Tawûsî Melek or Melek Taûs (Kurdish: تاوسی مەلەک, romanized: Tawûsî Melek, lit. 'Peacock Angel') is one of the central figures of Yazidism. In Yazidi creation stories, before the creation of this world, God created seven Divine Beings, of whom Tawûsî Melek was appointed as the leader. God assigned all of the world's affairs to these seven Divine Beings, also often referred to as the Seven Angels or heft sirr ("the Seven Mysteries").
According to the Mishefa Reş (Black Book), Tawûsî Melek is identified with ‘Azazîl, the angel created by God and appointed as leader of all other angels. The Kitêbê Cilwê (Book of Revelation) further exalts Tawûsî Melek as the central symbol of the Yazidi faith. Scholars note that this figure shares similarities with the Islamic ‘Azazîl or Iblis, a jinn who once led the angels before refusing to bow to Adam. This overlap of names and motifs led Muslims and Christians in the Middle East to interpret Tawûsî Melek as the embodiment of Satan, calling Yazidis “devil-worshippers” (ʿAbadat al-Shayṭān). Nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Western travelers reinforced this misunderstanding, shaping much of the outside perception of Yazidism in later scholarship. In Yazidi beliefs, Tawûsî Melek, the Lord of this World, is responsible for all that happens on this world, both good and bad. According to religious tradition, Nature, with its myriad phenomena of light and darkness, emanates from a single source, that is Tawûsî Melek. Qewl passages emphasize Tawûsî Melek's power on the earth, in the sky, sea, on the mountains, and their residents, that is, his power exists in all parts of nature, whether celestial or terrestrial.
