Peter Nicolaus
Biographic Data
| ID | 3471878 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Peter Nicolaus |
| GIVEN NAMES | Peter |
| FAMILY NAME | Nicolaus |
| SIGNATURE | NICOLAUS P |
| AFFILIATIONS | Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |
| ORCID | 0009-0006-6885-9139 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 12 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 10 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 12 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1986 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2023 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Eros and the Pearl. The Yezidi Cosmogonic Myth at the Crossroads of Mystical Traditions , by Artur Rodziewicz
Seventy-Two and The One Nation: The Yezidi Persecutions in the Light of Ancient Myths
The current article sheds light on the symbolism of the number 72 in Yezidism and briefly outlines its roots in ancient Mesopotamian religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Furthermore, it highlights the link between 72 nations and 72 genocides in Yezidi perception
A Look at the Yezidi Journey to Self-discovery and Ethnic Identity
Yezidi communities throughout the world are struggling with their collective identity; each at a varying and somewhat differing stage of self-discovery. While the present paper does seek to elaborate upon this journey for the Yezidis in Transcaucasia, Germany, Canada, and the USA, its main focus remains the analysis of the political developments in the Yezidi heartland of Northern Iraq. This is so that the reader may have a fuller picture of the …
Noah and the Serpent
The Prophet Noah is not a predominant figure within the Yezidi mythology, and so it should come as no particular surprise that he is often absent from the Yezidi sacred hymns. This peculiarity seems easily explained by the Yezidi cosmogonic myth, which places the emergence of Yezidis as a separate and wholly distinct occurrence from the genesis of the rest of humanity. Hence, a mythical catastrophe reducing mankind to merely one family would cert…
Sex-Slavery: One Aspect of the Yezidi Genocide
Even though almost three years have passed since the black banners of the terror organisation, calling themselves the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) were first hoisted throughout the Yezidi heartland of Sinjar, the Yezidi community continues to be targeted by ISIS, militias. 300,000 vegetate in camps as Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Iraqi Kurdistan; thousands of others have been killed, are missing, or remain in captivity where …
Yezidi Circumcision and Blood-Brotherhood (Including the Circumcision of the Dead)
Amongst Kurds and Yezidis the circumcision of male children and the subsequent bloodbond ( kerāfat ), formed between the circumcised and the one chosen to hold the boy on his knees during the procedure, has been until the recent past a major rite of passage, as well as a functioning protection mechanism. However, within the last few decades significant changes have occurred in Northern Iraq; and only the Yezidis and a few Kurdish tribes in remote…
The Taming of the Fairies
The first part of this contribution provides an account of a rare initiation ceremony of a Hunza shaman (daiyal). The initiation commences with the daiyal inhaling the smoke of burning juniper branches putting him into a trance. This is followed by an enduring dance of the shaman, interrupted only by his conversations with fairies (periye) and violent fits of rage against witches (ruiye). The dance culminates with the daiyal sucking the blood fro…
Residues of Ancient Beliefs among the Shin in the Gilgit-Division and Western Ladakh
The Gilgit-Division (northern Pakistan) and the Dah-Hanu area (the westernmost part of Ladakh, India) have always been difficult to access. This is due in part to the mountainous terrain, which is made even more treacherous by the prevailing security instability (certain areas are still off limits for foreigners due to the Kashmir conflict). Hence, there has been very little anthropological research undertaken in this area over the last 50 years.…
The Yezidis. The History of a Community, Culture and Religion
The Serpent Symbolism in the Yezidi Religious Tradition and the Snake in Yerevan
The serpent, its veneration and related symbolism, constitute one of the enigmas and mysteries of Yezidism. Many present-day Yezidi myths concerning the serpent are most probably of a secondary nature, which when attempting to explain this ancient symbol, actually place it in a much more recent mythological setting. The first part of this paper tries to reconstruct the myth and the symbolism of the (black) snake in light of its ancient cultural h…
The Lost Sanjaq
The seven sanjaqs, or sacred images of Malak Tawus, are the most concrete expression of Yezidism and considered the holiest of the holy ritual objects of that religion. Only a handful of non-Yezidis have ever seen one, and very little is known about them. The latter holds, in particular, true with regard to the so-called Moskovi-sanjaq. Before World War I it was sent to the Russian Empire (East Anatolia and the Transcaucasus) every year, but was …
Probleme des Asylrechts in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Sex-Slavery: One Aspect of the Yezidi Genocide
Even though almost three years have passed since the black banners of the terror organisation, calling themselves the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) were first hoisted throughout the Yezidi heartland of Sinjar, the Yezidi community continues to be targeted by ISIS, militias. 300,000 vegetate in camps as Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Iraqi Kurdistan; thousands of others have been killed, are missing, or remain in captivity where …
The Lost Sanjaq
The seven sanjaqs, or sacred images of Malak Tawus, are the most concrete expression of Yezidism and considered the holiest of the holy ritual objects of that religion. Only a handful of non-Yezidis have ever seen one, and very little is known about them. The latter holds, in particular, true with regard to the so-called Moskovi-sanjaq. Before World War I it was sent to the Russian Empire (East Anatolia and the Transcaucasus) every year, but was …
Probleme des Asylrechts in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
The Lost Sanjaq
The seven sanjaqs, or sacred images of Malak Tawus, are the most concrete expression of Yezidism and considered the holiest of the holy ritual objects of that religion. Only a handful of non-Yezidis have ever seen one, and very little is known about them. The latter holds, in particular, true with regard to the so-called Moskovi-sanjaq. Before World War I it was sent to the Russian Empire (East Anatolia and the Transcaucasus) every year, but was …
The Serpent Symbolism in the Yezidi Religious Tradition and the Snake in Yerevan
The serpent, its veneration and related symbolism, constitute one of the enigmas and mysteries of Yezidism. Many present-day Yezidi myths concerning the serpent are most probably of a secondary nature, which when attempting to explain this ancient symbol, actually place it in a much more recent mythological setting. The first part of this paper tries to reconstruct the myth and the symbolism of the (black) snake in light of its ancient cultural h…
The Yezidis. The History of a Community, Culture and Religion
The Taming of the Fairies
The first part of this contribution provides an account of a rare initiation ceremony of a Hunza shaman (daiyal). The initiation commences with the daiyal inhaling the smoke of burning juniper branches putting him into a trance. This is followed by an enduring dance of the shaman, interrupted only by his conversations with fairies (periye) and violent fits of rage against witches (ruiye). The dance culminates with the daiyal sucking the blood fro…
Residues of Ancient Beliefs among the Shin in the Gilgit-Division and Western Ladakh
The Gilgit-Division (northern Pakistan) and the Dah-Hanu area (the westernmost part of Ladakh, India) have always been difficult to access. This is due in part to the mountainous terrain, which is made even more treacherous by the prevailing security instability (certain areas are still off limits for foreigners due to the Kashmir conflict). Hence, there has been very little anthropological research undertaken in this area over the last 50 years.…
Yezidi Circumcision and Blood-Brotherhood (Including the Circumcision of the Dead)
Amongst Kurds and Yezidis the circumcision of male children and the subsequent bloodbond ( kerāfat ), formed between the circumcised and the one chosen to hold the boy on his knees during the procedure, has been until the recent past a major rite of passage, as well as a functioning protection mechanism. However, within the last few decades significant changes have occurred in Northern Iraq; and only the Yezidis and a few Kurdish tribes in remote…
Sex-Slavery: One Aspect of the Yezidi Genocide
Even though almost three years have passed since the black banners of the terror organisation, calling themselves the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) were first hoisted throughout the Yezidi heartland of Sinjar, the Yezidi community continues to be targeted by ISIS, militias. 300,000 vegetate in camps as Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Iraqi Kurdistan; thousands of others have been killed, are missing, or remain in captivity where …
Noah and the Serpent
The Prophet Noah is not a predominant figure within the Yezidi mythology, and so it should come as no particular surprise that he is often absent from the Yezidi sacred hymns. This peculiarity seems easily explained by the Yezidi cosmogonic myth, which places the emergence of Yezidis as a separate and wholly distinct occurrence from the genesis of the rest of humanity. Hence, a mythical catastrophe reducing mankind to merely one family would cert…
A Look at the Yezidi Journey to Self-discovery and Ethnic Identity
Yezidi communities throughout the world are struggling with their collective identity; each at a varying and somewhat differing stage of self-discovery. While the present paper does seek to elaborate upon this journey for the Yezidis in Transcaucasia, Germany, Canada, and the USA, its main focus remains the analysis of the political developments in the Yezidi heartland of Northern Iraq. This is so that the reader may have a fuller picture of the …
Eros and the Pearl. The Yezidi Cosmogonic Myth at the Crossroads of Mystical Traditions , by Artur Rodziewicz
Seventy-Two and The One Nation: The Yezidi Persecutions in the Light of Ancient Myths
The current article sheds light on the symbolism of the number 72 in Yezidism and briefly outlines its roots in ancient Mesopotamian religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Furthermore, it highlights the link between 72 nations and 72 genocides in Yezidi perception
History (9 works) · Ancient history (8 works) · Archaeology (8 works) · History (7 works) · Philosophy (7 works) · Central asia (5 works) · Philosophy (5 works) · Political science (5 works) · Turkey's Politics and Society (5 works) · Art (4 works)