMENGNEC STEP Sr Srerararardrarseaesr ea a5n7a" Sane ener enarararart XI INTRODUCTION 1, ASPECTS OF YEZIDI SOCIETY AND CULTURE story EEE AEE ee eb eb echt sei hice becte eee eee etree Eee S Set et 3 Social Structures, Castes and Lineages . 6 Social groups 6 Lineages of Sheikhs and Pirs . . . 8 Titles and offices. 6.0.0. e ee cette tte tt cnee 9 Institutionalised relationships 11 Holy Beings and Holy Places . 12 Religious Observances... 1... 15 Verbal and non-verbal acts of worship... 20 ee eee eee 15 Festivals 15 Rites of passage : aus : : 18 Prohibitions 2... ec eee re eens 18 2. THE YEZIDI TRADITION: CHARACTERISTICS AND CONTENTS Sacred History in an Oral Culture ©... 20-60 e eee ee eee 19 Esoteric and exoteric realities ©... 06 eee ee ee eee 21 The indistinct character of Holy Beings ...-----+.++--5 22 The ‘inclusive’ nature of the Tradition .......-...00008 22 Topics 2... tte tee 24 The Time of Creation. ....- : Pease eeeeeHet 25 Pre-eternity.......+5- . see eee eee 25 25 From Pristine to ProfaneVill Contents Differentiation tbs sees Ate Past beta eat beatae Manifestation: phenomena coming down to earth . . Mediation: powers linking both worlds ............-- The profane world ©... 6... cee eee eee ee The Time of Sheikh Adi 2.2... ee eee TheEndof Time 2... 2.6.6 ee eens Yezidismand Islam 2... 6... ee eee brits: eq aneneneceracerararereCersceracsrery cerseeyete7e36%6]070]9757sCeCerer! 3, STRUCTURE, FUNCTIONS AND FORMS OF THE TEXTUAL TRADITION Orality and Writing in the Yezidi Tradition .............-- Ideal and reality of written texts in traditional Yezidism ..... . Some implications of orality 2.6... 0. ee eee Textuality and the question ofaCanon.............045 Reception and intellectual context. ..........+0000005 The role of writing in modern Yezidi culture . . . Performancess-5 26-4. -ietade-aeachiecfactta eect seh aiid Categories of Discourse and Formal Characteristics .......-... Prose narratives 22-2... eee Categories of poetry 2... eee ee eee Formal characteristics 2.2... 2. eee eee ee EDITION CREATION AND EARLY HISTORY OF THE WORLD Qewlé Zebini Meksiir—The Hymn of the Weak Broken One... . . Qewlé Afirina Dinyayé—The Hymn of the Creation of the World . Qewilé Bé Elif—The HymnofBandA .............2005 Qewlé Hezar & Yek Nav—The Hymn of the Thousand and One Names Qewlé fmané—The Hymn of the Faith ................. Qewlé Qendila—The Hymn of the Lights ..........-.... Qewlé Qere Fergan—The Hymn of the Black Furqan.... 2... 40 40 44 44 45 45 47 48 49 49 52 57 66 71 74Contents Dit‘a Bawiriyé—The Prayer of Belief ...........-...204 Dii‘a Ziyaretbiin—The Prayer of Pilgrimage ...........-.. Div‘a Tifaqé—The Prayer of Agreement ..............004 EARLY HISTORY OF THE FAITH AND COMMUNITY Ciroka Siltani Zeng ii Sixadi, Bedredin a $éx Hesenti Séx Mend— The Story of the Zangid Sultan and Sheikh Adi, Bedredin, Sheikh Hesen and Sheikh Mend... 2.0... ccc eee eee Transcription 2... 1. eee eee sTramsl ation ta cepa eeepc be beceisdaei et eect et eee eee Qewlé Pir Dawud—The Hymn of Pir Dawud ...........0. Ciroka Pédabana Sura £zi—The Story of the Appearance of the Mystery of Ezine eee eee Transcription 6... 22. ee eee Translation. 2... eee Qewlé Mezin—The Grea Hymn... 0... eee eee Qewlé Mela Aba Bekir—The Hymn of Mullah Abu Bekir ..... . Qewlé Séxadi i Méra—The Hymn of Sheikh Adi and the Holy Men. STORIES ABOUT HOLY FIGURES Qewlé Exdine Mir—The Hymn of EzdinaMir............. Ciroka Pir Mendi Gor—The Story of Pir Mend of the Grave .... . Transcription 2.6... eee Translation... 1... ee ee Qewlé Rabi‘e il-‘Edewiye —The Hymn of Rabi‘a al“Adawiyya ... Dua i Qewlé $é$ims—The Prayer and Hymn to Sheikh Shems ... Beyta Sibé yan Beyta $ésims—The Beyt of the Morning or The Beyt of Sheikh Shems .... 2.0.0.0... 000000000 Béta $éx & Pira—The Beyt of Sheikhs and Pirs . . . pac : Adiye $éxé Mine—“Adi is my Sheikh” ...............- Qesida $éSims # Melik Fexredin —The Qeside of Sheikh Shemsand Melik Fekhredin. 2.2... eee eee 118 184 188 188 191 196 201x Contents Qesida Serfedin —The Qeside of Sherfedin...........005 221 Qesida Hesin Meman—The Qeside of Hesen Meman....... - 222 Qesida Mehmed Regan —The Qeside of Mehmed Reshan ..... 223 STORIES DERIVING FROM THE ISLAMIC OR JUDAEO-CHRISTIAN TRADITION Ciroka Birahim Xelil ligel Qewlé Birahim Xelil i Nemridi Qewlé Nebi Ismail—The Tale of Ibrahim the Friend including the Hymn of Ibrahim the Friend and Nemrud and the Hymn of Ismail ....... 225 Transcription 2... 1. ee eee 226 Translation... 1 eee 239 Beyta Bilbila—The Beyt of Nightingales ...............- 256 RELIGIOUS LIFE AND SYMBOLS Misbabet: Derwésé Bacaré Besrayé—Mishabet: The dervish of the city Ct Baka EE act ata sotto teeta ee 262 Transcription «2... 2... eee 262 fi Fe-L 1s 0): We gB S986 B90 )eReONenarerarePsrerseeeaeqevenererecerererersterse’ 270 Dii‘a Mirazé—The Prayer of Wishes... 2.2... 0-2000-00008 279 SPiroze EEG Eee eee eee eS See eS a atte tte 281 MORALISTIC TEXTS, PROPER BEHAVIOUR Mishabet i Siret—Sermon and Exhortation ..........00.04 288 ‘Pranscription Hass sees eee eee epee eee eee 288 ‘Rranslateon epee ees st s-st sb seit he eee See eee eS ectacta cit 290 Qewlé Miridiyé—The Hymn of the Mirids ..........0.005. 292 Qewlé Seqeseri—The Hymn of Proper Conduct ............ 296 Beyta Nesiheta—The Beyt of Advice 301 Transcription 302 ‘Wranslation 2p ee ee a bee oe EEE et atacte tet 308 DEATH, GRIEF AND CONSOLATION Dastan i Beyta Mir Mihé—The Tale and Beyt of Mir Mih 317 Transcription 317 Beyta Mir Mibé... 0.0.0.0 0.0.0 s teste t ele. 324Contents PT ramslationn 24. -tectecte-te-fa-pi-pitepe tre oh ob ob oa tectecte-ta-te te tebeebe hh The Beyt of MirMih. .. 0.000 e cece cee eee eee Qewlé Seremergé—The Hymn of the Moment of Death. ....... Qewlé Cumcumi Siltan—The Hymn of the Sultan’s Skull... ...- Qewlé $éxé Heseni Siltane —The Hymn of Sheikh Hesen the Sultan . Qewlé Mitsa—The Hymn of Moses... 0.0 eee eee eee END OF TIMES Qewlé Tercal ~The Hymn of the False Saviour... 2.002205 Qewlé $erfedin—The Hymn of Sherfedin.. 2.0.4.2 005 MYSTICAL THEMES Qewlé Babeké Omera—The Hymn of Babeke Omera .......-- Qewlé Asé Mibbeté—The Hymn of the Mill of Love......- +++ OTHER THEMES Qewlé ‘Erd A ‘Ezman—The Hymn of Earthand Sky .....-..- Qewlé Keniya Mara—The Hymn of the Laughter of Snakes... . « Xizémok .. 0 ee Versionl ©... et eee Version2 2... eee eee eee Payizok Robarin ABBREVIATIONS .....- 2002 ee eee BIBLIOGRAPHY .....- 2... 20s eee ee eee eee XI 327 337 341 350 355 360 364 368 376 379