Western Art and Literature’s Portrayal of Yazidis Since the 19th Century

This encyclopedia entry surveys the ways in which Western visual and literary media have represented the Yazidi community from the nineteenth century to the present, drawing on press archives, missionary writings, scholarly research, and contemporary artistic productions.

The Yazidi (Kurmanji: Êzîdî) are a distinct, non‑Abrahamic religious community primarily speaking Kurdish and centred in the Sinjar and Sheikhan regions of northern Iraq.

Pronunciation & orthography

Kurmanji spelling: Êzîdî. Arabic‑script: عەزیدى. Cyrillic (historical Soviet‑era): Эзиди. IPA: /eːˈziːdi/. Common English misspellings include Yazidi, Yezidi, and Ezidi.

Main exposition

19th‑century sensationalism in the American press

From 1849 onward, American newspapers devoted extensive space to the “exotic” customs of the Yazidis, often branding them as “devil worshippers” to attract readership. The coverage emphasized bizarre rituals, the Peacock King motif, and alleged satanic worship, creating a lasting stereotype in the popular imagination (Saeed 2024).

Missionary literature and the construction of the “devil‑worshipper” narrative

American Protestant missionaries travelling in the Ottoman Empire produced pamphlets and reports that reinforced the press’s sensationalist view. Their writings framed Yazidis as a heathen group in need of conversion, interpreting Yazidi symbols through a Christian evangelical lens (Discovering Communities, 2026).

Early 20th‑century exoticism and artistic curiosity

Travelogues and illustrated magazines of the 1910s‑1930s continued to depict Yazidis as mysterious mountain peoples, often accompanied by dramatic sketches of the sacred “Temple of the Peacock King.” While still exoticising, these works began to include ethnographic observations, laying groundwork for later scholarly interest.

Mid‑century academic re‑evaluation

Post‑World War II scholarship, exemplified by entries in encyclopaedias such as the Oxford Research Encyclopaedia of Religion, corrected many earlier misconceptions, noting that Yazidism incorporates elements from ancient Mesopotamian, Zoroastrian, and Kurdish traditions and is not a sect of Islam (Allison 2022).

Late‑20th‑ and early‑21st‑century literary and artistic resurgence

Following the 2014 ISIS attacks on Sinjar, Western novelists, filmmakers, and visual artists produced works that portray Yazidis as victims of genocide and as resilient cultural carriers. Contemporary academic monographs, such as Hazar’s dissertation on Yazidi women in Turkey, also contribute to a more nuanced literary image (Hazar 2020).

In the oral tradition

Yazidi sacred poetry (qewl) celebrates the Peacock King (Tawûsê Melek) as a benevolent celestial being. A representative verse reads:

“Tawûsê Melek, the radiant falcon, lifts the veil of night and brings the light of truth to the faithful.”

These verses contrast sharply with the Western “devil‑worship” trope and underscore the community’s own self‑definition (Saeed 2024).

Scholarly disagreement

Allison argues that labeling Yazidis as devil‑worshippers is a historic misinterpretation rooted in missionary polemics (Allison 2022). Kreyenbroek counters that while early Western observers were mistaken, the persistence of the trope reflects a broader Orientalist tendency to otherize minority faiths (Kreyenbroek 1995).

Common misconceptions

Regional variation

In Sinjar, the Peacock King cult dominates public festivals; in Sheikhan, shrine maintenance and pilgrimages are central. Syrian Yazidis have adapted their rites to a more urban context, while Turkish villages retain older agricultural‑linked rituals. Diasporic communities in Europe and North America blend traditional qewl with contemporary artistic forms, producing music videos and digital storytelling projects.

Timeline

Data table