Melekism
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| Melekism Melekiyatî (Dzhuven) | |
|---|---|
| File:Ezidi Mirza.jpg A Melekite temple behind a statue of Anasha Şêrko, an important Dzhuven politico-religious figure | |
| Type | Ethnic |
| Classification | Ayar religion |
| Scripture | Book of Revelation |
| Theology | Polytheistic |
| Members | 24.8 million |
| Other name(s) | Şerfedîn |
Melekism is a polytheistic ethnic religion with deep roots in Kardo-Ayar ethnic tradition. Followed mainly by the Dzhuvens in Dzhuvenestan and the Ayars of Shirazam, the religion has 24.8 million followers around the world.
Principal beliefs
The defining feature of Melekism, and the origin of its name, comes from the belief in Seven Divine Spirits, or Angels, which serve as the guardians of the Earth and its people. These Angels serve as the agents of Light in the world, often associated with the soul and the spiritual realm. They serve in opposition to the Dark Lords, or ahriman, which itself stands for materialism and the world. In this sense, Melekism contains significant elements of dualism in the battle between dark and light as well as polytheism in the praise and worship of the Seven Angels. Some schools have developed deeper and more detailed beliefs as to the nature of the ahriman. Various names have been given to these Dark Lords, as well as various sects assigning them different representative attributes such as specific sins or ways of sinful living that they represent.
Humans are also seen by Melekism as divided between body (belonging to an inner Darkness) and soul (belonging to an inner Light and the Seven Angels). Melekist thought encourages "self-cultivation," or a lifestyle of righteous spiritual action, worship, and thought. Upon a person's physical death, it is believed that the Angel of Fertility, Argimpasa, will measure the strength of their soul versus the weight of their physical being, at the Bridge. If a person has lived a spiritually cultivating life, their physical body will be cast aside at the Bridge, and they will cross into living on as Spirits of Light. If one has let their base, material instincts dictate their life or has otherwise lived a life devoid of spiritual cultivation, their spirit will be thus too weak to cast off their body; the soul will be destroyed and they will be the ones to experience true death.
In addition to the Light-Darkness divide and the Seven Angels, Melekism teaches that the world is composed of four fundamental elements: fire, air, water, and earth. These elements are sacred; typically, fire or air are seen as purifying elements in differing contexts, while the water and earth are not to be polluted. The custom of baptism is performed using water from the Kaniya Sipî, or "White Spring," typically derived from Mount Damezman in Dzhuvenestan or X place in Shirazam. Likewise, burial customs are eschewed at death in lieu of sky burials. As the body is associated with materialism and with being in opposition to the soul, it is believed that the righteous have no use for the veneration of their remains after death. As such, they are traditionally placed in large towers, where vultures and other carrion feeders will "clean" the remains. In some denser communities, especially those far from mountains or other locations where it is convenient to practice sky burial, it has become common to revert to cremation instead, with ashes usually released in isolated locations to be scattered by the winds.