God and Sheikh Adi are Perfect: Sacred Poems and Religious Narratives from the Yezidi TraditionUntil the late 20th century the West was unaware of the existence of an extensive corpus of Yezidi religious texts. These were traditionally transmitted orally, and were kept secret from outsiders. It was not until the 1970s that a few Yezidi intellectuals began to commit these texts to writing. These first publications included only specimens of the most prestigious genres, which for a time were thought to be representative of Yezidi religious literature as a whole. It was later discovered, however, that this literature was far richer. Furthermore it became clear that an understanding of Yezidi oral culture as a whole was indispensable for a proper understanding of the religious texts.The present work offers the reader a representative selection of the main genres of Yezidi religious texts, with translation and commentary. The texts are intended, moreover, to cover the topics most often addressed in the Yezidi religious tradition.The first introductory chapter aims to introduce the reader to the Yezidi community's history, aspects of its religion, and its social structures and institutions. The next chapter focuses on some of the implications of the oral transmission of this literature and on its contents, especially the sacred history of Yezidism. The third chapter discusses aspects of orality and the transition to written culture, questions of performance and reception, and the formal characteristics of the various types of texts. |
Contents
ASPECTS OF YEZIDI SOCIETY AND CULTURE | 3 |
Rites of passage | 18 |
Topics | 24 |
The End of Time | 33 |
STRUCTURE FUNCTIONS AND FORMS | 40 |
33 | 50 |
22 | 61 |
EARLY HISTORY OF THE FAITH AND COMMUNITY | 112 |
Dua û Qewlê ŞêŞims The Prayer and Hymn to Sheikh Shems | 201 |
STORIES DERIVING FROM THE ISLAMIC | 225 |
Beyta Bilbila The Beyt of Nightingales | 256 |
RELIGIOUS LIFE AND SYMBOLS | 262 |
of Basra | 270 |
Dûa Mirazê The Prayer of Wishes | 279 |
MORALISTIC TEXTS PROPER BEHAVIOUR | 288 |
DEATH GRIEF AND CONSOLATION | 317 |
Qewlê Pîr Dawud The Hymn of Pir Dawud | 127 |
Çîroka Pêdabûna Sura ÊzîThe Story of the Appearance | 145 |
Qewlê Mezin The Great Hymn | 157 |
112 | 163 |
131 | 169 |
Çîroka Pîr Mendî GorThe Story of Pir Mend of the Grave | 188 |
END OF TIMES | 364 |
MYSTICAL THEMES | 376 |
OTHER THEMES | 386 |
INDEX | 413 |
BIBLIOGRAPHY | 431 |
Common terms and phrases
Adi's Anku axiretê babê Basra Bedredîn behrê Belê berî Birahîm Xelîl bûm bûn çend Çendî çî ciyê Dawud derê dervish derwêş destê dibêjit dibit diket dikire dilê dît earth Ewan Ewî ezman Fekhredin Feqirs gotê hatin Heke hemû heta hezar holy hûn Ibrahim the Friend Islamic Ismail kerema khirqe King kirin KREYENBROEK 1995 Kurd Kurdish kurê Lalişê Lalish ligel liser mala malê Melek Melik mezin Mi'awî minî Mîr Mihê Mosul Mu'awiya mystical nabit navê Nebî Nemrud ocean Pîr Pir Mend Prophet Qazî Qewl Qewlê Qewwals religious Şamê serê Şerfedîn Şêşims Şêx Şêx Hesen Şêxê Shari'a Sheikh Adi Sheikh Hesen Sheikh Shems Sherfedin Siltan Êzî Simaîl Şîxadî Sufi Sultan Ezi wekî White Spring xoş xudan Xudê yebor Yezidi Yezidi tradition Zangid