Melek Taûs

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Melek Taûs, the Peacock Angel

Melek Taûs (Kurdish: مەلیک تاووس, romanized: Malak-Tāwūs),[1][2][3][4] also spelled Malak Tāwūs and Tawûsê Melek, translated in English as Peacock Angel, is one of the central figures of the Yazidi religion.[1][2][5] In Yazidi creation stories, God created the world and entrusted it to the care of seven Holy Beings, often referred to as the Seven Angels or heft sirr ("the Seven Mysteries"), whom the most preeminent is Tawûsê Melek, the Peacock Angel.[1][2][5][6]

Like many aspects of the secretive Yazidi religion, Tawûsê Melek is subject to varied and ambiguous interpretations. The "Yazidi Book of Revelation" (Ketêbâ Jelwa), a text generally believed to have been written by non-Yazidis (along with the "Yazidi Black Book") in the early 20th century but based on Yazidi oral tradition,[7] even though a nineteenth-century translation of the text exists,[8] is purported to contain the words of Tawûsê Melek; it states that he allocates responsibilities, blessings and misfortunes upon humanity as he sees fit and that it is not for the race of Adam to question his choices.[7]

Religious significance[]

Main article: Yazidism
Melek Taûs, the Peacock Angel. This emblem features Tawûsê Melek in the center, the Sumerian diĝir on the left, and the domes above Sheikh 'Adī's tomb on the right.
Tawûsê Melek depicted as a peacock inside the display case on the grave of a Yazidi believer, cemetery of the Yazidi community in Hannover.
Quba Mere Diwane is the largest temple of the Yazidis in the world, located in the Armenian village of Aknalich. The temple is dedicated to Melek Taûs and the Seven Angels of Yazidi theology.

The Yazidis consider Tawûsê Melek an emanation of God and a good, benevolent angel and leader of the archangels, who was entrusted to take care of the world after he passed a test and created the cosmos from the Cosmic egg.[9] Yazidis believe that Tawûsê Melek is not a source of evil or wickedness.[1][2][5] They consider him to be the leader of the archangels, not a fallen nor a disgraced angel, but an emanation of God himself.[1][2][5] The Yazidis believe that the founder or reformer of their religion, Sheikh Adi Ibn Musafir, was an incarnation of Tawûsê Melek.

Tawûsê Melek is sometimes transliterated Tawusi Malek, Malak Taûs, Malak Tāwūs, Malak Tawwus, or Malik Taws. Melek was borrowed from the Arabic term meaning "king" or "angel", while Tawûs is uncontroversially translated as "peacock" (in art and sculpture, Tawûsê Melek is almost always depicted as a peacock). However, peacocks are not native to the lands where Tawûsê Melek is worshipped. Among early Christians, the peacock represented immortality because of a folk belief that its flesh does not decay after death.[10] Consequently, peacock imagery adorns Yazidi shrines, gateways, graves, and houses of worship.

The Kitêba Cilwe (Book of Illumination), also known as the Book of Revelation, which claims to be the words of Tawûsê Melek himself, states that he allocates responsibilities, blessings, and misfortunes as he sees fit, and that it is not for the race of Adam to question him. Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir believed that the spirit of Tawûsê Melek is the same as his own; that is, that he was an avatar of the archangel. He is believed to have said:

I was present when Adam was living in Paradise, and also when Nemrud threw Abraham in fire. I was present when God said to me: "You are the ruler and Lord on the Earth". God, the compassionate, gave me seven earths and throne of the heaven.

Yazidi accounts of the creation differ significantly from those of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), since they are derived from the Ancient Mesopotamian and Indo-Iranian traditions; therefore, Yazidi cosmogony is closer to those of Ancient Iranian religions, Yarsanism, and Zoroastrianism.[11][12] Yazidi people believe that God first created Tawûsê Melek from his own illumination (Ronahî) and the other six archangels were created later. God ordered Tawûsê Melek not to bow to other beings. Then God created the other archangels and ordered them to bring him dust (Ax) from the Earth (Erd) and build the body of Adam. Then God gave life to Adam from his own breath and instructed all archangels to bow to Adam. The archangels obeyed, except for Tawûsê Melek. In answer to God, Tawûsê Melek replied,

How can I submit to another being! I am from your illumination while Adam is made of dust.

Then God praised him and made him the leader of all angels and his deputy on the Earth.

Hence, the Yazidis believe that Tawûsê Melek is the representative of God on the face of the Earth, and comes down to the Earth on the first Wednesday of Nisan (April). Yazidis hold that God created Tawûsê Melek on this day, and celebrate it as New Year's Day. Yazidis argue that the order to bow to Adam was only a test for Tawûsê Melek, since if God commands anything then it must happen (Bibe, dibe). In other words: God could have made him submit to Adam, but gave Tawûsê Melek the choice as a test. They believe that their respect and praise for Tawûsê Melek is a way to acknowledge his majestic and sublime nature. This idea is called Zanista Ciwaniyê (Knowledge of the Sublime). Sheikh Adî observed the story of Tawûsê Melek and believed in him.[13]

Accusations of alleged devil-worship[]

Main article: Persecution of Yazidis by Muslims
Further information: Genocide of Yazidis by ISIL

In the Yazidi myth of creation, Tawûsê Melek refused to bow before Adam, the first human, when God ordered the Seven Angels to do so.[1][2][5] The command was actually a test, meant to determine which of these angels was most loyal to God by not prostrating themselves to someone other than their creator.[1][5][14] This belief has been linked by some people to the Islamic mythological narrative on Iblis, who also refused to prostrate to Adam, despite God's express command to do so.[1][2][5] Because of this similarity to the Islamic tradition of Iblis, Muslims and followers of other Abrahamic religions have erroneously associated and identified the Peacock Angel with their own conception of the unredeemed evil spirit Satan,[1][2][5][15]: 29 [16] a misconception which has incited centuries of violent religious persecution of the Yazidis as "devil-worshippers".[2][5][1][17][18] Persecution of Yazidis has continued in their home communities within the borders of modern Iraq.[2][5][19]

Since the late 16th century,[20] Muslims have accused Yazidis of devil-worship due to the similarity between the Islamic mythological narrative on Iblis and the account of Tawûsê Melek's refusal to bow to Adam.[1][2][5] Whereas Muslims revile Iblis for refusing to submit to God and bow to Adam, believing that his defiance caused him to fall from God's grace,[21] Yazidis revere Tawûsê Melek for loyalty towards God and believe that God's command to Tawûsê Melek was a test to see who is truly devoted to God alone.[1][2][5] This narrative led to many misinterpretations, also made by Western scholars, who interpreted the Yazidi faith through their own cultural influences.[2][22] Further accusations derived from narratives attributed to Melek Taûs, which are actually foreign to Yazidism, probably introduced by either Muslims in the 9th century or Christian missionaries in the 20th century.[23] Accusations of devil-worship fueled centuries of violent religious persecution, which have led Yazidi communities to concentrate in remote mountainous regions of northwestern Iraq.[1][2][5][20] The Yazidi taboo against the Arabic word Shaitan (الشیطان) and on words containing the consonants š (sh) and t/ṭ have been used to suggest a connection between Tawûsê Melek and Iblis,[7] although no evidence exists to suggest that Yazidis worship Tawûsê Melek as the same figure.[24] The "Yazidi Black Book", written by Western Orientalists, directly identifies Melek Taus with Azazil or Azrail.

Yazidis, however, believe Tawûsê Melek is not a source of evil or wickedness.[1][2][5] They consider him to be the leader of the archangels, not a fallen angel.[1][5][15][16] Yazidis argue that the order to bow to Adam was only a test for Tawûsê Melek, since if God commands anything then it must happen. In other words, God could have made him submit to Adam, but gave Tawûsê Melek the choice as a test: God had directed him not to bow to any other being, and his refusal of the later order to bow to Adam was thus obedience to God's original command.[14] Furthermore, Yazidis identify Melek Taûs with Jibrail (Gabriel). In one Arabic manuscript, the name "Jabrail" is used in secondary reading, instead of "Melek Taus".[25] The title "peacock of paradise" was also applied to Gabriel among Islamic traditions.[26]

See also[]

Citations[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Asatrian, Garnik S.; Arakelova, Victoria (January 2003). Asatrian, Garnik S. (ed.). "Malak-Tāwūs: The Peacock Angel of the Yezidis". Iran and the Caucasus. Leiden: Brill Publishers in collaboration with the Caucasian Centre for Iranian Studies (Yerevan). 7 (1–2): 1–36. doi:10.1163/157338403X00015. eISSN 1573-384X. ISSN 1609-8498. JSTOR 4030968. LCCN 2001227055. OCLC 233145721.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Allison, Christine (25 January 2017). "The Yazidis". Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.013.254. ISBN 9780199340378. Archived from the original on 11 March 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Sembolîzma teyran di Êzîdîtiyê de (1)" (in Kurdish). Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  4. ^ "چەند تێكستێكى خێرا". Basnews (in Kurdish). Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Asatrian, Garnik S.; Arakelova, Victoria (2014). "Part I: The One God - Malak-Tāwūs: The Leader of the Triad". The Religion of the Peacock Angel: The Yezidis and Their Spirit World. Gnostica. Abingdon, Oxfordshire: Routledge. pp. 1–28. doi:10.4324/9781315728896. ISBN 978-1-84465-761-2. OCLC 931029996.
  6. ^ "What is the Peacock Angel?". YezidiTruth.org. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  7. ^ a b c "Yazidis". Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  8. ^ Parry, Oswald (1895). Six Months in a Syrian Monastery. London: Horace Cox. pp. 374–376.
  9. ^ Rodziewicz, Artur (December 2016). Asatrian, Garnik S. (ed.). "And the Pearl Became an Egg: The Yezidi Red Wednesday and Its Cosmogonic Background". Iran and the Caucasus. Leiden: Brill Publishers in collaboration with the Caucasian Centre for Iranian Studies (Yerevan). 20 (3–4): 347–367. doi:10.1163/1573384X-20160306. eISSN 1573-384X. ISSN 1609-8498. JSTOR 44631092. LCCN 2001227055. OCLC 233145721.
  10. ^ Who, What, Why: Who are the Yazidis? at BBC World News
  11. ^ Richard Foltz Religions of Iran: From Prehistory to the Present Oneworld Publications, 01.11.2013 ISBN 9781780743097 p. 221
  12. ^ Omarkhali, Khanna (2009–2010). "The status and role of the Yezidi legends and myths. To the question of comparative analysis of Yezidism, Yārisān (Ahl-e Haqq) and Zoroastrianism: a common substratum?". Folia Orientalia. 45–46.
  13. ^ "Yezidi Reformer: Sheikh Adi". The Truth about the Yezidis. YezidiTruth.org, A Humanitarian Organization, Sedona, Arizona. Archived from the original on 2008-03-20.
  14. ^ a b Khalaf, Farida; Hoffmann, Andrea C. (2016-07-07). The Girl Who Escaped ISIS: Farida's Story. Random House. ISBN 9781473524163.
  15. ^ a b van Bruinessen, Martin (1992). "Chapter 2: Kurdish society, ethnicity, nationalism and refugee problems". In Kreyenbroek, Philip G.; Sperl, Stefan (eds.). The Kurds: A Contemporary Overview. London: Routledge. pp. 26–52. ISBN 978-0-415-07265-6. OCLC 919303390.
  16. ^ a b Açikyildiz, Birgül (2014). The Yezidis: The History of a Community, Culture and Religion. London: I.B. Tauris & Company. ISBN 978-1-784-53216-1. OCLC 888467694.
  17. ^ Li, Shirley (8 August 2014). "A Very Brief History of the Yazidi and What They're Up Against in Iraq". The Atlantic.
  18. ^ Jalabi, Raya (11 August 2014). "Who are the Yazidis and why is Isis hunting them?". The Guardian.
  19. ^ Thomas, Sean (19 August 2007). "The Devil worshippers of Iraq". The Daily Telegraph.
  20. ^ a b "Who Are the Yazidis, the Ancient, Persecuted Religious Minority Struggling to Survive in Iraq?". National Geographic. August 9, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  21. ^ Islam: Satan, sin, and repentance at Encyclopædia Britannica
  22. ^ D. N. MacKenzie Languages of Iran: Past and Present: Iranian Studies in Memoriam David Neil MacKenzie Otto Harrassowitz Verlag 2005ISBN 9783447052993 p. 78
  23. ^ Halil Savucu: Yeziden in Deutschland: Eine Religionsgemeinschaft zwischen Tradition, Integration und Assimilation Tectum Wissenschaftsverlag, Marburg 2016, ISBN 978-3-828-86547-1, Section 16
  24. ^ Morton, Michael Quentin (2006). "Strangers Within the Gates". In the Heart of the Desert: The Story of an Exploration Geologist and the Search for Oil in the Middle East. Aylesford: Green Mountain Press. pp. 130–131. ISBN 978-0-9552212-0-0. The Yazidis, renowned as devil-worshippers and shunned by their neighbors as a result. Their religion and tribal ways did not encourage mixing with outsiders: Yazidis were forbidden to talk to other Kurds and to marry outside the tribe. They believe that they were the only descendants of Adam, with the rest of humanity being descended from women and therefore inferior. [...] In reality, their reputation as devil-worshippers was ill-deserved. True, Yazidis believe that an angel symbolized in the form of a sacred peacock, Melek Taus, had fallen to earth and needed to be placated. But there was no hell in Yazidism, since Melek Taus had repented for his sins, having cried for 7.000 years and filled seven jars full of tears in the process, which, in turn, had been used to put out the fires of hell. They may have reserved a healthy respect for the devil, but the Yazidis never spoke his name 'Satan', and never worshipped him.
  25. ^ Zeitschrift für Religionswissenschaft5. Jahrgang 1997 diagonal-Verlag Ursula Spuler-Stegemann Der Engel Pfau zum Selbstvertändnis der Yezidi p. 14 (german)
  26. ^ Josef von Hammer-Purgstall Die Geisterlehre der Moslimen (the doctrin of spirits of muslims) 1852 original: Bayerische Staatsbibliothek digitalized: 22. July 2010 (german)

General bibliography[]

External links[]

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