THE YEZIDEES, OR DEVIL-WORSHIPERS. 475 



and who resides at Baadri, in the district of Shechan. He re- 

 ceives a considerable tribute from his people, and has in turn to 

 keep Tip the temple and grave of Sheik Adi. The present chief is 

 Myrza Bey, a son of Hussein Bey, who a few years ago died of 

 drunkenness. He was the third of eight brothers, and had no 

 right to the succession, but he formed a party and advanced 

 claims. In the contest which followed, his elder brothers fell by 

 his hand, and he thus made himself master of the situation. He 

 then managed to make his peace with the Turkish Government, 

 and was recognized by it. The Myr, as the chief is called, has 

 supreme control of all the possessions of the Yezidees. To deny 

 a wish expressed by him is to incur very unpleasant results in 

 this world, and also to bring upon one's self the consequences of 

 having offended the bodily descendant and representative on the 

 earth of the great prophet Sheik Adi. All contests are settled at 

 his tribunal, not by any fixed law, but according to his will and 

 passing mood. Bloodshedding is atoned for by pecuniary in- 

 demnity ; adulterous women are executed by their husbands 

 without further proceedings. The Turkish Government is satis- 

 fied to receive its tribute, and lets the internal affairs of the 

 people alone. It deals with the Myr, to a certain extent, as a state 

 within a state. The Yezidees will not serve in the Turkish army, 

 because their religion forbids them to mingle with the hated 

 Mussulmans, but escape by paying a good round commutation 

 fee yearly. The people are at the lowest stage of civilization, with 

 no hope of rising so long as Sheik Adi's rules are in force. Under 

 the influence of these conditions and of the prejudices of their 

 neighbors against them, they have become a sinister, malicious, 

 treacherous people. The rite of hospitality, so sacred among the 

 Bedouins, is unknown to them. No one can feel safe among 

 them. They attach no value to human life. To these ordinary 

 dangers are added those arising from the embarrassing etiquette 

 of conversational intercourse with them ; for if any one inadvert- 

 ently lets escape the word devil, Satan, or anything sounding like 

 it, he commits a mortal offense ; and to cut off his head is a God- 

 pleasing act, and a sacred duty of the Yezidee, the fulfillment of 

 which will insure him a place in paradise. Several letters are in 

 like manner wholly banished from the language, chiefly those 

 which contain the sound of a " shun " ; also the Arabic word 

 nallet, "Thou art damned," which was spoken by God to the fallen 

 angel when he pitched him into hell. Therefore all words con- 

 taining similar sounds are set aside, and other combinations not 

 belonging to any language are used in their stead. 



The Yezidees in the level regions of Shechan are quiet farmers 

 and stock-raisers, paying their tribute to the Turkish Govern- 

 ment without remonstrance ; but on the Jebel Sindiia they are 



