Mystery and Minority Religions Many people think that everyone in Iraq is Muslim. And it's true that the majority are. Some people know of some of the Christians even. But there's a long history and heritage of different minority religions in Iraq. Hannah and Colleen ran into a few themselves traveling around the area and [...]
Yarsani Religion The followers of the Yarsani faith are called by many names and scattered across at least three countries. The creation of this faith is often attributed to Islamic Sufism (the mystical branch of Islam) but the Yarsan themselves claim that their beliefs have always been and Islam is a heresy of Yarsanism. They [...]
Regarding the Peacock icons and two that are missing. Are these very old relics and hold historical significance? If so, does the author know approximately how old they are? The icons are old, but only historically relevant to the Yezidi. They claim that they are several thousand years old, but no one knows for sure. [...]
Yezidi Mythology Some Yezidi mythology has been translated into English and other languages. So far there are two parts roughly translated — The Revelation and The Black Book. The Revelation mainly consists of God speaking to the Yezidi about who he is and who they are in relation to him. However, The Black Book contains [...]
If you have kept up with the previous blog posts you may have noticed that Yezidi culture is very complex. In this installment, we’re going to be exploring the layers of society (the Yezidi castes) and the influences from other cultures around them. Yezidi Castes and Culture The caste system in Yezidi culture is very [...]
Yezidi - Sacred Holidays and Pilgrimages Now that we’ve covered some of the basic beliefs, scriptures, and rituals of Yezidi, let's get into the really exciting stuff — Yezidi holidays and pilgrimages. Stick with me! This could get complicated. When we previously discussed the practices of Yezidi faith, you may have noticed that there [...]
Yezidi - Mystery Religions in the Middle East The Yezidi (or Yazidi) religious minority has been lifted from obscurity for the very worst reason. They have been brought to the attention of the international world because of the cruelty and slaughter that came upon them in the form of the [...]
There are thousands of years of history poking out at you from every corner of the Middle East. The world's three largest religions all began in this part of the world, and have been in contention over it for most of modern memory. But the big three are not the only religious groups trying to [...]
