The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-16

ries- II il called DeriI Worship. being the
sacred books and traditions of the Yezidiz,
by Isya Joseph. II is book Of 207 pages
about the most curious religious sect in the
civilized world. They worship the Deyll
with all the fervor and reverence that the
deYOut Christian gives 10 God or the Mos
lem to Allah. Not the Devil of our copy
books, but a curious Devil of their own,
who is really, SO far as can be CLEANED by
various Investigators, a super-cop, a per
sonage to be feared, placated and wor
shipped.
The Yezidiz naTqber about 200, 900 and
are scattered over belt Of territory
three hundred miles wide, extending in
length from the neighborhood of Alcppo
in northern Syria to the Caucasus in
southern Russia The greater part of
them, however, are 10 be found in the
mountains of northern and central Kurdi
stan and in the hills of northern Mesopo-
tamia. They have complete civilization
and culture of their own the origins of
which are hidden in the profOundest mys-
terry Their bible is called al Jilwah,
which is translated in this book in full.
1t is short, and its mythology is strangely
mixed with Hebraie and Moslem coneeP-
lions. In the original Arabic it may BE-
very beautiful, but as here rendered into
English it at no point compares in literary
grandeur with the New and Old Tesla
ments. That there is nothing new In the
game Of amendments is proved by the fact
that fourteen amendments were added to
this bible in 1889, signed by everybody
from the Emir of the sect to the rural con-
stables.
But why do the Yezidiz worship the
Devilf Here is the reasOn-one of them
and on it we can imagine an Anatole
France basing one of his great eosmic
satires On humanity. "It is not quite
easy" says Mr.. Joseph, 'tO understand
the underlying idea in worshipping the
Devil. Some explain this by supposing
he is so bad that he requires constant pro-
pitiation; otherwise be will take revenge
and cause great misery. For this reason,
it is claimed, they do not worship God, be-
cause he is so good that he cannot but for
give. This is the usual Interpretation, and
it is confirmed by the nature Of the relig
iOus service rendered. 1t seems TO part2ke
more Of q Precipitation than of q eueharis
tic character, not as the natural expression
of love but of fear
Could anything be more rationale Why
worship Ommipotent Goodness, 1t can do
us no harm, being all mercifuL. 1t was
Heine who on his deathbed uttered his
immortal mot, 81 will not ask the Lord to
forgive me, for that is His business" The
Yezidiz, it seems, have got hold Of the
right end of the business-wc had better
make our peace here and in the hereafter
with Old Nick, for by common consent
from old John W. Serpent in the Garden
Of Edeh TO the Satan created by Mark
Twain in his great posthumous tale, The
Mysterious Stranger, he is some punkins
on this dried frefake lost in the infinite
spaces.
This Devil God Of the Yezidiz is known
as Azazil, and is symbolized as a peacock
The peacock the world over is symbol Of
pride. And we remember that Claude
Melnotte, in The Lady OF Lyons, told
Pauline that the angels fell through pride
The founder of the Yezidiz,7 of course.
could never have read Bulwer-Lytton, but
he evidently had the same dope on matters
cosmic and arcanic as the Englishman
Hence, if you ever get among the Yezidiz,
little to the lu-srd of Aleppo, and STUN
Bile over a peacock you had better make
your peace with the village constable
thereabout, for YOU have literally raised
the devil.
The curious rites and customs of these
people are given in extenso, and if you
desire to go further into the study of the
Devil Worshippers there ure plenty of
authorities and books to be had on the
loot