The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-21
THE KAK OF The YIELDS.
INTERVIEW WITH THE DEVIL
WORSHIPPERs' CHIEF.
The Peacock king" and "BIack
Chief" Expounds the Mesopotami-
an Mysteries.


From the London Standard
Ordinarily the Kak of the Yezidis re-
sides in the outskirts of Aleppo, and he
is then as invisible TO strangers and as
about as accessible TO an interviwer as
the Grand Lama of Tibet. His official
abode is, however, in the famous Val
ley of Sheikh Adj, near Mardin. known
as the Valley of the Devil Worship
pers Here the Black brotherhood
gather every year from all parts of
Asiatic Turkey to celebrate the sac
rifice Of the Black Cock" in honor of
their dead Saint, and receive the
BLACK Benson of their living chief.
And on this occasion it is customary
for the Kak to show himself to his
followers and receive in audience such
as may be deemed worthy of the honor
of an interview. The valley is an ideal
spot for such a purpose, beautifully
wooded and we'll watered, and entirely
inclosed by series of terraced hills
on which the assembled Yezidis pitch
their tents or raise their temporary
huts Ingress is only possible from the
one end, where a score of sturdy
Blackheads keep ward and watch lest
any strangers find their way in, and
desecrate the holy ground in which
the Sheikh Adj is buried.
1t is usual for the Kak to receive his
visitors in the course of the evening
subsequent to the celebration of the
annual sacrifice, and having been
present at the ceremony in the under
ground temple of the sect, l am also
accorded the privilege of an interview
with the Yezidi Chief Night has al
ready fallen when white-robed ka-
wadh, wearing the yellow stole that
denotes his status, brings me word
that the Kak is ready to receive me-
and watch fires are aglow on the hill
sides and lights a twinkling in the
semi darkness as / tramp along the
valley past the tomb of Sheikh Adj
to the residence of the High Priest
of Satan 1t is placed at the extremity
of the gorge within a stones throw
of the Sanctuary of the White Cow"
where a couple of watchmen walk to
and fro keeping guard over the sacred
kline dedicated to the sum- The door
way is kept by two Kawadbs-candi-
dates for the priesthood-garbed III
the long white outer robe and small
black caps invaribly worn by the devil
worshippers, and having around their
necks twisted and peculiarly knotted
black cord known as the Mahak or
bride. which is never removed from
the body during life. I pass through
the entry, and am conducted to a
small square inner court, open to the
sky, and having a number of low cush-
iCned seats ranged about in a semi
circle.
on the central seat, his knees tucked
under him in true Oriental fashion, is
the singular man who claims heredi-
tary headship over the Yezidi sect. On
each side of him are three of the
Sarmidos, or chief priests, who assist
ed at the annual festival of the prev
ious night, and behind stand three or
four Kawadhs in attendance. The
Kak is a Stolid and rather heavy
looking elderly man, much wrinkled
about the face and grizzled about the
beard. His hair, where it shows be-
meath his black head covering, is short
and, grey, and there is a droop about
the eyelids that suggests the habitual
use of hashish, or hemp, a drug to
which the Yezidis are everywhere par
tial. His complexion is rather pale,
and the pallor is heightened by the
yellow flare of the lamps that light up
the court. The six Sarmidos, or priests
who, with the Kak from the Sacred
Seven" or hierarchy of the devil wor-
shippers-are dressed like their chief,
Dul Win one lIlllHS ulueTeuCe IHey
wear the ordinary Mahak, or neck
bride, or black cord the superior has
one that is perfectly white, and is
knotted much more intricately in front
l receive the customary welcome of
the Kurds, and ingratiate myself with
the Kak by giving the return saluta-
ton in true Yezidi fashion, raising
both hands on high and gently lower
ing the palms sideways. | take the
ba ~ir-ot
side, as Kurdish etiquette requires,
and wait for the chief to open the in
terview.
Adam and Eve-New Version.
After a few minutes silence, such as
Oriental etiquette requires on such an
occasion, the Kak opens the conversa-
ton by nodding his head to me and
asking in what way he can be of SER
vice to me. He speaks Persian, but his
utterance is thick, his voice rather
hard. and his accent harsh like that
or all kurds. l answer, with Eastern
periphrasis, that my eyes having been
satisfied with his goodness, my ears
would fain be filled with his wisdom"
This is only another and roundabout
way of saying, Il have seen good
deal of you all, and l want now to
know all i can about you" The Kak
quite understands this, and simply
which 1 desire to be enlightened?" l
explain that the customs of the
Yezidis, their worship. and their cere-
monies, are so singular 10 a stranger,
that | should like TO understand them,
as far as an outsider is allowed to-
What, for example," l ask, lis the
meaning of the Malik Taus. the bronze
Peacock-King, which you carry in
your religious professions, and why
have you made 1t the symbol of your
creed?" THE Malik Taus," replies the
Kak, lis the symbol of the Great
Angel whom we revere, because he
made it, and he assumed it's form in
the Garden of Eden. When, at the
beginning, all animals were created by
the Ruler of Light the peacock was
not included among them, The Great
Angel whose existence is from all
time, then formed the peacock, to
show that he could mold a creature
more beautiful in form and color than
any rival Diety had shaped. For this
he was excluded from heaven. When
the creation of man was resolved upon
the Great Angle of the Seven Spheres
opposed it. In the form of a beautiful
peacock-not in the shape of a SER
pent-he entered the Garden of Eden,
and in this guise induced Eve to taste
the fruit of the tree of knowledge. If
Adam had been willing to worship him