Jinn, (also sometimes anglicized as genie plural: genies or genii) are entities of fire from Arabic mythology.

Myths & Legends

Many individual stories about Jinni are found in “the Quraan and the Sunna”.

Abilities

In general, it is said that the Jinn are spirits of fire (and sometimes wind) and can take on any form they choose – animal or human – and can be of any size. it is said that some of their powers are the ability of manifestation and transformation. They have a human-like form and can take the shape of animals but only temporary unless it is as their tribe’s animal protector.

For the ancient Semites, Jinn were spirits of vanished ancient peoples who acted during the night and disappeared with the first light of dawn. They could make themselves invisible or change shape into animals at will. These spirits were commonly believed to be responsible for diseases and for the manias of some lunatics.

Behaviour

they can be both good and evil creatures; the evil ones are said to lead humans astray.

Most of them are hostile, or at least not all that friendly to humans, although some can be friendly, and helpful. It is possible for magicians or wise men and women to gain power over a Jinn and use it to perform amazing and magical tasks. Be wary, for even a friendly Jinn is unpredictable and certainly anyone who breaks an agreement with a Jinn will strongly regret it. Often Jinn take naughty pleasure in punishing people for wronging them, even unintentionally.

Three Wishes

In popular western culture, Genies are often seen as been concealed with old lamps, which when rubbed a Genie appears out of them. The reason given is that they have been trapped inside the lamp by an evil sorcerer. Traditionally, it is said that the great and wise King Solomon shut misbehaving Jinn in lead-stoppered bottles and threw them into the sea. This description comes from the western translation of “the Book of One Thousand and One Nights”. When someone rubs the lamp three times the Jinni inside will appear and obey the one who set it free by granting three wishes.

However, in the original lore, Jinn are not found in brass lamps and do not grant wishes.

Types of Jinn

there are three different types of jinn:

1. Fiery jinn, often confused with ifrits
2. Flier jinn, Elemental of Wind
3. Animalistic jinn, Jinn in the form of black dogs, black cat or vermin (insects, rodents, scorpions and snakes), they are either cursed or born with multiple forms.

See Also:

1. Jann it is originally singular form but can used for another type.
2. Hinn it is originally other kind of demons but can also treated as type of jinn.
3. Sila it is originally Arabic for hags (from Slavic and Celtic folklores) and female orangutans but also treated as type of jinn.
4. Kawabees transliterated as kawābīs (singular Kaboos or Kabūs, also known as hadūn) is a male and demonic sex genie.
5. Qareenat (singular qareenah or qarinah) are female and demonic sex jinn, which might be and might not be silas.

• • Qarinah is class not type, so not all of them jinn

Classes of Jinn:

1. Builder jinn; elementals for earth, often confused with shaitans.
2. Diver jinn; elementals for water, often confused with marids.
3. Ifrits (also afrits or efreets); wicked or clever and stronger fiery jinn of the underwold.
4. Marids are very rebellious jinn.
5. Shayatin are rebellious and corrupter jinn.
6. Tawaghit are tyrant jinn/demons who possessing statues.
7. Ghilan are night shades who inhabit grave and can change their shapes.
8. Qurana’ (singular: qarin or qareen) either incubi or just shoulder jinn, devils or angels who following people from birth to death.

Other myths

In some books, such as ”Fairies in Folklore,” jinns are considered a type of wish-granting fairy. This notion came to the English-speaking world by novels such as “A Thousand and One Arabian Nights.” This concept is different from Islamic notions of jinn.

In Persian folklore there is divs/daevas are brutal and giant demons who similar to jinn which opposed by peris (fairy-like benevolent beings who also very similar to jinn.)

Also in Persian folklore there is palis (Persian: پاليس, “literary: feet licker”, English plural: pali) a type of jinn-like and vampiric dakhanavar.

In Japanese folklore there is ikiryō also known as seirei are elemental spirits very similar to jinn.

In other Abrahamic religions Christian fallen angels and Jewish mazzikin/shedim are very comparable to jinn but they are also very different in the same time. (depends on myths because not all jinn are demons, even demonic jinn are live in their own realm and neither all of them evils nor living in the hell.)