The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-21

man and woman to eat of the tree OF
life, too, and they and their posterity
would never have known death. For
this reason" the Yazidi Chief con-
cluded, I'VE who revere the Great
Angel have chosen the creature he
made as the symbol of our worship"
"And what" l resume, lis the signi-
ficance of the black knotted and twist
ed cord, the bride with loose end,
which every Yezid wears?' The
bride or Mahak," answers the kak,
"is symbolical of the tie or bond that
holds us to life here. There is Knot
on the end for every year OF our lVes'
and it is secured in such way as 10
shape the letters that form the name
of the great Sheikh Adj, the hrst IN
whom Reziel became incarnate. 1t is
worn to distinguish the dead from the
living" But" / interpose, what need
of that? You can always tell the dead
from the living" Not always re-
piled the Karabash ruler, mot always
and not in the valley here, for the dead
Yezdis of past generations gather
here to celebrate Sheikh Adis festival,
lust as the living do. When the hrst
anniversary of the Sheikhs death came
round, generations back, the falthtul
Yezidis focked from all parts to join
in the solemn yearly sacrifice. 1t was
when the worshippers met in the val
ley that they were so tightly packed
that there was no room to move. AS
the rite proceeded the throng grew
thicker and thicker, until there was
barely room to breathe, and the people
began to cry out. Amazed by the
sound, the Kak of those days turned
from the sacrifice and saw that the
dead of ages past were crowding there
among the living. Let each living man,
he called out in a voice that resounded
through the mass, remove the cord
that girdles his waist and tie it round
his neck Each did so, and instantly
the dead began to fade and disappear,
and there was room and to spare Tor
the quick. Since that time every living
YeZidis wears the Mahak or bride
cord round his neck as long as he
breathes 1t is only taken of and
burned when he dies. Since that time,
too, the dead no longer mix with the
living in the Valley of Sheikh Adj,
but come to the shrine of the departed
saint only when the living, with the
Mahak to distinguish them, have com
pleted the annual sacrifice and its &C
companying rites"
How to Become N Yezidi.
and can anybody" 1 inquire, be
come a Yezidi, either layman or priest
and what are the conditions under
which a man may join your fraternl-
ty?" The answer of the Kak is sharp
and short this time. Certainly not,
he says. "A Yezidi must be born
such. His parents must be Yez1dls,
and he must marry within the sect.
We make no proselytes under any
circumstances, and" he adds, with
compression of the lips and a steely
Of he
member l can quite understand that
a man once a Yezidi is always
Yezidi, for the sufficient reason that
an apostate, as l happen to know,
would be certain to have his throat
cut within forty-eight hours of his
backsliding becoming known to his
bretheren.
"To become a Sarmido, or priest
resumed the Kak after a short pause
lis not permitted to the ordinary
Yezidis. The candidate for the priestly
office must himself be the son of a
priest. Only six of the superior grades
are ever living at one time, and
catechmen can only be appointed after
long waiting when one of these six
dies. There are twenty-four of
subordinate grade. and these, if of
blameless life and in good health. are
eligible for promotion after probation.
The ceremony of initiation is a severe
test of fitness for the Office of priest.
The candidate must spend three days
and nights alone in the underground
temple, beside the Sanctuary of the
White Cow, in company with the dead
body of the man whom he is to sue
coed, which is placed upon the altar.
During these three days and nights he
must live upon bread and water which
are placed by the side of the corpse.
While watching the defunct he must
with his own hands make a complete
set of the garments worn by a priest.
On the third night, in the presence of
all the remaining priests and the as
sembled Yezids, the candidate sacri-
fees "a black cock upon the altar,
| catches the blood in a bowl, and
sprinkles part over his own person and
| part over the departed. Then, one by
| one, he takes off the garments from
the dead, dressing the corpse in those
he himself has been busy making. One
by one he now dons the things worn
| by the defunct priest. the last article
| he takes being the black bride, which
| he unties and brings to me. ! secure
it round his neck in the customary
manner, and the man is now a full
| priest OF the higher grade and one OF
the Seven Holy Ones of our sect
The "BIacIx BooIS,' Scriptures.
But your Scriptures" l asked
your Black Book the Mashafe Rashe
is it anything like the Bible OF the
Jews or the Koran of the Moslemin
| Who was the writer of 1t, and how
came you to regard il as sacred?"
Our Black Book the Mashaft
Rashe." replies the Kak, lis quite un-
like the Bible of Jew and Christian
and has nothing in common with the
Koran of the followers of the seducei
Mohammed. The Mashafe Rashe was
written by the Angel Reziel for the
advantage of human kind, but was
withheld from Adam by the Creator
of Light The Great Angel we revere
stretched himself from the Sever
Spheres. wherein he was supreme, and
reaching heaven, took the volume from
Reziel. and offered it to Adam. Adam
m'sled refused it, and to punish hin
the book was withheld from his pos
terity for forty generations. 1t wa:
revealed to our Saint. the Sheikh Adj
at the expiration of that time. 1t is
written in an unknown character, anc
cannot be deciphered save by the
person who holds the Office of Kal
and the member Of his family who is
designated to succeed him"
Might 1 be allowed a sight of this
sacred book? | ventured to throw ouI
as feeler. not quite certain as 10 the
propriety OF the request. IF you really
wish to see it," answers the Kak. after
a moments hesitation, why yes. Blu
II Is in charge Of the Seven Sleepers,