Core doctrines, deities, and spiritual principles of Yazidism
The Yazidi pilgrimage to the sacred valley of Lalish on Çarşema Sor, the Red Wednesday New Year, blends ancient footpaths with modern transport. This article surveys historic routes, ritual actions at the holy site, and how contemporary Yazidis across the diaspora participate in the celebration.
Yazidi household shrines, known as kili, are central to daily religious life. Women traditionally tend, clean, and embellish these sacred spaces, weaving personal devotion with communal identity. Their decorative practices blend textile art, natural pigments, and symbolic motifs, reinforcing gendered expressions of faith.
Qewlê Cemayê is a central hymn recited during the Yazidi Feast of the Assembly (Cejna Cemayê). It functions as a theological narrative, a ritual marker, and a vehicle for oral transmission of Yazidi doctrine, linking community identity with sacred music.
This article examines three closed religious communities—Yazidism, the Amish, and Mandaeism—through their histories, doctrines, social structures, and contemporary challenges. By juxtaposing their origins, rituals, and interactions with the wider world, the piece highlights both shared traits of insularity and distinct theological pathways.
The peacock, known as Tawûs in Kurdish, is the central divine figure of Yazidism, embodying the Angel of Light, cosmic order, and the material world. This article surveys its theological role, artistic representations, oral traditions, scholarly debates, and regional variations across Kurdish Yazidi communities.
Qewlê Çarşema Sor is a divinely‑originated hymn recited during the Yazidi New Year, embodying cosmogonic symbolism and guiding the ritual actions of egg‑breaking, colour‑mixing and sacred offerings. Its verses link the Pearl myth to the transition from darkness to light, anchoring theology and communal practice.
Armenia hosts the world’s largest Yazidi temple and a growing network of shrines and community halls that serve the country’s 31,000‑strong Yazidi minority. This article surveys the major structures, their history, architecture, and cultural significance.
During the Ottoman period (16th–19th c.) Yazidis erected a distinctive network of shrines, mausoleums and later mosque‑type structures that combined indigenous ritual needs with imperial patronage. This article surveys their forms, functions, and the scholarly debates surrounding them.
Second‑generation Yazidis in Sweden blend traditional Yazidi rituals with Swedish secular norms, creating hybrid religious practices. This syncretic adaptation reflects diaspora dynamics, community leadership, and everyday ethical values.
Mount Sinjar and Lalish occupy complementary yet distinct places in Yazidi cosmology. While Sinjar is imagined as a mountain stabilized by divine mausoleums, Lalish functions as the spiritual centre and qibla for all Yazidis. Their differing roles illuminate the layered sacred geography of the faith.