The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-26

the Hezldis, on the other the Law head
or EmIr Of the community. Between both
Is the "kak," or chief of the Fakir
brotherhood, who takes precedence of
everybody, and whose person and cloth
ing are reckoned so holy that none ever
venture 10 touch them. Above the altar
hangs a single lamp, the solitary illumi-
nant of the underground temple and in
front of 1t, stretched ppon the bare
ground, lie two human figures One is
attlred IN SpOtless white CerementS. the
other CARRIED in the full black robes of the
taklr fraternity. One is the corpse of a
dead mendicant brother, the other the
body of living novice, who is to become
his successor in the order. The faces of
both are livid and drawn, and in the fitful
gloom OF the sanctuary it is impossible to
distinguish the living Hezidi from the
dead fakir beside him.
UNCANNY ADORATIoN.
1t is certainly weird and impressive
scene and little eerie, presented by the
interior of the underground sanctuary in
the seni-darlness, as the ''pirs" and IA
kris of the ''Malak Taus" procession
reach their places by the side of their
brethren. The bearer of the sacred en-
blem marches into the center, and, TAX
ing his stand beside the 'kak," unveils
the sanjak in the sight of the whole as
sembly. 1t Is the bronze image of a pea
cock perehed on the central branch of
triple candelabra. The connection Of the
peacock with the worship of the dead is
rather singular. but is thus explained by
the sectaries. When the all-benticent
Deity created the hawk, which destroys,
Sa tan created a peacock. which is both
beautiful and harmless, in order to show
that all his works were not necessarily
evil They say, moreover. that it was in the
form of peacock that the fallen angel
tempted Eve in Paradise, and it is
through a peacock that Satan win regain
his position hereafter in the celestial
hierarchy. The sight of the emblem, the
Angel Peacock seems to galvanize the
worshipers into life, for it is no sooner
unveiled than, with mechanical preciS-
ion, they raise their hands above their
heads. exclaiming, ''Khodan' "Khoda :"
dropping them again as mechanically
when they have done this. The ''kawals"
then start the opening symphony of a
hymn-a plaintiff melody in minor key
in which the women of the "Faikraya"
join, and also the ''pirs." The singers do
not understand the words of the hymn,
for they know nothing but Kurdish, and
the invocation is in some older dialect of
Asia Minor, which il is not easy to re-
Cognize. ....
When the voices are silent the "Kak'
begins the ceremony of initiation. At a
sign from the chief two of the black
robed fakirS step forward aud raise from
the ground the neophyte, who has been
in underground solitude for forty days,
fasting each day from sunrise to night
fall, and is clad in the white cerecloths of
the dead to mark the solemnity of the oc-
Casion. He prostrateS himself to the
sacred symbol, held aloft, and in
structed by his assistants, proceeds to di-
vest himself of the white garment in
which he is attired. and bending on his
knee, shrouds with it the corpse of the
dead fakir, beside whom he has been ly-
ing When this is done, the "kak' comes
round. and. with his own hands. invests
HIM with the robes of his order. First
he throws over the shoulders of
the novice a coarse black gown, reach
ing below the knees and over the white
cotton drawers and vest which are obliga-
tory portions of a fakir's costume. He is
then girded with a black cord about the
waist. The neophyte now produces a
black cap, which he must have made
with his own hands, and puts it on his
head, while the "kak' throws over him
the 'mahak' or bride, a twisted cord
which goes round the neck and falls
down in front like a necklet. This cord
must never leave him night or day, so
long as he lives and when he dies it is
buried with him. There is this differ
ence between the 'fakir'' of the Devil
worshipers and the other priests. The
latter wear the cord short, so that its
ends are concealed beneath their outer
garment; the former wear it over all, so
thatit is always seen.
THE GILMAN OF THE RITES.
Invested with the "mahak," the candi-
date is fully initiated, and walks slow ly
round the temple, passing in front of the
'pirs' on the right hand, the "kOshaks"
at the end of the sanctuary, and his col
leagues, the black-robed fakirs. on the
left, AS he moves leisurely along, each
of the persons before whom he passes
splits in his face This is not done as
mark of contempt, but to avert evil and
misfortune from the subject of this some
what unpleasant proceeding. The first
duty the new-made fakir takes upon him
self is to minister to his brethren pres
ent, He procures from the "tshavish."
who has the things in readiness, a pot of
oil and some wick. which he immerses in
IL and lights by means of the lamp in the
center. He then walks round the temple,
holding the light in front of the ''pirs"
and ''fakirs.n Each bends over the light.
holds his hand out to it as though to feel
its warmth, and then gently strokes his
beard or chin, afterwards kisses
his fingers and tapping lightly
his forehead. With this the ceremony
terminates. The peacock procession is
reformed, and the party gains the open
air by different ascent, which brings
the members out on the opposite side of
the building above where the sacred
white 0kine are installed, Strengthened
by the addition of the "kak," the emir
and sheikh, the "pirs,' "kawals" and
"fakirs' who have taken part in the
ceremony of the evening, the procession
passes through the ranks of the white
rubed worshipers outside, whose num-
bers have in the interval been considera-
bly, reinforced, and include many women
in the white dresses Of the sect. The
image of the ''Malak Taus' is now borne
uncovered. and when the Yezidis see it
they fall PROSTATE upon the ground, the
entire body. between eighteen hundred
and two thousand strong, uttering a
shrek of ecst asy and devotion that makes
ones blood run cold, and seems to re-echo
through the valley for good five minutes
afterward.
THE SACRIFICE.
The procession winds slowly down the
glen toward the tomb of Sheikh Adj,
where the lights CLEAN brightly in the
distance. In rear of the party now a
"tshavish" leads one of the sacred white
kline from the drove dedicated to the sun,
flowers twisted IN its horns and attended
by the whole multitude of Yeudis in or
derby array AS the procession moves
along the women of the 'Faikraya' chant