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.
Appearance
While the Djinn are invisible, they can take on all shapes and sizes. You never know how a Djinn will appear from human forms to animal forms. Most commonly, they will look like humans. Their skin can be any color on the spectrum. Hair can also be any color or length.
In artwork, male Djinn are usually depicted with a ponytail or bald. At the same time, females are shown with long hair that can either be down or in a ponytail.
Behavior
As mentioned earlier, Djinn can be good, evil, neutral, or have any type of disposition. They coexist with humans in the mortal world and usually reside in deserts or the woods. Their lives can be very similar to humans, and they will have children and families.
So, while it could be easy to assume these spirits to be closely related to angels and demons, they are more related to humans. Even though they exist in the human realm, they will live in places where they can hide from humans to avoid being caught.
In Western culture, Djinn are depicted in movies such as Disney’s Aladdin as genies, another term for the Djinn. The Djinn aren’t immortal as a spirit more closely related to humans. They live lives as humans do and can grant wishes and complete tasks.
The myth of Djinn has been around for centuries but stays strong in the modern world. There are still records of encounters happening today.
