From Heaven to Earth: The Bull Sacrifice as a Tool for the Mithraisation of the Yezidis

Abstract

The study examines the significance of the Yezidi ritual of killing a bull during the autumn Festival of the Assembly. For eighty years, this ritual has been regarded by scholars and politicians alike as irrefutable evidence of the presence of elements of Mithraism in the Yezidi religious tradition. This interpretation has also shaped the perception of their own religion among the Yezidis, as many of them, influenced by scholarly and political authority, accept it unquestioningly. This belief is, however, contradicted by my own observations of the Yezidi ritual in Lalish and an analysis of Yezidi religious hymns, which demonstrate that the assumptions underlying this interpretation are not supported by evidence and are open to criticism. Furthermore, I put forward alternative interpretations by highlighting similarities between the Yezidi ritual and religious practices and myths of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, the rites of Harran, and the mystery cults of late antiquity.