The Haftawaneh: The Seven Powers of the Yarsani Faith
- Dala Sarkis
- 19 hours ago
- 12 min read
Introduction
The Haftawaneh, sometimes called the Seven Powers, are one of the foundational institutions of the Yarsani faith: the second great heptad of holy beings, formed by Sultan Sahak alongside the Haftan, and charged with the affairs of the outer world.
Yarsanism, also called Ahl-e Haqq, is a distinct religious tradition of the Kurdish people, founded in its present form by Sultan Sahak in the fourteenth century. At the heart of the faith stand two great heptads of holy beings: the Haftan, the Seven holy companions of the divine, foremost among them Pir Benyamin; and the Haftawaneh, the second seven, charged with the outer world, whose lineages became the original spiritual houses of the faith.
As a living religion of the Kurdish people, Yarsanism deserves to be understood accurately and with respect, on its own terms. The Haftawaneh are a foundational institution of the faith, the second heptad of holy beings and the root of the spiritual houses through which the religious community is ordered. To know the Haftawaneh is to understand more of the structure and sacred order of the Yarsani faith.
Contents
What Are the Haftawaneh?
The Haftawaneh, sometimes called the Seven Powers or the Seven Sons, are the second great heptad of holy beings of the Yarsani faith, a group of seven holy persons formed by Sultan Sahak alongside the first heptad, the Haftan, and charged with the affairs of the outer or external world. While the Haftan, the Seven holy companions foremost among them Pir Benyamin, are the higher, spiritual beings closest to the divine manifestation, the Haftawaneh are the second seven, associated with the governance and guidance of the outer world and the community of the faithful. Each of the Haftawaneh was charged with responsibility for the guidance of a number of followers, and the lineages descending from them became the original seven Khandans, the spiritual houses into which the Yarsani religious community is organized. The Haftawaneh are thus a foundational institution of the Yarsani faith, the second heptad of holy beings and the root of the spiritual houses, charged with the outer world and the guidance of the faithful. As the second great heptad and the foundation of the Khandans, the Haftawaneh hold a central place in the structure and sacred order of the Yarsani faith.
The Two Heptads: Haftan and Haftawaneh
To understand the Haftawaneh, one must understand their relationship to the Haftan, for the Yarsani faith honours two great heptads of holy beings, the higher and the second.
In the Yarsani faith, the divine manifestation of Sultan Sahak is accompanied by holy beings, and these are reckoned in two great heptads. The first and higher heptad is the Haftan, the Seven holy companions, the higher spiritual beings closest to the divine manifestation, foremost among them Pir Benyamin, along with Dawud and the others. The second heptad is the Haftawaneh, the second seven, the Seven Powers or Seven Sons, associated with the outer world and the guidance of the community. The two heptads together, the Haftan and the Haftawaneh, form the sacred order of holy beings around the divine manifestation, the higher spiritual companions and the second seven charged with the outer world. This distinction between the two heptads, the Haftan and the Haftawaneh, is an important feature of the Yarsani vision of the sacred order, the higher and the second seven holy beings each with their place and role. The Haftawaneh, as the second heptad, complement the higher Haftan, the two together forming the sacred company of holy beings of the Yarsani faith. It is in relation to the Haftan, as the second of the two great heptads, that the Haftawaneh are best understood, the second seven holy beings charged with the outer world and the foundation of the spiritual houses.
Key Takeaways
The Haftawaneh are the second heptad of holy beings of the Yarsani faith.
They were formed by Sultan Sahak alongside the first heptad, the Haftan.
They are charged with the affairs of the outer or external world.
Each was responsible for the guidance of a community of the faithful.
Their lineages became the original seven Khandans, the spiritual houses.
They are a foundational institution of the Yarsani sacred and social order.
Quick Facts
Name: Haftawaneh (Haft Tawane); the Seven Powers, Seven Sons
Faith: Yarsanism (Ahl-e Haqq), a Kurdish religion
Nature: The second heptad of holy beings
Formed by: Sultan Sahak, alongside the Haftan
Charged with: The affairs of the outer or external world
Role: Each guides a community of the faithful
Foundation of: The original seven Khandans (spiritual houses)
Related heptad: The Haftan, the higher Seven holy companions
Sacred poetry: Honoured in the Kalam (Gorani Kurdish)
Heritage: A living religious tradition of the Kurdish people
Charged with the Outer World
The distinctive role of the Haftawaneh is that they are charged with the affairs of the outer or external world, complementing the higher Haftan who are closest to the divine in the inner, spiritual realm.
In the Yarsani vision, the world is understood in terms of an inner, spiritual realm and an outer, external realm, and the holy beings are associated with these in their roles. The Haftan, the higher heptad foremost among them Pir Benyamin, are the higher spiritual beings closest to the divine manifestation, while the Haftawaneh, the second heptad, are charged with the affairs of the outer or external world, the governance and guidance of the world and the community of the faithful in the outer realm. This division of roles reflects the Yarsani understanding of the inner and outer realms and the holy beings who serve in each, the higher Haftan in the spiritual realm and the Haftawaneh in the outer world. The Haftawaneh thus have a role bound up with the governance and ordering of the outer world and the community, the second seven charged with the external affairs of the faith. This role as the holy beings charged with the outer world is the distinctive feature of the Haftawaneh, complementing the higher Haftan and reflecting the Yarsani vision of the inner and outer realms. It is as the holy beings of the outer world, charged with its governance and the guidance of the community, that the Haftawaneh hold their place in the sacred order of the Yarsani faith.
The Foundation of the Khandans
The most far-reaching significance of the Haftawaneh is that their lineages became the original seven Khandans, the spiritual houses into which the Yarsani religious community is organized to this day.
In the Yarsani faith, the religious community is organized into spiritual houses, called Khandans, each led by a spiritual leader and each gathering a community of the faithful who belong to it. According to the tradition, Sultan Sahak, in forming the Haftawaneh, charged each of them with the guidance of a number of followers, and the lineages descending from them became the original seven Khandans of the faith. In this way, the Haftawaneh are the root and foundation of the Khandan system, the spiritual houses that order the Yarsani religious community. Further Khandans were established after the time of Sultan Sahak, but the original seven trace their foundation to the Haftawaneh. Every Yarsani belongs to a particular Khandan, led by a spiritual leader to whom the members are bound, and so the Haftawaneh, as the founders of the original Khandans, are at the very root of the religious and social order of the faith. This role as the foundation of the Khandans is the most far-reaching significance of the Haftawaneh, binding the second heptad of holy beings to the living religious and social structure of the Yarsani faith, the spiritual houses through which the community is ordered. It is as the foundation of the Khandans that the Haftawaneh hold their central and enduring place in the Yarsani faith, the root of the spiritual houses that order the religious community to this day.
Guidance of the Faithful
Bound up with the foundation of the Khandans is the role of the Haftawaneh in the guidance of the faithful, each of the second seven being charged with the spiritual care of a community.
In the Yarsani faith, the guidance of the faithful is a central concern, and the spiritual houses, the Khandans, are the means by which the community is guided, each led by a spiritual leader to whom the members are bound in a sacred relationship. The Haftawaneh, in being charged each with the guidance of a community of followers, are at the root of this structure of spiritual guidance, the holy beings whose lineages provide the spiritual leaders of the Khandans. In this way, the Haftawaneh are bound up with the guidance and spiritual care of the faithful, the second heptad whose role is the ordering and guidance of the community in the outer world. The guidance of the faithful, through the spiritual houses founded by the Haftawaneh, is a central feature of the religious life of the Yarsani faith, in which each believer belongs to a Khandan and is guided by its spiritual leader. This role in the guidance of the faithful is an important aspect of the significance of the Haftawaneh, the second seven charged with the spiritual care and guidance of the community through the spiritual houses they founded. It is as the holy beings at the root of the guidance of the faithful that the Haftawaneh hold an enduring place in the religious life of the Yarsani faith.
The Haftawaneh in the Sacred Order
The Haftawaneh stand, with the Haftan, at the foundation of the sacred order of the Yarsani faith, honoured in the sacred poetry and bound up with the religious structure of the community.
In the Yarsani faith, the two great heptads of holy beings, the Haftan and the Haftawaneh, stand at the foundation of the sacred order, the higher spiritual companions and the second seven charged with the outer world. The sacred poetry of the faith, the Kalam, composed and transmitted in the Gorani Kurdish tongue, celebrates the divine manifestation and the holy beings, and preserves the sacred knowledge of the tradition, including the account of the Haftawaneh and the foundation of the Khandans. The Khandan system, founded upon the Haftawaneh, orders the religious community of the faith to this day, so that the second heptad is woven into the living structure of the Yarsani faith. Together with the Haftan, foremost among them Pir Benyamin, the Haftawaneh form the sacred company of holy beings around the divine manifestation of Sultan Sahak. This place in the sacred order reflects the foundational role of the Haftawaneh in the Yarsani faith, the second heptad woven into the sacred poetry and the living religious structure of the community. It is as a foundation of the sacred order, alongside the Haftan, that the Haftawaneh hold their central place in the Yarsani faith.
Symbolism and Meaning
The Haftawaneh embody, above all, the Yarsani vision of the sacred order and the holy beings who govern and guide the world and the community, the second heptad charged with the outer world and the foundation of the spiritual houses. As the root of the Khandans, they represent the binding of the holy beings to the living religious structure of the faith.
The Haftawaneh embody, too, the sacredness of the number seven, recurring in the two heptads of the Yarsani faith, and the Yarsani vision of the inner and outer realms, the Haftawaneh serving in the outer world as the Haftan serve in the inner. In this, they represent the rich and ordered vision of the sacred order of the Yarsani faith. In all this, the Haftawaneh are a foundational institution of the Yarsani faith, embodying the sacred order, the governance and guidance of the world and community, and the foundation of the spiritual houses. They are the second great heptad, the Seven Powers, charged with the outer world and the root of the Khandans, one of the distinctive features of this living religious tradition of the Kurdish people, honoured alongside the Haftan and the divine manifestation of Sultan Sahak in the sacred poetry of the faith. The vision of the two heptads of holy beings, ordering the inner and outer realms, is among the distinctive features of the Yarsani tradition.
The Haftawaneh in Kurdish Heritage
The Haftawaneh belong to Yarsanism, the Ahl-e Haqq, one of the distinctive religious traditions of the Kurdish people, a living faith centred in the Hawraman and Guran regions of the Kurdish lands. As a foundational institution of the faith, they hold a special place in the religious heritage of the Kurds.
Yarsanism is a faith followed by Kurds, chiefly in the Hawraman, Guran, and Kermanshah regions and among related communities, and it is one of the distinctive religious traditions of the Kurdish people, with its own sacred poetry, holy beings, and religious order. The Haftawaneh, as the second heptad of holy beings and the foundation of the Khandans, are thus a central part of the religious structure and heritage of this Kurdish faith, woven into the living religious order of the community. The Yarsani faith, with its holy beings, sacred poetry, and spiritual houses, has been preserved by its community through many centuries, often in the face of persecution and misunderstanding, and the tradition, with foundational institutions such as the Haftawaneh, deserves to be known and understood accurately and with respect, as a living religion of great depth. As one of the distinctive religious traditions of the Kurdish people, Yarsanism, with its sacred order of the Haftan and the Haftawaneh, is a precious part of the spiritual heritage of the Kurds. In presenting the Haftawaneh, then, we present a foundational institution of this living Kurdish religious tradition, the second heptad of holy beings and the root of the spiritual houses, understood as the Yarsani themselves understand it.
Debates and Misconceptions
Are the Haftawaneh the same as the Haftan? No; the two are distinct heptads, though related. The Haftan are the higher heptad, the Seven holy companions closest to the divine manifestation, foremost among them Pir Benyamin, associated with the inner, spiritual realm. The Haftawaneh are the second heptad, the Seven Powers or Seven Sons, charged with the outer or external world and the guidance of the community, and the foundation of the Khandans. The two heptads together form the sacred order of holy beings, but they are distinct in their roles, the higher Haftan and the second Haftawaneh.
Are the Haftawaneh historical men or holy beings? In the Yarsani understanding, the holy beings are not merely historical figures but are understood as holy beings within the sacred vision of the faith, even as the tradition also preserves accounts of their roles and the lineages descending from them. The Haftawaneh are best understood, in the terms of the faith itself, as holy beings of the sacred order, the second heptad, whose lineages founded the Khandans. They are both holy beings of the Yarsani vision and the historical root of the spiritual houses that order the community.
Is the sacred poetry of the faith to be freely quoted or treated lightly? No; the Kalam, the sacred poetry of the Yarsani faith, is holy and revered, the divinely revealed verse of the tradition, treated with the greatest respect. In presenting the Haftawaneh and the account of the Khandans preserved in the sacred tradition, we name and honour the sacred poetry with the respect due to the holy literature of a living faith, rather than treating it as mere material. The reverence due to the holy beings and to the sacred Kalam is part of understanding the Yarsani faith rightly, as the Yarsani themselves understand it.
Related Topics
Sultan Sahak: the divine manifestation who formed the Haftawaneh
Pir Benyamin: foremost of the Haftan, the higher heptad
Dawud: one of the Haftan, the Seven holy companions
Baba Yadgar: a revered holy figure of the Yarsani faith
The Heft Sirr: the Seven Holy Beings of the Yazidi faith
Tawuse Melek: the Peacock Angel of the Yazidi faith
Newroz: the new-year festival of the Kurdish world
The Simurgh: the great mythic bird of Iranic legend
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Haftawaneh in the Yarsani faith?
The Haftawaneh, sometimes called the Seven Powers or Seven Sons, are the second great heptad of holy beings of the Yarsani faith, formed by Sultan Sahak alongside the first heptad, the Haftan. They are charged with the affairs of the outer or external world, and each was responsible for the guidance of a community of followers. The lineages descending from them became the original seven Khandans, the spiritual houses into which the Yarsani religious community is organized.
How do the Haftawaneh differ from the Haftan?
The Haftan are the higher heptad, the Seven holy companions closest to the divine manifestation, foremost among them Pir Benyamin, associated with the inner, spiritual realm. The Haftawaneh are the second heptad, charged with the outer or external world and the guidance of the community, and the foundation of the Khandans. The two heptads together form the sacred order of holy beings around the divine manifestation, but they are distinct in their roles.
What are the Khandans?
The Khandans are the spiritual houses into which the Yarsani religious community is organized, each led by a spiritual leader and each gathering a community of the faithful who belong to it. According to the tradition, the lineages descending from the Haftawaneh became the original seven Khandans, with further Khandans established later. Every Yarsani belongs to a particular Khandan, led by a spiritual leader to whom the members are bound in a sacred relationship.
Why were the Haftawaneh charged with the outer world?
In the Yarsani vision, the world is understood in terms of an inner, spiritual realm and an outer, external realm. The higher Haftan are the spiritual beings closest to the divine in the inner realm, while the Haftawaneh, the second heptad, are charged with the affairs of the outer world, the governance and guidance of the world and the community in the external realm. This division reflects the Yarsani understanding of the inner and outer realms and the holy beings who serve in each.
Who formed the Haftawaneh?
According to the tradition, the Haftawaneh were formed by Sultan Sahak, the great manifestation of the divine who founded the Yarsani faith in its present form in the 14th century. In forming the Haftawaneh alongside the first heptad, the Haftan, Sultan Sahak charged each of the second seven with the guidance of a number of followers, and the lineages descending from them became the original seven Khandans, the spiritual houses of the faith.
Are the Haftawaneh part of Kurdish heritage?
Yes; the Haftawaneh belong to Yarsanism, or Ahl-e Haqq, a distinctive religious tradition followed by Kurds, chiefly in the Hawraman, Guran, and Kermanshah regions and among related communities. As the second heptad of holy beings and the foundation of the Khandans, they are a central part of the religious structure and heritage of this Kurdish faith. Yarsanism is a living religion of great depth, deserving to be understood accurately and with respect.
References and Further Reading
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