Far From Reality: Monday Mythical Creatures

Monday, August 22, 2011

Posted by LunaMoth at 3:54 PM

DJINN

(Pre-Islamic Arabic - Jinn, Djini, Djinni.)

Literally means one who has ability of concielment, seclusion or invisibility.

Facts

Our English word for Djinn (Genie) comes from the french word that meant spirit, taken from the latin word Genius. A word for any tutor or guardian spirit.
For ancient Semites, Jinn were vanished spirits of ancient people who came at night and disappeared with the dawn.
Thought they could make themselves invisible or change into animals.
Type of Jinn include the ghul (Nightshade that can change shape), Sila (unable to change thier shape) and the Ifrit.
Believed to be the spirits of fire.
Jinn live thier lives like humans, they eat, sleep, marry and die. They are both good and evil.
In Myths, said to be controlled by binding them to objects.

Djinn In Books

Weather Warden Series by Rachel Caine - Djinn are widely prominent and used alot.

Declare by Tim Powers - Deals wiith Djinn in a cold war espionage community way.

Children of the Lamp Series by P. B. Kerr - The main characters find out they are part of a Djinn tribe.

Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones - there is a pair of djinn and one in a bottle.