This article examines the theological content of the Kitêba Cilwe, the Yazidi Book of Revelation, focusing on Sheikh Adi’s teachings. It analyses the text’s structure, oral‑written transmission, and its role in shaping Yazidi cosmology and ritual practice.
Yazidi cosmology teaches that each soul undergoes a cycle of reincarnation, guided by seven divine angels led by Tawûsî Melek. The angels act as custodians of creation, overseeing the soul’s purification and return to the earthly realm.
This article examines the role of Sheikh Adi and other Kurdish‑regional Sufi saints in shaping Yazidi theology, ritual practice, and inter‑faith dynamics. Drawing on Persian, Arabic, and Kurdish sources, it traces historical links, oral traditions, scholarly debates, and contemporary misconceptions.
This article examines how the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) employed sophisticated visual and textual propaganda to demonize, dehumanize, and justify genocide against the Yazidi community. Drawing on scholarly analyses of Dabiq magazine, multimedia releases, and field reports, it reveals the mechanisms, regional variations, and contested interpretations of this propaganda war.
The red shirt (kirasgorîn) in Yazidi tradition functions as a potent symbol of courage, protection, and communal identity. Drawing on comparative studies of red garments across cultures, scholars interpret its hue as embodying vitality, spiritual resilience, and a link to ancestral mythic narratives.
This article examines the core elements of Yazidi creation narratives and contrasts them with ancient Mesopotamian cosmogonic traditions. Drawing on oral qewl literature, sacred texts, and recent comparative scholarship, it highlights both shared motifs and distinctive theological frameworks.
The Yazidi tradition balances oral transmission with written forms that appear in Arabic, Latin, Cyrillic and increasingly English scripts. This article examines why different scripts are chosen for sacred versus secular material, the historical forces behind those choices, and the scholarly debates that surround them.
This article examines how Manichaean dualist concepts appear in early Yazidi belief systems, focusing on oral traditions, cosmological narratives, and scholarly debates about Gnostic influence. By analysing motifs from late antiquity to contemporary practices, it highlights the enduring legacy of dualist thought in Yazidism.
Yazidi communities in Iraq maintain distinct agricultural traditions shaped by the fertile highlands of Sinjar and the drier steppe plains of Sheikhan. While Sinjar benefits from abundant rainfall and diverse crops, Sheikhan relies more on dry‑land farming and livestock, reflecting centuries of environmental and political influences.
Documenting the Yazidi rite of Kirasgorîn poses distinct ethnographic challenges, from navigating dual researcher‑subject roles to negotiating security in volatile border regions. Scholars must balance ethical obligations, methodological flexibility, and the oral nature of the tradition.