Besides the above, the Yezidis have a temporal chief, who is called amir. His dignity is also hereditary and confined to one family. He is believed to be a descendant of Yezid. He exercises a secondary authority over the Yezidis. He is a mediator between his sect and the Turkish government. He has the power to cut off any refractory member from the community. He has charge of fifty ḳawwals who try to collect for him at their annual visits to each Yezidi district a certain amount of money. The money received by them is divided into two equal parts, one of which goes to the support of the tomb of Šeiḫ ‘Adi, and the second part is divided, one-half being for the amir, the other half being shared equally by the ḳawwals. The name of the present amir is ‘Ali, and he resides in Ba‘adrie. NOTES ON CHAPTER IV [158] Hol Hola is an interjection, or exclamation, expressing sudden emotion, excitement, or feeling, as “Oh!” “Alas!” “Hurrah!” “Hark!” in English. [159] P. Anastase: _Al-Mašrik_, vol. II, p. 309. [160] Ibid, p. 311. [161] Ibid, p. 313. CHAPTER V THEIR CUSTOMS I MARRIAGE The Yezidis are endogamic. They forbid union between the secular and the religious classes, as also within certain degrees of relationship. A šeiḫ’s son marries only a šeiḫ’s daughter; so pirs’ sons, pirs’ daughters. A layman cannot marry a šeiḫ’s or a pir’s daughter, but he may take for a wife a ḳawwal’s or a kochak’s daughter; and ḳawwals’ or kochaks’ sons may marry laymen’s daughters. But if a layman marries a šeiḫ’s or a pir’s daughter, he must be killed. Marriage is for life, but it is frequently dissolved, divorce being as easy to obtain among them as among Moslems. When a man wants to get rid of his wife, he simply lets her go. Polygamy is allowed, but usually confined to rich men, who generally have two wives. The number of wives is limited to six, except for the amir. A man must have money or cattle in order to be able to get married. The price is called ḳalam. A respectable girl will not sell herself at a low price. Parents get rich if they have several pretty girls; they are the father’s property. The ḳalam, dowry, is usually thirty sheep or goats, or the price of them. The man must give presents to the relatives of his bride, parents, brothers, etc. If a couple love each other and cannot marry because the man has no money to pay his sweetheart’s father, then they elope. They usually make arrangements before elopement as to where they will stay for a few weeks to escape detection. Some strong men accompany them when they elope. The father of the girl with his relatives follow. If they catch the fugitives, bloodshed may ensue. But if they succeed in escaping, they return after some time and are then forgiven. According to a Kurdish proverb everything is pardoned the brave.