Yazidi Philosophy

Cosmology and Theology

Yazidi philosophy is a largely oral, religiously embedded worldview associated with the Yazidi community of northern Iraq and the wider Kurdish regions. It is not a codified philosophical system but a set of metaphysical, theological, and ethical ideas expressed through qewls (sacred hymns), myths, rituals, and communal customs.

At its core lies a distinctive cosmology. Yazidis affirm a single transcendent God (Xwede), understood as the ultimate, ineffable source of being. God creates the world but entrusts its governance to a hierarchy of Seven Angels, the most prominent of whom is Tawûsê Melek (the Peacock Angel). Philosophically, this structure gives rise to a form of delegated monotheism: divine unity is maintained, yet cosmic administration is plural and dynamic.

Creation narratives in the qewls describe an initial, pre-material state, the emergence of a cosmic pearl or egg, and the unfolding of the world from this primordial reality. These images function less as systematic cosmology than as symbolic expressions of emanation, order, and the transition from hidden to manifest being. Some scholars note parallels to Neoplatonic and Islamic esoteric cosmologies, though Yazidi sources present them in distinct mythic idioms.

The figure of Tawûsê Melek has been philosophically controversial. Outsiders have sometimes interpreted him as a “fallen” or rebellious angel, mapping Yazidi narratives onto Islamic or Christian demonologies. Yazidi theology, however, presents Tawûsê Melek as the loyal vicegerent of God, a being who passes a divine test and is entrusted with the care of the world. This yields a theological perspective in which the problem of evil is approached differently than in many Western theodicies: misfortune and moral failing are not attributed to a metaphysical anti-god but to human choices, ignorance, and the trials inherent in creation.

The absence of a cosmic dualism—no equal evil principle opposing God—shapes Yazidi philosophical attitudes toward fate and morality. Suffering is real, but it is not the work of a rival deity. Instead, the world is a morally serious arena governed by a benevolent, if often inscrutable, divine will mediated through angels and saints.

Anthropology, Ethics, and Social Order

Yazidi philosophical anthropology views humans as ensouled beings situated in a dense web of sacred relations—to God, the angels, ancestors, nature, and community. Human dignity derives from this relational position rather than from individual autonomy. The community’s covenant with God and the angels is central: many narratives portray the Yazidis as having a special role in upholding cosmic and ritual order.

Ethical thought is not articulated in systematic treatises but is implicit in codes of conduct, narratives, and ritual practice. Key ethical themes include:

• Purity and taboo: Rules surrounding diet, marriage, dress, and ritual purity express a metaphysics in which the world is stratified into domains of sacred, pure, and impure. Maintaining purity is not merely social discipline; it is a way of aligning with divine order.
• Caste and vocation: Traditional Yazidi society is structured into religious castes (such as sheikhs, pirs, and mirids), each with prescribed duties. Philosophically, this reflects a conception of the good life as fulfillment of an inherited role rather than self-chosen identity. The notion of justice is intertwined with everyone performing their divinely appointed function.
• Endogamy and communal boundaries: The strong emphasis on Yazidi endogamy and restrictions on conversion express a view of the community as a sacred lineage. The continuity of the group is seen as a moral and cosmic imperative, preserving a trust given by God and Tawûsê Melek.
• Virtues of loyalty and hospitality: Stories about saints such as Sheikh Adi, a central reforming figure, emphasize humility, hospitality, and spiritual discipline. Virtue is measured by loyalty to the tradition, care for fellow Yazidis, and reverence for holy places such as Lalish.

Rather than framing ethics in universal rational terms, Yazidi philosophy embeds moral obligations in particular narratives: the actions of angels, saints, and exemplary elders. These stories convey lessons about pride, gratitude, betrayal, and forgiveness, functioning as a narrative ethics designed for internal communal transmission.

Knowledge, Tradition, and Modern Debates

Yazidi epistemology is rooted in orality and initiation. Religious knowledge is held and transmitted by specialist lineages—qewwals (reciters), faqirs (ascetics), and religious leaders. Philosophically, this places emphasis on embodied, performative knowledge rather than written doctrine. Truth is learned through participation in rituals, pilgrimages, and seasonal festivals, and through listening to hymns whose layered meanings are gradually revealed.

Revelation is not conceived as a single canonical text but as a living, multi-generational transmission sanctified by its continuity and by its association with holy figures. While some written texts such as the Mishaf Rash (“Black Book”) and Kitêba Cilwe (“Book of Revelation”) have been cited in modern discussions, many scholars and Yazidis themselves regard these as later or problematic attributions, reinforcing the view that oral qewls are the primary carriers of the tradition.

This outlook yields a distinctive stance on philosophical authority: legitimacy lies in lineage, ritual competence, and communal recognition, rather than argument alone. Rational reflection exists, but it is usually subordinate to, or integrated within, this traditional framework.

In the modern era, especially after episodes of persecution and displacement, Yazidi thinkers and activists have begun to reinterpret their heritage in dialogue with human rights discourse, nationalism, and comparative religion. Debates arise around:

• Caste and endogamy: Some argue for reform in light of contemporary ideals of equality and individual choice; others maintain that relaxing these norms would endanger the community’s sacred identity.
• Gender roles: Traditional patterns, grounded in notions of purity and honor, are being reassessed by Yazidi women and men who seek to reconcile inherited norms with newer visions of gender justice.
• Scripturalization and documentation: Efforts to record qewls, codify beliefs, and write theological summaries raise philosophical questions about the transition from oral to textual authority, and about how fixed formulations might change a fluid, performative tradition.

Externally, scholars debate how best to classify Yazidi philosophy: as a form of Kurdish indigenous religion, a syncretic faith drawing on Zoroastrian, Islamic, Christian, and pre-Islamic Mesopotamian elements, or a sui generis tradition. Each classification carries philosophical implications for how Yazidi ideas about God, angels, and ethics are situated within broader histories of thought.

Within this evolving context, Yazidi philosophy can be seen as a resilient world-picture: a way of understanding reality, value, and community that has adapted to changing political and social pressures while maintaining a distinctive theological core centered on God, the Seven Angels, and the sacred vocation of the Yazidi people.