They still have another assembly. This is called “the road of the ḳôchaks,” when each, putting a rope around his neck, goes up the mountain. After collecting wood they bring it to Šeiḫ ‘Adî, carrying it on their backs. The wood is used for heating purposes and for the emir’s cooking.
During these assemblies the sanjaḳs are passed around. In the first place they are washed with water made sour with sumac in order to be cleansed from their rust. The water is given away in drinks for purposes of blessing. In return money is taken. In the second place, the ḳôchaks go around with the sanjaḳs to collect money.
In their preaching, the šeiḫs tell the people that all kings have come from their descent, such as Nisroch,[57] who is Nasr-ad-Dîn, and Kamuš who is Faḫr-ad-Dîn, and Artâmîs, who is Šams-ad-Dîn, and many others, as Shabur and Yoram; and many royal names of the ancient kings, together with their own (Yezidi) kings, are from their seed. The sign of the Yezidi is that he wears a shirt with a round bosom. It differs from that of the other people, the bosom of whose shirts are open all the way down.
There is one occasion when no Yezidi will swear falsely, viz., when one draws a circle on the ground, and tells him that this circle belongs to Ṭâ´ûs-Melek, Šeiḫ ‘Adî, and Yezîd, and baryshabaḳei. He places him in the middle of the circle, and then tells him that Melek Ṭâ´ûs and all those who were mentioned above will not intercede for him after his death, and that the shirt of the Jewish Nasim[58] be on his neck, and that the hand of Nasim be on his neck and eye, and that Nasim be his brother for the next world, and let him be to him for a šeiḫ and a pir if he does not tell the truth. Then if he swears to tell the truth, he cannot conceal anything. For an oath made under such conditions is considered greater than that made in the name of God, and even than that made in the name of one of their prophets.
They fast three days in a year from morning till evening. The fast falls in December, according to the oriental calendar. They have no prayer[59] except what is mentioned above, such as that referring to the sun and the moon, and asking help from šeiḫs and holy places when they say, “O Šeiḫ ‘Adî, O Šeiḫ Sams,” and the like. They are all forbidden to teach their children anything, with the exception of two stanzas which they teach their children out of necessity and because it is traditional.
A story is told about them by reliable people. Once when Šeiḫ Naṣir was preaching in a village at Mount Sinjar, there was a Christian mason in the audience who, seeing the house filled with people, thought they were going to pray. He then pretended to take a nap, that he might amuse himself with what he should hear. He knew the Kurdish language. When the Christian seemed to be asleep, but was really awake and listening, Šeiḫ Naṣir began to preach saying: “Once the great God appeared to me in vision. He was angry at Jesus because of a dispute with him. He therefore caught him and imprisoned him in a den which had no water. Before the mouth of the den he placed a great stone. Jesus remained in the den a long time, calling upon the prophets and the saints for help and asking their aid. Every one whose succor Jesus asked went to beg the great God to release him. But God did not grant their requests. Jesus therefore remained in a sorrowful state, knowing not what to do.” After this the preacher remained silent for a quarter of an hour, and thus a great silence prevailed in the house. Then he went on to say: “O poor Jesus, why are you so forgotten, so neglected? Do you not know that all the prophets and all the saints have no favor with the great God unto Melek Ṭâ´ûs? Why have you forgotten him and have not called upon him?” Saying this, the preacher again remained silent as before. Afterward he again continued: “Jesus remained in the den till one day when he happened to remember Melek Ṭâ´ûs. He then sought his aid, praying, ‘O Melek Ṭâ´ûs, I have been in this den for some time. I am imprisoned; I have sought the help of all the saints, and none of them could deliver me. Now, save me from this den.’ When Melek Ṭâ´ûs heard this, he descended from heaven to earth quicker than the twinkling of an eye, removed the stone from the top of the den, and said to Jesus, ‘Come up, behold I have brought thee out.’ Then both went up to heaven. When the great God saw Jesus, he said to him, ‘O Jesus, who brought thee out of the den? Who brought thee here without my permission?’ Jesus answered and said, ‘Melek Ṭâ´ûs brought me out of the den and up here.’ Then God said, ‘Had it been another, I would have punished him, but Melek Ṭâ´ûs is much beloved by me; remain here for the sake of my honor.’ So Jesus remained in heaven.” The preacher added, “Notice that those who are without do not like Melek Ṭâ´ûs. Know ye that in the resurrection he will not like them either, and he will not intercede for them. But, as for us, he will put us all in a tray, carry us upon his head, and take us into heaven, while we are in the tray on his head.” When the congregation heard this, they rose up, kissed his clothes and feet, and received his blessing.
Now the views of the Yezidis regarding the birth of Christ and the explanation of the name of the Apostle Peter, are found in one of their stories, which runs thus: “Verily Mary the Virgin mother of Jesus, begat Jesus in a manner unlike the rest of women. She begat him from her right side,[60] between her clothes and her body. At that time the Jews had a custom that, if a woman gave birth, all her relatives and neighbors would bring her presents. The women would call, carrying in their right hand a plate of fruits which were to be found in that season, and in the left hand they would carry a stone. This custom was a very ancient one. Therefore when Mary the Virgin gave birth to Jesus, the wife of Jonah, who is the mother of Peter, came to her; and, according to the custom, carried a plate of fruit in her right hand and a stone in her left. As she entered and gave Mary the plate, behold, the stone which was in her left hand begat a male. She called his name Simon Cifa, that is, son of the stone. Christians do not know these things as we do.”
They have a story explaining the word heretic. It is this: When the great God created the heavens, he put all the keys of the treasuries and the mansions there in the hands of Melek Ṭâ´ûs, and commanded him not to open a certain mansion. But he, without the knowledge of God, opened the house and found a piece of paper on which was written, “Thou shalt worship thy God alone, and him alone shalt thou serve.” He kept the paper with him and allowed no one else to know about it. Then God created an iron ring and hung it in the air between the heaven and the earth. Afterward he created Adam the first. Melek Ṭâ´ûs refused to worship Adam when God commanded him to do so. He showed the written paper which he took from the mansion and said, “See what is written here.” Then the great God said, “It may be that you have opened the mansion which I forbade you to open.” He answered, “Yes.” Then God said to him, “You are a heretic, because you have disobeyed me and transgressed my commandment.”
From this we know that God speaks in the Kurdish language, that is from the meaning of this saying, “Go into the iron ring which I, thy God, have made for whosoever does contrary to my commandment and disobeys me.”
When one criticizes such a story as this by saying that God drove Melek Ṭâ´ûs from heaven and sent him to hell because of his pride before God the most high, they do not admit that such is the case. They answer: “Is it possible that one of us in his anger should drive out his child from his house and let him wait until the next day before bringing him back? Of course not. Similar is the relation of the great God to Melek Ṭâ´ûs. Verily he loves him exceedingly. You do not understand the books which you read. The Gospel says, ‘No one ascended up to heaven but he who came down from heaven.’ No one came down from heaven but Melek Ṭâ´ûs and Christ. From this we know that the great God has been reconciled to Melek Ṭâ´ûs, who went up to heaven, just as God came down from heaven and went up again.”