| Jinn | |
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Other Names |
Djinn, Genies |
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First Appearance |
Islamic Folklore |
Origin[]
Jinn, also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies, are invisible creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabia and later in Islamic culture and beliefs. Like humans, they are accountable for their deeds and can be either believers (Mu'minun) or unbelievers (kuffar), depending on whether they accept God's guidance.
Djinn is the original term. Genie was first used in the 1704 French translation of One Thousand and One Nights by Antoine Galland and is mostly associated with wish-granting djinns. The terms Ifrit and marid typically refer to evil djinns.
Since jinn are neither innately evil nor innately good, Islam acknowledged spirits from other religions and could adapt them during its expansion. Jinn are not a strictly Islamic concept; they may represent several pagan beliefs integrated into Islam. Islam places jinn and humans on the same plane in relation to God, both being subject to God's judgement and an afterlife. The Quran condemns the pre-Islamic Arabian practice of worshipping or seeking protection from them.
Although usually invisible, jinn are supposed to be composed of thin and subtle bodies, and can change at will. They favor a snake form, but can also choose to appear as scorpions, lizards, or humans. They may even engage in sexual affairs with humans and produce offspring. If they are injured by someone, they usually seek revenge or possess the assailant's body, requiring exorcism. Jinn rarely meddle in human affairs, preferring to live with their own kind in tribes similar to those of pre-Islamic Arabia.
When they shift into a human form however, they are said to stay partly animal and are not fully human. Although the power of jinn usually exceed those of humans, it is conceivable a man could kill a jinni in single combat, but they are feared for attacking without being seen. Some sources even speak of killed jinn leaving behind a carcass similar to either a serpent or a scorpion.
Individual jinn appear on charms and talismans. They are called upon for protection or magical aid, often under the leadership of a king. Many people who believe in jinn wear amulets to protect themselves against the assaults of the jinn, sent out by sorcerers and witches. A commonly held belief is that jinn cannot hurt someone who wears something with the name of God written on it. Muslims in the diaspora increasingly disapprove of folkloric jinn-beliefs common in the past.
The relationship between jinn and humans can also be romantic in nature. According to one famous Arabian story, the jinni Manzur fell in love with a human woman called Habbah. He is supposed to have taught her the arts of healing.
In another story Al-Asnam is given a mirror by a Genie. Called the touch-stone of virtue, the mirror would inform Al-Asnam, upon looking into it, whether his damsel was faithful or not. If the mirror remained unsullied so was the maiden; if it clouded, the maiden had been unfaithful.
The most famous genie to western audiences is the Genie of the Lamp from the story of Aladdin. He was a powerful jinn imprisoned in an oil lamp and hidden away in a booby-trapped magic cave of wonder. He is bound to do the bidding of the person holding the lamp.
However another jinn also appears in Aladdin's story, the Genie of the Ring was a lesser jinn that was weaker than the one in the lamp, but was given to Aladdin by the evil sorcerer in order to traverse the magic cave where the lamp was hidden. Later when the lamp is stolen by the Sorcerer, the Genie of the Ring is unable to undo the Genie of the Lamp's magic over the city, but he still aids Aladdin in getting the lamp back and saving the kingdom and the princess.
Gallery[]
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Jinn from before January 1, 1930 are public domain in the US.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- The Quran
- One Thousand and One Nights (1710)
- Aladdin (verse play), by Adam Oehlenschläger, 1805 (original, in Danish), 1808 (expanded version, in German). English translation Aladdin; or, The Wonderful Lamp: A Dramatic Poem—in Two Parts, translated by Theodore Martin, 1863.
- Alaeddin and the Enchanted Lamp; Zein ul Asnam and the King of the Jinn: Two Stories Done into English from the Recently Discovered Arabic Text by John Payne, 1901.
- Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz (1929)
- Captain Salt in Oz (1936) - mentioned only
- The Silver Princess in Oz (1938)
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Fairy Tale Parade #4
- Dell Junior Treasury #2
- Jingle Jangle Comics #6
- Pep Comics #37
- Blue Beetle #23
- Military Comics #30
- Treasure Comics #3
- Green Hornet Comics #28
- Rocket Kelly #4
- The Hand of Fate #15
- Sniffy the Pup #16
- Jumbo Comics #20
- Amazing Mystery Funnies #22
- Terrific Comics #5
- Captain Courageous #6
- Cat-Man Comics vol. 1 #12
- Captain Aero Comics vol. 1 #10-12; vol. 2 #1
- Silver Streak Comics #1-2
- Spitfire Comics #1-2
- Flip #1
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
- Aladdin and his Wonder Lamp (1906)
- Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1917)
- Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1934)
- Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp (1939)
- Mel-O-Toons: Aladdin (1959)
Notes[]
- A list of jinn characters on this wiki can be found here.