The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-10-25
Owl WoRsHIPERs.
Strange Religion OF Certain Commu.
mites In Western Asia.

Strange Religion OF Certain Commu-
mites In Western Asia.
According to Herr Gustav PAUL.. who
recently made a journey from Tabriz to
Lake Van, the HISTORIAN Christians
grace with the name of devil-worshipers
number of communities scattered
through Russian and Turkish Armenia
and in the Valley of the Tigris down to
Mosul. Near Mosul, in the outspurs of
Kurdistan, lies Ba-Hasani, the holy
city of the Jesids or devil-worshipers,
and containing the temple and mauso-
leum of their Sheik Adj, and not far
thence the village of Bashiyka, the
residence of their civil and religious
head. According to tradition, their
faith had its origin in certain apostate
members of Armenian Church, and
their name is variously derived from
Jesu or Jesid, one of their chiefs, and
from the town Jed. Their faith has
probably, however. much earlier orr
gin. derived from the influence of all
those religions successfully holding
sway in those regions, from Zoroastri-
anism to Islam.
They address prayers to the sun at
his rising and kiss the place first touched
by his beams. At certain festivals they
warm the fingers of their right hand at
the holy taper, then draw them over
their right eyebrows and kiss them.
The Supreme Being they name Allah,
and reverence the founder of Islam as
prophet, while they reverence Christ
as great angel naming Him Ben Isai
Nurani Jesus. Son of the Light, who
one day will come to rule the world.
They desire to live in good understand
ing with Shaitan (Satanp), the devil,
and so great is their respect for him
that they do not presume to pronounce
his name. but call him 'Melek-Taup,"
and pay honor to him symbolically as
alight-giver Lucifer), and in the figure
of bird. Our Thursday is their Sab
bath. They fast forty days in the spring,
but are not over strict in the observance
of such fast. preferring rather to do it
by proxy. One member of the family
fasting will do for all the others as well
as himself. Children are Immediately
after birth baptized with the water OF
the holy spring at the grave of the
Sheik Adj. To this end that water is
fetched to places very remote from the
holy well by mendicant monks Hawaii
all belonging to one single family.
The Jesids have horror of the color
of blue (lame of sulphurp), and es-
chew all attire of that hue. They have
the reputation of being strictly honest
and moral. They show great respect
to women. so that woman may ac-
quire the priestly dignity. Polygamy
is allowed only with tribal chiefs. The
common man may have but one wife,
for whom he has often to pay the
mother a rather high price. Priests
and HAWAI- may not marry out of their
caste. A widow dresses in white, and
etiquette requires of her even to strew
dust on her head and smear her face
with clay. COrpses are first washed
and then buried with the face toward
the Polar star. In the killing of ami
mails all the blood is drained off by
cutting through the artery of the neck,
as with the Jews and Mohammedans.
They cling with great tenacity to their
faith, but refuse the adoption of any
proselytes into their ranks.-Philadel-
phiG North american.