For this week, our group took a look at mythologies on the Jinns, powerful supernatural beings popular in Arabian folklore, and the similarities we saw with myths from other religions. For those of us that aren’t well versed in Arabian folklore, we commonly think of Jinns, also known as Genies, as these humanoid, supernatural beings that are trapped in lamps and grant 3 wishes once freed. This is how Jinns are commonly portrayed in western media, for example Disney’s Aladdin, but in Arabian folklore Jinns are portrayed as these giant, powerful, supernatural beings that are able to shapeshift, not necessarily evil or good, and are considered neither Human, Monster, nor Gods. As we read more stories on the Jinn, like The Fisherman and the Jinni and Abdullah bin Fazil and His Brothers, we start to move away from the western portrayals and start to see similarities with myths from other religions.
Shapeshifting, to essentially change forms, is an ability not unique to Arabian mythology, but is in fact quite common and found in other religions as well. Our group had 2 interpretations on the Jinns ability to shapeshift. Jamie, Katelyn and Kristina describe the ability as a form of possession, where the Jinn inhabits and takes control of an individual.
Possessions appear in many religions and is usually attributed to explaining the origin of mental illnesses, so the Jinns ability to possess individuals could be interpreted as a way to rationalize mental illnesses. For example, Dybbuk, which appear in Jewish myth as a malicious spirit that is able to possess an individual and leave the host once its goal has been accomplished, is used to explain mental illnesses and sudden shifts in personality in Jewish narratives. In both Jinns and Dybbuk, the ability to possess individuals can be interpreted as a way to rationalize mental illnesses and sudden personality shifts.
The other interpretation, which I wrote on, is that the Jinn can simply change their own form to be whatever they want. In Greek mythology, the Gods and Goddesses of Olympus frequently visit the “human” world in disguise, especially when they want to interact with mortals as equals. Which, in a way, presents a narrative that there is value in experiencing the world through the eyes of others, even those considered “inferior”. We see something similar in the story of Abdullah bin Fazil and His Brothers, where the Jinn is disguised as a snake, who is being attacked, when first encountering the main protagonist Abdullah. Despite being more powerful than Abdullah, the Jinn chooses to remain helpless to see what Abdullah does.
In Arabian folklore, the Jinn are not considered to be in the same category as humans, monsters, or celestial beings, but in their own unique one altogether. As we read through different stories on the Jinn, we see just how complex they really are.
At times, they come across as malicious demons, like when Hadi talks about the first encounter between the Jinn and the fisherman in the story The Fisherman and the Jinni where the Jinn is described to have red skin and devilish horns. Hadi talks about how the Jinns description is similar to that of demons and devils found in Christian mythology, which paints the Jinn as an evil and malicious entity.
However, at other times, the Jinn is seen as a sort of guardian angel. Once again in the story, Hadi talks about how, at the end of the story, the Jinn comes to an agreement with the fisherman that greatly benefits both parties, essentially helping the fisherman. In the story of Abdullah bin Fazil and His Brothers, the Jinn returns Abdullah to his ship after he is thrown overboard by his brothers, essentially saving his life. Comparison of the Muslims belief of Jinns and the Christians belief of angels are also talked about by Katelyn. So, Jinns are also seen as a sort of “guardian angel”, a being that lends a helping hand to others.
We can also see this contrast when it comes to power. I found that in the story of Abdullah bin Fazil and His Brothers, the Jinn is initially introduced as a snake being attacked by a dragon, and needing the help of a human, Abdullah. Making others see the Jinn as a helpless, and weak being.
On the other hand, Katelyn talks about how the Jinn are able to control the weather, and draws a connection to the Mesoamerican myth of the goddess Sedna, a half-woman, half marine animal who is able to control marine animals and the weather at sea. Additionally, Jamie compares the ability of the Jinn to grant wishes with other religious myths and narratives of wish granting, like the Kalpavriksha tree or “World Tree”, divine, wish fulfilling trees planted by the King of the Gods Indra, found in Hinduism and Buddhism, or the Hindu-Buddhist Cintamani Stone, also known as the Philosopher’s stone, a whish fulfilling stone that is “said to have fallen from the sky in a chest during the reign of King Lha Thothori Nyantsen of Tibet”. Looking at it this way, Jinns are by no means weak or powerless beings. Similar to other beings of great power that are not quite human, monster, or Gods, like Quetzalcoatl in Mesoamerican mythology, the Jinn are their own beings, neither good nor bad or all powerful.
After reading and discussing about Jinns in Arabian folklore, I can’t help but notice the human element present in Jinns. Though they are described as these powerful, shape-shifting supernatural beings that are able to fulfill wishes and perform incredible feats, they seem to have the element of mortality to them. They are neither good nor evil, are able to die, intelligent, and even require the help of humans at times. They seem almost human to me, even though they are described as something beyond humans. This isn’t something unique to Arabian folklore, for example, in Greek Mythology Gods and Goddesses are frequently at the mercy of their basic desires. To me, no matter which religion, there’s always a human fingerprint on stories where, no matter how powerful or perfect the being is, they are always constrained to the limitations of humans. The Jinn are not exempt from this either it seems.
In conclusion, Jinns are not simply genies in a lamp as portrayed by western media, but are much more complex beings that are present in many Arabian folklores. As we look at more and more stories on the Jinn, similarities in narratives present in myths from other religions can also be found. Our group discussed a few that we’ve found, but many more exist.
References
• More on the Jinn: https://monster.fandom.com/wiki/Genie#:~:text=Genies%20can%20wield%20phenomenal%20power,power%20may%20have%20its%20limits.&text=Finally%2C%20genies%20are%20incapable%20of,any%20way%2C%20shape%20or%20form.
• More on possessions: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/crips/2012/232740/
• The Fisherman and the Jinni: https://arabiannights.fandom.com/wiki/The_Fisherman_and_the_Jinni
• Abdullah bin Fazil and His Brothers: https://arabiannights.fandom.com/wiki/Abdullah_bin_Fazil_and_His_Brothers
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