Core doctrines, deities, and spiritual principles of Yazidism
Yazidism enforces strict endogamous marriage practices through a combination of religious doctrine, customary law, and communal sanctions. The rules prohibit unions between secular and priestly classes and prescribe severe penalties for violations, while allowing limited intra‑class marriages.
The Mishefa Reş, or Yazidi Black Book, exists in several manuscript families that differ in language, script, and content. This catalogue surveys the known copies, their provenance, and the scholarly debates surrounding their authenticity.
The COVID‑19 pandemic forced Yazidi believers to shift sacred journeys online. Virtual pilgrimages to Lalish and digital communal prayers reshaped religious practice, identity, and diaspora cohesion.
Stranbêjî, the Kurdish vocal tradition of Badinan, is closely linked to a small set of acoustic instruments whose construction, symbolism, and regional adaptations shape its distinctive sound. This article surveys those instruments, their material make‑up, cultural meanings, and how they differ across Kurdish regions.
Yazidi qewwals – hereditary reciter‑musicians – are chosen through a tightly regulated family lineage, intensive oral training, and communal endorsement. Their appointment blends tradition, musical mastery, and religious authority, preserving the faith’s oral canon.
Yazidi qewls are sacred hymns transmitted orally by hereditary reciters within Kurdish‑speaking families. This article examines their modes of transmission and contrasts them with oral practices in neighboring Near Eastern cultures, highlighting both shared mechanisms and distinctive features.
Sacred qewls—cryptic, orally transmitted hymns—serve as Yazidi community’s living scripture, preserving the memory of the 2014 Kocho massacre. They are performed in rituals, adapted after the genocide, and reinforce collective identity and defiance.
The Seven Holy Beings, known in Kurmanji as Heftê Mêran, are central angelic figures in Yazidi theology who guide ethical choices and mediate between the unknowable God and believers. Their influence permeates oral verses, ritual counsel, and everyday moral judgments across Yazidi communities.
The preservation of Yazidi liturgical music among Syrian Yazidis displaced by war and persecution relies on community choirs, recording projects, and mental‑health‑oriented music programmes. Initiatives by AMAR Foundation, the British Council, and local women’s choirs have documented over a hundred sacred songs and fostered resilience in refugee camps.
Yazidi reincarnation rites, rooted in ancient Kurdish belief, show marked regional variation. While core theological concepts remain constant, the ritual forms differ between Iraq, the Caucasus, Turkey and diaspora communities.