Philip G. Kreyenbroek

Part 6

The question of the origin of yazidism clearly occupied the first place in the minds of researchers. Layard, while recognizing Christian, Islamic, and some Gnostic and Manichaean influences, attached great importance to the tradition claiming that the Yazidis originally came from southern Iraq. This led him to postulate that the origins of the faith are Sabian or Chaldean. Badger, on the other hand, believed that both names - "Yazid" and "Sheikh ADI" - were used to refer to a good deity. He drew an obvious parallel with Zoroastrianism and claimed that the original form of this religion "was distorted by Persian magicians with a different mixture of foreign idolatry". According to Badger, the Sabians were the main culprit behind the introduction of these idolatrous elements.

The links between Yazidis and Sabians have also been investigated and references to similarities between Yazidis are repeated in later literature. Jolson came to the conclusion that cults like Sabian and Yezidis must trace back to the ancient faith, which was not associated with Zoroastrianism. A few years earlier, the German historian of religion A. Neander came to a similar conclusion, although for other reasons. Neander argued that if similar beliefs are found among another group, the Yazidis must either have close ties to that group or their beliefs must have a common origin.

IDENTIFICATION OF SHEIKH ADI

After the early stories of Layard, badger and other travellers, it was the work of a local resident, the French Vice-Consul in Mosul, N. Siuffi, that was to mark a new stage in the study of the Yazidis. The importance of this discovery, of course, can not be overestimated. Several decades later, in 1911, Frank's exhaustive study of the relevant source material combined and expanded the information available to the Western world regarding this intriguing figure, and virtually all subsequent research depends on the work of these two scientists. In another article, Cioffi published the first collection of orally transmitted myths, legends, and traditions of the Yazidis. Over time, these notes came to be regarded as an essential part of our meagre body of Yazidi knowledge; however, at the time, the editors of the magazine in which the article appeared were clearly confused by its "sketchy and childish" content and felt it necessary to defend their decision to publish it.

On Saturday He laid the foundations
On Friday he had completed (the work)
After seven hundred years, the Seven Mysteries came into the Pearl of the Cup.

Seven hundred  years later the Seven Mysteries came overhead.
The body had remained without movement
They said, “Oh soul, why do you not enter? “

The soul said in the presence of the Lovers , “you know this
As long as Shibab and Def  do not come to me from above,
There will be a barrier between soul and body of the Prophet Adam”

Shibab and Def came and were present,
And the light of Love reached his head.
The soul came and manifested itself in the body of the Prophet Adam”

The Prophet Adam drank from the cup and came to life,
He became intoxicated and trembled,
Flash grew on him, blood circulated in his veins.

The Prophet Adam drank from that cup,
The miraculous power of that cup came manifested itself :
Thus the Prophet Adam sneezed and through it he became conscious.

The Prophet Adam drank  from that cup and liked it.
The miraculous power of that cup came and reached (him)
Thus the Prophet Adam was taken up and borne to heaven.

My King is the Everlasting Lord.
From Adam (many) groups would spring
Seventy-two nations became separate from one another.

There would come the period of the Prophet Noah:
A people would appear in whose heart was much impiety
They would become rebellious against their God.

After that time,
A people would appear in whose hearts respect for the faith did no dwell
They would drown in the water of the storms.