A. D. 330, twenty-two bishops alone suffered martyrdom. And from this time till long after the Saracenic conquests, the Greek emperors persecuted all Christians who were of the Eutychian, Jacobite, or Nestorian sects, as well as the fire-worshippers found among them. Their patriarchs made the best temporary treaties they could with both the Greeks and the Persians being in a country of border-land, they were semi-independent princes-tributary to that government whose power, for the time being, happened to be the strongest. Many of these persecuted Christians became fire-worshippers, and, after the Saracenic conquests, Mohammedans, to avoid the oppressions either of the Persians, or the Greek patriarchs through the emperors, who wished to have them make the sign of the cross in the same manner as themselves. The Nestorians were spread, even more than the Jacobites, from the mouths of the Tigris to the Taurus. The Jacobite convent of Mar Maltei had been founded in A. D. 334; and although El Kosh was not built till A. D. 591, still their bishops and monks were numerous. Harassed on both sides, partially independent of both Persians and Greeks, corrupted in their own views of religion, it is not wonderful that they became the willing believers of a new religion.* Mani or Manes, the founder of the Manicheans, was a fire worshipper of Persia, and a painter by trade. He was not so much a heretic of the Christians, or of the fire-worshippers, as, like Mohammed, the founder of a new religion. He wished to combine into one whole the metempsychosis of India, the principles of Zoroaster, and the doctrines of the gospel. Now if we regard the testimony furnished in this article, as to the present religious belief of the Yezidies, and compare it with what is furnished by Augustine, in his confessions, and by others, we shall see great reason to believe that they were Christians originally, who adopted his views. From what motives we do not entirely know; but it is a matter of record in history, that bishops with their flocks were led to adopt the fantastical views of transmigration, of an independent evil principle in nature, and of a Christ who did not die, instead of their former unique faith. The twelve disciples of Mani, one of whom was Adi, had widely sown their seed before the year 334-and, though persecuted by the Magi, by excommunications and armies from * Gibbon's Dec. and Fall. Mosheim's Eccl. Hist. passim. † Encyc. Amer. Constantinople, and doubtless by the Christian provincial governors of the heretical sects, they still for centuries abode in their faith.* The bishops at Mardin admitted that there were large defections from their church to the fire-worshippers, who in that region were mainly Manicheans, to avoid the persecutions directed against them from the days of Theodosius to Heraclius. We have, therefore, in the period that Mohammedanism in its fiery zeal was flooding Persia, a people on their route, who were neither Magians nor Christians, but Manicheans. We know that while the Mohammedans would tolerate the pure Sabians, or adorers of the heavenly host, they put no bounds to their hatred of the Magians, or fire-worshippers. But the Manicheans might in those days claim to be " people of the Books," and obtain, on paying tribute, a measure of toleration. In the course of time, however, still more or less oppressed by the Mussulmans, they would, from the plastic nature of their own. creed, find little difficulty in professing to have conformed to Islamism. It is not improbable, as Mohammedan authors tell us, that the soldiers of the Caliph Yezid, who put to death Hosein, and the followers of the fallen family of the Ommiades, fled across the desert, and found a refuge among these Manicheans; who, being predominant in their native mountains, the new-comers, in their descendants, adopted their religion. Yezid did not die till A. D. 683, when nearly all that country and Persia were professedly Mohammedan. It is known that in past centuries a branch of the widely extended tribe of Tai Arabs, having quarrelled with the rest of their tribe, joined the Yezidies, and now they cannot be distinguished from them.† Fugitives from other heretical sects, as the Carmathians of the Mohammedans, may have been combined with them. The name of Yezid having been from the first an accursed one, the Mohammedans may have designated, by the name of this *It is not impossible but that at a period and in a region where Nestorians and Jacobites were so nearly dominant, that the patriarchs should compel the new sectaries of Mani, as a compensation for toleration, to bring yearly contributions to their convents. And this will explain the presents they made to the Jacobites, and now make at El Kosh. + Rich's Tour. Sales' Koran. Prelim. Es. prince of murderers and heretics, the people among whom his followers took refuge: just as they are disposed to give to all pagans in their midst the name of Yezidi. Their present chiefs are called by them sons of Beys; and, as princes of the blood, are distinguished in every point from those of inferior race who accord them these titles. Perhaps the tribe called Koreish in the Sinjar are similar immigrants, who, being originally of high rank, are still held in honor by the original peasant race of the country.* It is in the same manner that many of the peasant tribes of Kurds, who are the original inhabitants of the country, are now swayed by families descended from such dynasties as the Eyyoubites or the Merwanians. The Yezidies in their present state, degraded and ignorant, cannot be supposed to show, either in their practices or belief, any thing like a correct transcript of Manicheanism. Enough if the resemblances are sufficiently striking to enable us to attach this name to them, while we may not be able to class them anywhere else. We wish that we had space to compare the facts we have given with the conclusions to which we have Those who are interested may, however, do it more effectually for themselves than we can for them. We would observe in addition, however, that when the various notices and practices of the different tribes shall be compared with each other, there will be found various particulars in which they so much differ from each other, the contradictory practices ascribed to all being found limited to a few, that we can still subdivide them into other sects. come. Those people also who, in the regions bordering on the countries where Turkish and Arabic are spoken, and are called Shemshie, or fire-worshippers, may be found to deserve as properly the name of Yezidies as many who really bear the name. They are now nearly all of them members of the Jacobite church. Near Eski Sheher, in Asia Minor, is a people who have a resemblance to Christianity, while still they are accounted as heathen. The Ausairyé of Syria might, perhaps, by a popular freak of Islam, have been as well called Yezidies. There is a numerous population west of the Northern Euphrates, and near Sivas, called cheragh sonderan, or light-extinguishers, and who are either a remnant of the original pagans, or the heretical Christians of the country. If they had been in Arabia instead of Turkey, they would perhaps have received * Jahn's Introd. Andover. p. 350. SECOND SERIES, VOL. VII. NO. 11. 9 the name of Yezidies. They relate the same abominable stories of the one as of the other. Divrigi-the ancient Tephriceis a city between Sivas and the Euphrates, where they compose the majority of the Mussulmans of the place. It is noticeable that this was the strong fortress and last refuge of the Paulicians, under their general Carbeas, in the year A. D. 870.* The Paulicians grew out of the Manicheans, and these appellations were interchanged for each other in those centuries. I regard it as worthy of notice, that the tombs of their Beys and Sheikhs, which I saw there, resembled, in their pyramidal and fluted structure, those erected to the Yezidi sheikhs at Baasheha. They maintained themselves here in alliance with the Mohammedans for a long period, as late as the twelfth century, and in consideration of the help that these Paulicians or Manicheans gave them against the Christian Greeks, it is probable that the Mohammedans continued to tolerate their existence. The idea that the Yezidies are a corrupt remnant of the Manicheans is not a new one. It was long since conjectured and defended by Beausobre,† but it was denied by Mosheim. From that day to this the question has been little mooted; but the observations of travellers have been collecting in the mean while. At the time Mosheim formed his judgment, he had hardly any materials to aid him, as we have in this day, when so many reports are before us. It was not till the body of this article was completed that I met with the Ashkhara Kirutiun, a universal geography in twelve volumes, printed in Armenian, at Venice, 1806, the author of which was a priest, Lucas Injijiyan, who had travelled much in those countries. He asserts positively that.they are descended from the Manicheans. The following extract contains all of importance of the remarks of Father Lucas on this people; and, as being the testimony of an oriental, may properly be appended, even when he contradicts or repeals some of our statements: They are of the Christian religion, and of the sect of the Manicheans; but they have only the appearance of Christianity mingled with other doctrines, since they have neither our baptism nor circumcision. They swear by the name of Jesus, saying, 'bé Isa nourani,' i. e., ‘in the name of Jesus the enlightener. After the * Gibbon's Dec. and Fall, Chap. LIV. + Beausobre's Hist. de Manicheisme, Tom. II. same manner, when they drink wine, they drink it in the name of Jesus, saying, Kasi Isa, i. e., 'the cup of Jesus;' and the person who is feasting with him replies, Ashki Isa ; i. e., ‘love of Jesus.' Also they have this custom, that when a person is drinking, he must take the glass with both hands, and take care besides that not a drop falls to the ground. They neither fast nor pray, saying that Sheikh Hadi took upon himself in their behalf all their fasts and prayers, and in the day of resurrection he will cause them to enter paradise with an infinite multitude. And the whole of their praying is, when rising in the morning to cross their thumbs; and when the sun's rays strike them, they kiss them, and regard their prayers as thus finished. 66 Every tribe has a married sheikh, who, like their priests, wears next his skin a garment of hair-cloth. When their priests perform their resemblance to the sacrifice of the Lord's Supper, they put on a white robe like a shirt. They then put pieces of bread into a cup of wine, with the head uncovered, and pray in silence for a quarter of an hour without a book. The common people buy from them places in paradise. The chief of the Sinjar sheikhs, once a year, loads a horse with gifts, and goes to El Kosh; where, on bended knees, he receives the blessing of the Nestorian Patriarch. They call Satan the wicked principle, like the Manicheans, but they honor him, that` he may not do them harm. And they imagine that although he has now lost favor with God, yet like a servant he shall return to reconciliation with God. * * * Some say that in the region of Alashgird they swear by the name of Salté, who they say is the mother of the great demon Satael. They love Christians, and do not avoid their churches. And if they see a lamp lighted before the altar, or before a picture of the virgin Mary, they cross their breasts with the oil. "They hate the Mohammedans, yet use all their names except that of Mohammed. So great is their enmity to them, that if they can slay one of them they regard it as a sacrifice made to God. And the more to humble them, they strive to slay them by striking the nape of the neck. They then lap up the blood on the reeking sword, or drink a cup of the blood. They keep the laws of marriage-abjuring polygamy. And they execrate sodomy and fornication. They do not regard theft and robbery as sins, and it does not trouble their conscience to despoil travellers and to plunder villages; so that they have but two trades-robbery and agriculture. "It is said by some persons that the Yezidies are descended from the ancient Assyrians, which is confirmed first, from the fact that they are living in that part of Armenia which was called Assyria. Secondly, it is confirmed from the fact that their chief priest goes to the patriarch of the Nestorians, who are Assyrians. Thirdly, although they have no books, yet if a book be found with one of them, it is in the Syrian tongue. With all this, however, it is not unlikely that they merely learned or received their science and religion, if we may call such vain superstitions learning. For, that which opposes the belief that they are Syrians, is that their language is Kurdish, and they in their origin must be regarded as Kurdish people. "They are called Yezidies, because they believe in Yezi; and they swear by his name as to the name of Jesus; and hence are called Yezidies." |