Myth of Djinn: The Shapeshifting Spirits
According to Middle Eastern Mythology, Djinn are supernatural creatures mentioned in pre-Islamic and Arabic lore. In English, they are commonly referred to as genies, meaning spirits or demons. Djinn are also known as Jinn, Djinies, or Jinnies. They can be good, evil, neutral, or known for doing their own thing.
History of Djinn
Djinn appear in various versions of lore, and in each one, they are depicted a bit differently. Djinn is described as malicious and created from smokeless fire in pre-Islamic mythology. They are not considered immortal and are akin to humans in this depiction. Djinn would travel through the desert and wilderness independently and could shapeshift. In their usual form, Djinn would be invisible.
In Muslim lore, the Djinn were still created from smokeless fire and were invisible to the human eye, but animals like dogs and donkeys could see them. Djinn have their own free will and can understand good and evil, which is why there are variants in them being demons or good-willed.
According to the Qur’an, Djinn were created to worship God just like humans. It is also said they have been on Earth longer than humans.
Djinn can take many forms and even shapeshift to look like humans. They are a large part of Islamic culture, but they are not worshipped. Since they are not considered immortal, they have a human element that makes them relatable when you look at their behavior.
