Sultan Ezid: A Central Divine Figure of the Yazidis
- Dala Sarkis
- 19 hours ago
- 13 min read
Introduction
Sultan Ezid is one of the most revered figures of the Yazidi faith: a central divine figure, one of the three sacred aspects or hypostases of the one God, alongside Sheikh Adi and the Peacock Angel Tawuse Melek.
Yazidism is a monotheistic faith, centred on belief in one God, the creator of all. In the Yazidi vision, the one God is known through a sacred triad of aspects or hypostases, three holy figures who are understood as aspects of the one divine: the Peacock Angel, Sheikh Adi, and Sultan Ezid. Sultan Ezid, sometimes called Sultan Ezi, is thus one of the central figures of the Yazidi sacred vision, appearing in the tradition sometimes as a manifestation of the divine and sometimes as a holy angel.
As a living religion of the Kurdish people, Yazidism deserves to be understood accurately and respectfully, on its own terms. Sultan Ezid is among its most revered figures, one of the three sacred aspects of the one God. To know Sultan Ezid is to understand something of the heart of the Yazidi vision of the divine, presented here as the Yazidis themselves understand it.
Contents
Who Is Sultan Ezid?
Sultan Ezid, also called Sultan Ezi, is a central divine figure of the Yazidi faith, one of the three sacred aspects or hypostases of the one God, alongside Sheikh Adi and the Peacock Angel Tawuse Melek. In the Yazidi vision, the one God, the creator of all, is known through a sacred triad of aspects, three holy figures who are understood as aspects or hypostases of the one divine, and Sultan Ezid is the third of these. He appears in the tradition sometimes as a manifestation of the divine itself and sometimes as a holy angel, and his identity is sometimes closely bound up with that of the Peacock Angel and of Sheikh Adi, the three being understood as aspects of the one God. The name Ezid, or Ezi, is closely connected with the very name by which the Yazidis call themselves and with the divine, and Sultan Ezid is honoured as a central figure of the faith, bound up in the tradition with the divine origin of the Yazidi people. As one of the three sacred aspects of the one God, Sultan Ezid holds a central and revered place in the Yazidi sacred vision, one of the most important figures of the faith.
The Divine Triad
To understand Sultan Ezid, one must understand the Yazidi vision of the divine triad, the three sacred aspects through which the one God is known.
In the Yazidi understanding, there is one God, the creator of all, who in the tradition is sometimes spoken of as remote and hidden, having created the world and entrusted it to his holy emanations. The one God is known through a sacred triad of aspects or hypostases, three holy figures understood as aspects of the one divine: first, the Peacock Angel, Tawuse Melek, the chief of the holy angels and the ruler of the world; second, Sheikh Adi, the great saint understood as a manifestation of the divine; and third, Sultan Ezid. These three are understood as aspects or hypostases of the one God, and their identities are sometimes blurred or understood as overlapping, with Sheikh Adi and Sultan Ezid sometimes understood as manifestations of the Peacock Angel, and all three as aspects of the one divine. This vision of the divine triad, the three sacred aspects of the one God, is a distinctive feature of the Yazidi understanding of the divine, and Sultan Ezid is the third of these three sacred aspects. It is important to understand that this triad does not compromise the monotheism of the faith: the three are aspects of the one God, not three separate gods. Sultan Ezid, as one of the three sacred aspects, holds a central place in this Yazidi vision of the one God known through the holy triad.
Key Takeaways
Sultan Ezid is a central divine figure of the Yazidi faith.
He is one of three sacred aspects of the one God, with Sheikh Adi and Tawuse Melek.
He appears in the tradition sometimes as the divine, sometimes as a holy angel.
His identity is sometimes bound up with that of the Peacock Angel.
His name is closely connected with the divine and with the Yazidi people.
Yazidism remains monotheistic: the three are aspects of one God, not three gods.
Quick Facts
Name: Sultan Ezid (also Sultan Ezi, Siltan Ezid)
Faith: Yazidism, a monotheistic Kurdish religion
Role: One of the three sacred aspects of the one God
The triad: Tawuse Melek, Sheikh Adi, and Sultan Ezid
Appears as: Sometimes the divine, sometimes a holy angel
Identity: Sometimes bound up with the Peacock Angel
Connected with: The divine and the origin of the Yazidi people
Monotheism: The three are aspects of one God, not separate gods
Holy centre: Lalish, the sacred valley and pilgrimage site
Heritage: A living religious tradition of the Kurdish people
One of the Three Sacred Aspects
Sultan Ezid's central significance is as one of the three sacred aspects of the one God, the third of the holy triad through which, in the Yazidi vision, the one God is known and made manifest.
In the Yazidi understanding, the one God is known through three sacred aspects or hypostases, and Sultan Ezid is the third of these, alongside the Peacock Angel Tawuse Melek and the great saint Sheikh Adi. As one of the three sacred aspects, Sultan Ezid shares in the divine, an aspect of the one God rather than a separate being, and he is honoured accordingly as a central figure of the faith. The relationship and identity of the three sacred aspects are understood in the tradition as close and sometimes overlapping, the three being aspects of the one divine; and Sultan Ezid, like the other two, is bound up with the others in this sacred unity. This standing as one of the three sacred aspects is the heart of Sultan Ezid's significance, marking him as a central figure of the Yazidi vision of the divine, one of the holy three through whom the one God is known. It is as one of the three sacred aspects of the one God that Sultan Ezid holds his revered and central place in the Yazidi faith, one of the holy triad at the heart of the Yazidi understanding of the divine.
God, Angel, and Manifestation
A distinctive feature of Sultan Ezid in the Yazidi tradition is that he appears in different ways, sometimes as a manifestation of the divine itself and sometimes as a holy angel, reflecting the rich and sometimes fluid character of the Yazidi vision of the divine.
In the sacred tradition of the Yazidis, Sultan Ezid is spoken of in more than one way: sometimes as a manifestation of the divine, an aspect of the one God himself, and sometimes as a holy angel or holy being. This reflects the character of the Yazidi vision of the divine, in which the one God, his holy emanations or angels, and his sacred aspects are understood in a rich and sometimes fluid way, the divine being made manifest in various holy figures whose identities can be closely bound up with one another. The closeness and sometimes overlapping of the identities of the three sacred aspects, the Peacock Angel, Sheikh Adi, and Sultan Ezid, is part of this rich vision, in which the divine is known through holy figures who share in and manifest the one divine. Sultan Ezid, appearing sometimes as the divine and sometimes as a holy angel, is part of this distinctive Yazidi understanding of the divine made manifest. This many-sided character of Sultan Ezid, as divine aspect, manifestation, and holy angel, is a distinctive feature of his place in the tradition, reflecting the rich Yazidi vision of the one God known and made manifest through holy figures. It is part of what makes Sultan Ezid a central and fascinating figure of the Yazidi sacred vision.
Sultan Ezid and the Yazidi People
Sultan Ezid is bound up, in the Yazidi tradition, with the very identity and origin of the Yazidi people, his name being closely connected with the name by which the Yazidis call themselves.
The name of Sultan Ezid, Ezid or Ezi, is closely connected with the name by which the Yazidis call themselves and with the divine; indeed, the Yazidis sometimes call themselves by names connected with Ezi or Ezid, names bound up with the divine. In the Yazidi tradition, Sultan Ezid is connected with the sacred origin of the Yazidi people, and a sacred narrative tells of the descent of the Yazidis in connection with him, with the Peacock Angel Tawuse Melek involved in the sacred account. This connection binds Sultan Ezid closely to the identity and self-understanding of the Yazidi people, as a figure bound up with their sacred origin and their very name. The closeness of the name of Sultan Ezid to the name of the Yazidis themselves reflects the central place of this divine figure in the Yazidi sacred vision and identity. This connection with the Yazidi people and their sacred origin is an important aspect of Sultan Ezid's significance, binding the divine figure to the identity and self-understanding of the community. It is as a figure bound up with the sacred origin and identity of the Yazidi people that Sultan Ezid holds a special and central place in the faith, one of the most revered figures of the Yazidi sacred vision.
Honoured in the Sacred Tradition
Sultan Ezid is honoured throughout the sacred tradition of the Yazidi faith, in its hymns, its sacred narratives, and its religious life, as one of the central figures of the divine vision.
In the Yazidi faith, Sultan Ezid, as one of the three sacred aspects of the one God, is honoured throughout the sacred tradition. The sacred hymns of the faith, the qewls, sung in the Kurdish tongue, celebrate the one God and his sacred aspects and holy figures, preserving and transmitting the sacred knowledge of the tradition, and Sultan Ezid is honoured among the central divine figures. The holy valley of Lalish, the sacred centre and pilgrimage place of the faith, and the religious calendar, festivals, and observances of the Yazidis, are all bound up with the vision of the one God and his sacred aspects and holy figures, among whom Sultan Ezid is central. The reverence for Sultan Ezid is part of the wider Yazidi devotion to the one God known through his sacred aspects and made manifest in his holy figures, among whom are Sheikh Adi and the holy beings of the Heft Sirr. This honouring in the sacred tradition reflects the central place of Sultan Ezid in the Yazidi faith, one of the three sacred aspects of the one God, revered in the hymns, holy places, and religious life of the community. It is through the sacred tradition that the reverence for Sultan Ezid is preserved and transmitted, the central divine figure honoured in the sacred vision of the Yazidi faith.
Symbolism and Meaning
Sultan Ezid embodies, above all, the Yazidi vision of the one God known through sacred aspects, one of the three holy aspects through whom the one divine is known and made manifest. As one of the sacred three, he represents the rich Yazidi understanding of the divine made manifest in holy figures.
Sultan Ezid embodies, too, the closeness of the divine to the Yazidi people, his name bound up with their very identity and sacred origin, and the rich and many-sided character of the Yazidi vision of the divine, appearing as divine aspect, manifestation, and holy angel. In all this, Sultan Ezid is among the most revered and central figures of the Yazidi faith, embodying the one God known through sacred aspects, the divine made manifest, and the closeness of the divine to the Yazidi people. He is one of the three sacred aspects of the one God, alongside the Peacock Angel Tawuse Melek and the great saint Sheikh Adi, one of the most distinctive and profound features of the religious heritage of the Kurds. The vision of the one God known through the holy triad is among the most ancient and beautiful of the religious visions preserved among the Kurdish people.
Sultan Ezid in Kurdish Heritage
Sultan Ezid belongs to Yazidism, one of the most ancient and distinctive religious traditions of the Kurdish people, a living faith of great antiquity and beauty. As one of the three sacred aspects of the one God, he holds a central place in the religious heritage of the Kurds.
Yazidism is a faith followed by Kurds, chiefly the Kurmanji-speaking Yazidis, and it is one of the most distinctive and ancient religious traditions of the Kurdish people, preserving a vision of the divine of great antiquity. Sultan Ezid, as one of the three sacred aspects of the one God and a figure bound up with the very identity and origin of the Yazidi people, is thus a central part of the religious heritage of the Kurds. The Yazidi faith and its vision of the one God known through his sacred aspects and holy figures have been preserved by the Yazidi community through many centuries, often in the face of grave persecution and misunderstanding, and the tradition deserves to be known and understood accurately and with respect, as a living religion of great depth and antiquity. As one of the most distinctive religious traditions of the Kurdish people, Yazidism, with its vision of Sultan Ezid and the divine triad, is a precious part of the spiritual heritage of the Kurds. In presenting Sultan Ezid, then, we present one of the most profound and central figures of the religious heritage of the Kurdish people, one of the three sacred aspects of the one God, understood as the Yazidis themselves understand him.
Debates and Misconceptions
Does the divine triad mean the Yazidis worship three gods? No; this would be a misunderstanding. Yazidism is a monotheistic faith, centred on belief in one God, the creator of all. The three sacred aspects, the Peacock Angel, Sheikh Adi, and Sultan Ezid, are understood as aspects or hypostases of the one God, not as three separate deities, much as some other monotheistic traditions speak of the one God in more than one aspect. The three sacred aspects are a way of understanding and approaching the one divine, and Yazidi monotheism, the belief in one God, is firm and central to the faith.
Is Sultan Ezid the same as the Umayyad caliph of similar name? This is a question on which there has been much outside discussion, and it must be handled carefully and honestly. Some outside observers and scholars have proposed a historical connection between the name of Sultan Ezid and the Umayyad caliph Yazid ibn Muawiya, and some accounts describe a development by which reverence for such a figure was woven into the tradition. However, the Yazidis themselves generally reject any such connection, holding that in their religious understanding Sultan Ezid is a sacred and divine figure, one of the three aspects of the one God, with no real link to the historical caliph beyond a similarity of name that they regard as coincidental. The honest position is to present Sultan Ezid as the Yazidis themselves understand him, as a sacred divine figure of their faith, while noting that the question of the name's historical origin is a matter of outside scholarly discussion on which views differ and which the Yazidis themselves dispute. What is clear is that, within the Yazidi faith, Sultan Ezid is a holy and divine figure, one of the three sacred aspects of the one God.
Is the chief of the holy angels, the Peacock Angel, an evil being? No, and this must be stated clearly, for it is the source of a grave and harmful slander. In the Yazidi faith, Tawuse Melek is the chief of the holy angels, a wholly good and benevolent being. Any association of him, or of the sacred figures of the faith, with evil is a misunderstanding rooted in the assumptions of outsiders, entirely foreign to and rejected by the Yazidi faith, offensive and incorrect, and used to justify centuries of cruel persecution. Yazidism is a monotheistic and non-dualistic faith, in which the sacred figures are wholly good, the one God and his holy aspects and emanations.
Related Topics
Tawuse Melek: the Peacock Angel, first of the three sacred aspects
Sheikh Adi: the great saint, second of the three sacred aspects
The Heft Sirr: the Seven Holy Beings of the Yazidi faith
Ezdina Mir: a holy figure and ancestor of the Shemsani sheikhs
Newroz: the new-year festival of the Kurdish world
Shahmaran: the sacred serpent queen of Kurdish lore
Zoroaster: the prophet of the ancient Iranic faith
The Simurgh: the great mythic bird of Iranic legend
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sultan Ezid in the Yazidi faith?
Sultan Ezid, also called Sultan Ezi, is a central divine figure of the Yazidi faith, one of the three sacred aspects or hypostases of the one God, alongside Sheikh Adi and the Peacock Angel Tawuse Melek. He appears in the tradition sometimes as a manifestation of the divine and sometimes as a holy angel, and his identity is sometimes bound up with that of the Peacock Angel. His name is closely connected with the divine and with the very identity of the Yazidi people.
What is the Yazidi divine triad?
In the Yazidi understanding, the one God is known through a sacred triad of three aspects or hypostases: the Peacock Angel Tawuse Melek, the chief of the holy angels and ruler of the world; Sheikh Adi, the great saint understood as a manifestation of the divine; and Sultan Ezid. These three are understood as aspects of the one God, not as three separate deities, and their identities are sometimes understood as close or overlapping. The triad does not compromise the firm monotheism of the faith.
Does the triad mean Yazidis worship three gods?
No; Yazidism is a monotheistic faith, centred on belief in one God, the creator of all. The three sacred aspects, the Peacock Angel, Sheikh Adi, and Sultan Ezid, are understood as aspects or hypostases of the one God, not as three separate deities, much as some other monotheistic traditions speak of the one God in more than one aspect. Yazidi monotheism, the belief in one God, is firm and central to the faith.
Is Sultan Ezid connected with a historical caliph?
Some outside observers and scholars have proposed a historical connection between the name of Sultan Ezid and the Umayyad caliph Yazid ibn Muawiya. However, the Yazidis themselves generally reject any such connection, holding that Sultan Ezid is a sacred and divine figure of their faith, one of the three aspects of the one God, with no real link to the historical caliph beyond a similarity of name they regard as coincidental. The honest position is to present him as the Yazidis themselves understand him.
How is Sultan Ezid connected with the Yazidi people?
The name of Sultan Ezid, Ezid or Ezi, is closely connected with the name by which the Yazidis call themselves and with the divine. In the Yazidi tradition, Sultan Ezid is connected with the sacred origin of the Yazidi people, and a sacred narrative tells of their descent in connection with him. This binds Sultan Ezid closely to the identity and self-understanding of the Yazidi people, as a figure bound up with their sacred origin and their very name.
Is Sultan Ezid part of Kurdish heritage?
Yes; Sultan Ezid belongs to Yazidism, one of the most ancient and distinctive religious traditions of the Kurdish people, followed chiefly by Kurmanji-speaking Yazidis. As one of the three sacred aspects of the one God and a figure bound up with the identity and origin of the Yazidi people, he is a central part of the religious heritage of the Kurds. Yazidism is a living religion of great depth and antiquity, deserving to be understood accurately and with respect.
References and Further Reading
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