The Yazidi religious centre and object of the annual pilgrimage is the tomb of Shaykh ’Adi. This saint was a 11 th century Muslim mystic, believed to have achieved divinity through metempsychosis. It is located at a former Christian monastery in the town of Ash-Shaykh ’Adi, north of Mosul.

Shaykh Adi, the chief Yazidi saint, Other historical elements This myth has earned the Yazidi an undeserved reputation as devil worshippers, since for them God has basically handled the controls of the universe to the Devil. The Yazidi relate that when the devil (which they call “Melek Taus” or “Malik Taus” or, alternatively, “good devil”. The usual, such as “prince of darkness”, Satan, Shaitan, or “lord of the evening” is also OK) repented of his sin of pride before God, he was forgiven. He then returned to his position as chief of the angels. Yazidi are anti-dualists. They deny the existence of evil and therefore also reject sin, the Devil, and Hell. The breaking of divine laws is expiated by way of metempsychosis, or transmigration of souls, which allows for progressive purification of the spirit.

The seven angels are worshipped by the Yazidi in the form of seven bronze or iron peacock figures called sanjaq, the largest of which weighs nearly 700 pounds. The chief divine figure of the Yazidi is Malak Taus (“Peacock Angel”), worshipped in the form of a peacock. He rules the universe with six other angels, but all seven are subordinate to the supreme God, who has had no direct interest in the universe since he created it. They themselves believe that they are created quite separately from the rest of mankind, not even being descended from Adam. They have kept themselves strictly segregated from the people among whom they live.Īlthough scattered and probably numbering fewer than 100,000, (some say as low as 50K) they have a well-organized society, with a chief shaykh as the supreme religious head and an amir, or prince, as the secular head.

The Yazidi religion is a syncretism of Zoroastrian, Manichaean, Jewish, Nestorian Christian and Islamic elements. The Yazidi themselves are thought to be descended from supporters of the Umayyad Caliph Yazid 1.

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