The Yazidis are a people that today live in the northern regions of Iraq. They started talking about them after the attack of the terrorist organization ISIS (banned in the Russian Federation) aimed at representatives of this ethnic group. Then the Yazidis resolutely stood up to defend their homeland.
With growing interest in the people, attention to the traditions of the Yazidis also increases. They are part of the original and unique culture of the ethnic group. And today they profess traditional religion, remaining adherents of ancient customs and rituals. What do the Yazidis believe? How are their holidays going? What can you see at a Yazidi wedding?
Yazidi beliefs
One of the distinctive features of the Yazidi culture was their religion. These people adhere to a certain direction of belief, which is called Yazidism. This faith was formed on the basis of elements of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.
According to the Yazidis, there is one god, whose assistants are seven angels. Chief among them is Jabrail (or Malak Tavus), who is depicted as a peacock.
Jabrail or Malak Tavus, the main angel of the Yazidis
Religion plays a vital role in the life of the Yazidis. This is reflected not only in daily rituals or celebrations, but also in the social structure. I want to point out that the most respected segments of society are the performers of prayer hymns, which represent the highest class of Yazidis.
However, adherents of Islam do not always support the Yazidis. In their opinion, the main angel of the Yazidis is fallen, and therefore some Muslim critics describe the Yazidis as worshipers of an evil spirit.
Max-Karl Tilke “Yazidis in traditional clothes”, 1920 Location: Collection of the National Museum of Georgia
Where live
The people live mainly in the north of Iraq in Iraqi Kurdistan and European countries. They live in communities in the villages of the regions of Aragatsotn, Ararat, Shirak, and the cities of Yerevan, Abovyan, Vanadzor, Tashir, Dilijan. The people migrated to the east of Armenia in the thousands, where they settled in the regions of Aparan, Surmalu, Talin, Ashtarak, Etchmiadzin, Armavir. During World War I, the Armenian genocide, even greater migration occurred. The Yezidis fled from the provinces of Kars, Van, Surmalu and also settled in the regions of eastern Armenia. Officially, Yazidi societies are registered in Turkey, Armenia, Russia, and Georgia.
Yazidis and caste principles
All Yezidis are divided into two groups, representing a spiritual or secular direction. Even in our time, representatives of one class do not have the right to intermarry with another. For example, a person who comes from one of the three spiritual castes cannot marry a representative of the secular direction - Murid.
Even within the spiritual castes themselves there are strict restrictions. As I noticed, the Yazidi clergy has three groups (fakirs, sheikhs, pirs), and the establishment of family ties between them is prohibited.
Story
The ancestors of the Yazidis have lived in northern Iraq since ancient times. During the existence of the Ottoman Empire, they were forced to move to neighboring states to escape extermination and defend their freedom. The Muslim world subjected the people to persecution that lasted for centuries. Over 12 centuries, neighboring Islamic peoples attacked the Yazidis 72 times, committed genocide, and sought to destroy their culture and faith.
According to representatives of the nationality, for the last 1,000 years they have been forced to live with weapons in their hands, trying to preserve their religion. During this period, there were many battles in the areas where the Yazidis lived. The people consider the Arab invasion of the region to be the strongest blow. Islam brought enormous suffering to the people; many were then forced to accept this religion. In the 20th century, near the Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah, archaeologists found a scroll that described in detail the Yazidis’ resistance to the invaders. In a few days, the enemy executed about 100,000 townspeople, who were Yezidis, Zoroastrians who refused to convert to Islam. Those who remained alive were captured or converted to Islam. They were used to attack and destroy the escaped Yazidis who were hiding in the high mountains.
Yazidi prohibitions
The Yazidis have a lot of rituals and no less number of prohibitions. For example, at the birth of a child, at a wedding or funeral, representatives of the pir castes or sheikhs must be present. There are taboos associated with eating food.
For example, Yazidis do not eat rooster meat, fish, cabbage, or pumpkin. You cannot choose blue items for everyday wear - they are appropriate only for mourning. When visiting a bathhouse, Yazidis do not wash with soap, as they consider this to be a desecration of the water. The Yazidis call the evil spirit Shaitan, but pronouncing this word is strictly prohibited - as are a number of others associated with it. It is believed that this way you can invite trouble and attract illness to yourself and your family.
Yezidis from the Sheikh caste / tvernews.ru
The Yazidi people have an idea of terrible “sins” that may seem strange to a foreigner. These include the following offenses: marrying a person of a different faith, being related to a person belonging to a different caste, using force against a person from a spiritual caste.
Probably, this may seem ridiculous to us, but the Yazidis sacredly preserve the ancient principles and laws of society. Moreover, these prohibitions certainly cannot be called humorous. Even today, among the Yazidis, murders sometimes occur due to suspicion of a person’s connection with a non-religious person or a member of a different caste. I was amazed that during the massacre, outsiders are in no hurry to stand up for the person who committed the “sin,” and law enforcement officers look at it “through their fingers.”
Name
There are three options for the origin of the ethnonym “Yezidi”:
- from the name of the city of Ezden in the ancient state of Adiabene;
- the people of Sultan Yezid, who had the nickname Red Yezid;
- Legend has it that the leader of the ancient Adabi people led his people across the Red Sea from ancient Nubia to Arabia. The people came to the country of Dilmun, where they founded the city of Sham. Based on another theory, Sultan Yezid took part in a battle with an unknown people, got very dirty with blood, for which he was called the Red Yazid, and the people whose country he conquered were called Yazidis.
Yazidi wedding traditions
The main event in the life of the Yazidis is considered to be a wedding. This is a crucial step that firmly connects not only two young people, but also their families. In former times, a wedding was preceded by matchmaking and a viewing party, at which the groom's parents could choose a bride for their son. Today, most young Yazidis prefer to look for a bride themselves. Nevertheless, even today in Yazidi villages they adhere to the same rituals.
For the viewing, the groom's relatives come to visit the girl's family. To evaluate the future bride, she is asked to bring water. This allows you to look at the girl from a close distance, after which the guests thank her and give her the vessel. If the girl is liked by the matchmakers, they discuss with her relatives the time of the next visit. If her parents agree to marry off their daughter, the next time the groom gives her a valuable gift, which confirms the seriousness of his intentions.
Yazidis revere traditions / middleeasteye.net
Yazidi weddings begin early in the morning, and relatives, friends and neighbors who have long lived near the families are invited as guests. The celebration begins at the groom's house, but by mid-day the procession leaves for the bride's home. Her family greets guests at a table set in the middle of the courtyard. Guests from the groom's side say congratulations, after which they present gifts to the bride, wishing her love and a happy family life.
Two shawls tied together become an interesting accessory for the bride. This detail is an important part of the wedding ritual. One of the shawls has already belonged to the bride, and the second is presented at the celebration by the groom’s relatives. Having tied them together, the girl remains in them until the end of the celebration - this shows the unity of the past and future life, the destinies of two people are tightly connected.
The traditions of the Yazidis are a wonderful world of ancient culture and beliefs, rituals, and principles that are unusual for us. Yes, sometimes the morals of the Yazidis may seem too harsh and even harsh, but this people themselves are distinguished by good nature and respect for other people, which the Yazidis also demand in relation to themselves.
Yazidi wedding: traditions and customs, photos
The Yazidis are a people living mainly in the northern part of Iraq and speaking the Kurdish language.
They have their own thousand-year history of origin and interesting historical traditions, including wedding ones. Nowadays, Yazidi weddings have become widespread in Russia, so they are no longer as exotic as they used to be. Let's take a closer look at how Yazidi weddings are held and what traditions exist at them.
Life
Previously, most of the people lived in inaccessible mountains, where the enemies of the conquerors could not penetrate. For centuries they had to defend themselves, to defend their lands. High stone fences were built around the dwellings. The Yazidis live in communities; they are divided into different clans with their own names, which were given to them by their historical ancestors.
The main activity of the Yazidis since ancient times has been cattle breeding. Mainly sheep are raised. In addition, they engage in gardening and farming. Among modern representatives of the people there are office workers, workers, representatives of the scientific, humanitarian, and technical intelligentsia who live and work in cities. Weaving and tailoring have long been developed among women. They make carpets, carpets, and various decorations for clothing.
Language
The people speak Ezdiki, which is a dialect of the Kurdish Kurmanji language, which belongs to the Iranian group of the Aryan branch of the Indo-European family of languages. In the 11th century, the people had their own alphabet of 33 letters, which is not used today. Thanks to the initiative of academician Aziz Tamoyan and journalist Hasan Tamoyan, a new alphabet was created based on Latin and Russian letters. Today it publishes fiction books, textbooks, and newspapers. The Yazidis have a national school, and a radio program is broadcast daily in the Yazidi language.
Appearance
Cloth
The traditional costume of the Yezidi Taraz is still found today in the settlements where the people live. Women wear white shalwars (hevalkras), a shirt (kras), a waist-length garment consisting of two aprons (deira), an apron (shalek), and a sleeveless vest (elak). In winter, they wear a velvet jacket (kolk), a wool belt (bane pshte), and a cone-shaped headdress trimmed with silver coins. They decorate clothes with silver belts (kamars). The Yazidis treat their traditional costume with great respect. Men wore long beards and braided hair.
Culture
The traditional culture of the people consists of several genres:
- songs
- prayers
- legends
- proverbs
- sayings
- beliefs
- customs
- religious ceremonies
- fairy tales
All of them reflect the age-old wisdom and national identity of the people.
Yazidi musical instruments:
- drum "daf"
- zurna
- duduk
- maya
- fic
- blur
The music consists of original melodies unique to this people. They are based on a special decrease and increase in tonality. It is worth noting the Yazidi ballads, they talk about the exploits of heroes. In culture there are labor, everyday, and wedding songs that reflect the wisdom and soul of the people.
Applied arts are present in the culture. The Yezidis are great masters of handicrafts; all products are created with a national, pronounced flavor.
