Yazidi Black Book

Yazidi Black Book

The Yazidi Black Book or Meshaf Resh (Kurdish: مصحف رش, Mishefa Reş) is one of the two holy books of the Yazidi religion, the other being the Book of Revelation (Kitêba Cilwe).

Yezidis believe the Black Book originated when the Lord descended Black Mountain. The Yazidi holy books are written in the Kurmanji dialect of the Kurdish language. The Black Book is not divided into chapters and is longer than the Book of Revelation. The first half of it contains a creation myth, beginning with the creation of a white pearl and Melek Taus, the Peacock Angel. There follows an account of the Fall (in which the forbidden comestible is wheat), and the creation of Eve after Adam has been driven from Paradise.

This is followed by the names of ancient kings who belonged to the Yazidi community. Next comes a statement of food taboos of the Yazidis, prohibitions connected with personal hygiene and verbal taboos.

The discussion then reverts to the subject of ancient Yazidi kings, and the Book concludes with another account of the Creation, which diverges quite considerably from the first.

The original text of the Yazidi Black Book is kept in the village of Qasr 'tzz at-Din.[1] Nevertheless, scholars generally agree that the manuscripts of both books published in 1911 and 1913 were forgeries written by non-Yazidis in response to Western travelers’ and scholars’ interest in the Yazidi religion; they do reflect authentic Yezidi traditions, however.[2] The real core texts of the religion that exist today are the hymns known as qawls.[2]

References

  1. ^ Guest, John S (1993). Survival Among the Kurds: A History of the Yezidis. London: Kegan Paul International. p. 154n. ISBN 0-7103-0456-0. 
  2. ^ a b Encyclopaedia Iranica:Yazidis

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Black book — or Black Book may refer to:In history: *The Black Book, the list of people to be arrested by the Gestapo following a planned Nazi invasion of Britain in the Second World War *Black Book (World War II), a compilation of documentary reports about… …   Wikipedia

  • Yazidi Book of Revelation — The Yazidi Book of Revelation (Kitêba Cilwe in Kurdish) and the Yazidi Black Book ( Mishefa Reş in Kurdish) are the two principal holy books of the Yazidi [ [Esposito, John L., ed. The Oxford encyclopedia of the modern Islamic world. New York:… …   Wikipedia

  • Yazidi — Infobox Religious group group = Yazidi km. Êzidîtî caption = Yazidis on the mountain of Sinjar, Iraqi/Syrian border, 1920s. population = ca. 800,000 ndash;1,000,000cite web |first=Christine |last=Allison |date=2004 02 20 |accessdate=2008 03 31… …   Wikipedia

  • Yazīdī — Middle Eastern religion, a syncretic combination of Zoroastrian, Manichaean, Jewish, Nestorian Christian, and Islamic elements. Its adherents, numbering fewer than 100,000, are found in Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Armenia, the Caucasus, and Iran. Most… …   Universalium

  • Kurdish language — Kurdish كوردی, Kurdî, Kurdí, Кöрди[1] Spoken in  Turkey …   Wikipedia

  • Melek Taus — (ملك طاووس Kurdish Tawûsê Melek), the Peacock Angel, is the Yazidi name for the central figure of their faith. Religious significance The Yazidi consider Tawûsê Melek an emanation of God and a benevolent angel who has redeemed himself from his… …   Wikipedia

  • Armenia — Infobox Country native name = hy. Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն hy. Hayastani Hanrapetut῾yun conventional long name = Republic of Armenia common name = Armenia national anthem = hy. Մեր Հայրենիք (Armenian) hy. Mer Hayrenik spaces|2 () Our Fatherland… …   Wikipedia

  • Dates of 2007 — ▪ 2008 January Ladies and gentlemen: on this day, at this hour, it is still within our power to shape the outcome of this battle. Let us find our resolve, and turn events toward victory. U.S. Pres. George W. Bush, asking for support for his… …   Universalium

  • Rastafari movement — Main doctrines Jah · Afrocentrism …   Wikipedia

  • Minorities in Iraq — Iraq This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Iraq …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”