The Seven Angels of Yazidism: The Heft Sirr Explained
- Sherko Sabir
- 23 hours ago
- 6 min read
Introduction
At the centre of the Yazidi (Ezidi) faith stand the Seven Angels, known as the Heft Sirr, the 'Seven Mysteries'. These are the holy beings whom the one God created from his own light and to whom he entrusted the care of the world. Chief among them is Tawuse Melek, the Peacock Angel.
The Seven are the working heart of Yazidi theology. God himself is remote and transcendent; it is through the Heft Sirr that the divine acts in creation, and through their repeated incarnation in holy men that they remain present among the Yazidi people. To grasp the Seven Angels is to grasp how Yazidis understand God, the world and their own sacred history.
Contents
What Are the Seven Angels?
The Seven Angels, or Heft Sirr, are the seven Holy Beings of Yazidism, created by God before the world and charged with governing it on his behalf. They are emanations of the divine, each carrying something of God within. The Peacock Angel leads them, and the other six are identified both with angelic names and with the great holy figures of Yazidi history, in whom they are believed to have taken human form.
Key Takeaways
The Heft Sirr ('Seven Mysteries') are the Seven Angels at the centre of the Yazidi faith.
God created them from his own light before the world and entrusted creation to them.
Their leader is Tawuse Melek, the Peacock Angel.
The other six are identified with holy figures such as Sheikh Adi, Sheikh Hasan and the Four Mysteries.
Yazidis believe the Seven periodically take human form, and the sheikhly lineages descend from them.
Quick Facts
Name: The Seven Angels, or Heft Sirr ('the Seven Mysteries')
Tradition: Yazidism (the Ezidi faith)
What they are: Seven Holy Beings created by God to govern the world
Created from: God's own light (nur), before the creation of the world
Leader: Tawuse Melek, the Peacock Angel
The others: Identified with holy figures including Sheikh Adi, Sheikh Hasan, and the Four Mysteries (Sex Sems, Fexreddin, Sejadin, Nasirdin)
Angelic names: Cibrayil, Ezrayil, Mikayil, Sifqayil, Derdayil, Ezafil and Ezazil
Key belief: They are emanations of God, periodically incarnated in human form
Scholarly parallels: Compared with the seven Amesha Spentas of Zoroastrianism and the great gods of ancient Mesopotamia
Attestation: Central to Yazidi oral tradition and creation belief (Oral to Written)
The Heptad: God's Seven Holy Beings
In the Yazidi creation account, the one God, Xwede, brought the Seven into being from his own light at the very beginning, before he made the material world. He then made a covenant with them and placed the world in their care, so that they, and not he directly, would sustain and order all things.
This is why Yazidism, though strictly monotheistic, gives such a central place to the Seven. The supreme God does not intervene in the world day to day; he acts through the Heft Sirr. They are called 'Mysteries' because they are the hidden channels of a hidden God, the means by which the divine reaches creation.
Who Are the Seven?
Tawuse Melek, the Chief
Pre-eminent among the Seven is Tawuse Melek, the Peacock Angel, created first and appointed leader of the others. He is God's deputy over the world and the chief channel of the divine will, and it is he who is most beloved and most central in Yazidi devotion.
The Six Other Holy Beings
The other six are known both by angelic names and, more familiarly, by the holy figures regarded as their earthly incarnations. These include Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir and his companion Sheikh Hasan (Sex Hesen), together with the 'Four Mysteries', Sex Sems, Fexreddin, Sejadin and Nasirdin, remembered as the four sons of Ezdina Mir and the ancestors of the Semsani sheikh lineages. In the hymns the Seven also bear angelic names such as Cibrayil, Mikayil and Ezrayil, familiar from the wider monotheistic world.
The exact membership of the Seven varies from one tradition and hymn to another, and the same holy figure may be counted differently in different accounts. What never changes is the structure itself: one God, and seven Holy Beings led by the Peacock Angel.
Sex Sems and the Sun
Among the six, Sex Sems, whose name means 'the sun of the faith', holds a special place. He is associated with the sun, which Yazidis honour by praying toward it, and is invoked for light, guidance and enlightenment. Scholars have compared him to ancient solar divinities, a reminder of how deeply the reverence for light runs in the tradition.
Angels Made Flesh
A distinctive Yazidi belief ties the Seven to human history. Because Yazidis hold that souls can return in new bodies, they believe the Heft Sirr periodically take human form, appearing as the great spiritual leaders of the community. The holy men of Sheikh Adi's era are understood as these incarnations, and the Yazidi sheikh families trace their descent from the Seven themselves. In this way the angels are not distant abstractions but ancestors and saints woven into the life of the community.
Ancient Parallels
The Heft Sirr have long fascinated scholars for their resemblance to older traditions. The idea of seven great divine beings recalls the seven Amesha Spentas, the 'Beneficent Immortals' of Zoroastrianism, as well as the seven great gods of ancient Mesopotamia. These parallels suggest that Yazidism preserves very old Iranian and Mesopotamian religious ideas. At the same time, scholars caution against reducing Yazidism to a survival of any one earlier faith: it is a distinct religion that has drawn these threads into a tradition entirely its own.
Symbolism
The number seven itself speaks of completeness and cosmic order, the seven days, the seven heavens, the seven that govern the whole. In the Heft Sirr, the one becomes seven in order to act, much as a single white light divides into the many colours of the peacock's tail.
Above all the Seven express a particular vision of the divine: a single God so transcendent that he governs not by direct command but through beloved intermediaries, who are at once angels, emanations of his light, and saints who have walked among the Yazidis. The Seven hold the cosmos together and keep heaven and earth in touch.
Debates and Misconceptions
Are the Seven Angels the same as the archangels of other faiths? They share some names, such as Gabriel and Michael, with Judaism, Christianity and Islam, but their role and meaning are distinctively Yazidi, and above all the inclusion of the Peacock Angel as their leader sets them apart. The shared names reflect a shared regional heritage, not identity.
Is the list of the Seven fixed? No. Different hymns and regions name the members somewhat differently, and figures may be grouped or counted in various ways. This fluidity is natural in an oral tradition; the constant is the framework of one God and seven Holy Beings led by Tawuse Melek, not a single official roster.
Related Topics
Tawuse Melek: the Peacock Angel, chief of the Seven
The Yazidi creation myth: where God creates the Seven from his light
Sheikh Adi: the saint counted among the Seven Holy Beings
Lalish: the sacred centre where the Seven are honoured
The Qewls: the hymns that name and praise the Seven
Sex Sems: the solar holy being of the Heft Sirr
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Seven Angels in Yazidism?
They are the Heft Sirr, the 'Seven Mysteries': seven Holy Beings created by God from his own light to govern the world. Their leader is Tawuse Melek, the Peacock Angel.
What does Heft Sirr mean?
It means 'the Seven Mysteries' in Kurdish. The Seven are called mysteries because they are the hidden channels through which the transcendent God acts in the world.
Who are the seven Yazidi angels?
Tawuse Melek leads them. The other six are identified with holy figures such as Sheikh Adi, Sheikh Hasan and the Four Mysteries (Sex Sems, Fexreddin, Sejadin and Nasirdin), and with angelic names. The exact list varies between traditions.
Do Yazidis worship seven gods?
No. Yazidism is monotheistic. There is one God, Xwede, who is worshipped; the Seven are his holy beings or angels, created by him to administer the world, not separate gods.
How are the Seven Angels connected to Yazidi holy men?
Yazidis believe the Seven take human form over time. The great sheikhs of Sheikh Adi's era are seen as their incarnations, and the Yazidi sheikh families are believed to descend from the Seven.
References and Further Reading
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