Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Yezîdîler" in Turkish language version.
And who is Melek Taus? Halil looks slightly uncomfortable: "We believe he is a proud angel, who rebelled and was thrown into Hell by God. He stayed there 40,000 years, until his tears quenched the fires of the underworld. Now he is reconciled to God."
But is he good or evil? "He is both. Like fire. Flames can cook but they can also burn. The world is good and bad."
But some Yezidi do claim that Melek Taus is "the Devil". One hereditary leader of the Yezidi, Mir Hazem, said in 2005: "I cannot say this word [Devil] out loud because it is sacred. It's the chief of angels. We believe in the chief of angels."
The Yezidi reverence for birds - and snakes - might also be extremely old. Excavations at ancient Çatalhöyük, in Turkey, show that the people there revered bird-gods as long ago as 7000 BC. Even older is Göbekli Tepe, a megalithic site near Şanlıurfa, in Kurdish Turkey (Şanlıurfa was once a stronghold of Yezidism). The extraordinary temple of Göbekli boasts carvings of winged birdmen, and images of buzzards and serpents.
Taking all this evidence into account, a fair guess is that Yezidism is a form of bird-worship, that could date back 6,000 years or more. Over the centuries, new and powerful creeds, such as Islam and Christianity, have swept through Yezidi Kurdistan, threatening the older faith. But, like a species that survives by blending into the landscape, Yezidism has adapted by incorporating aspects of rival religions.
And who is Melek Taus? Halil looks slightly uncomfortable: "We believe he is a proud angel, who rebelled and was thrown into Hell by God. He stayed there 40,000 years, until his tears quenched the fires of the underworld. Now he is reconciled to God."
But is he good or evil? "He is both. Like fire. Flames can cook but they can also burn. The world is good and bad."
But some Yezidi do claim that Melek Taus is "the Devil". One hereditary leader of the Yezidi, Mir Hazem, said in 2005: "I cannot say this word [Devil] out loud because it is sacred. It's the chief of angels. We believe in the chief of angels."
The Yezidi reverence for birds - and snakes - might also be extremely old. Excavations at ancient Çatalhöyük, in Turkey, show that the people there revered bird-gods as long ago as 7000 BC. Even older is Göbekli Tepe, a megalithic site near Şanlıurfa, in Kurdish Turkey (Şanlıurfa was once a stronghold of Yezidism). The extraordinary temple of Göbekli boasts carvings of winged birdmen, and images of buzzards and serpents.
Taking all this evidence into account, a fair guess is that Yezidism is a form of bird-worship, that could date back 6,000 years or more. Over the centuries, new and powerful creeds, such as Islam and Christianity, have swept through Yezidi Kurdistan, threatening the older faith. But, like a species that survives by blending into the landscape, Yezidism has adapted by incorporating aspects of rival religions.
