Jinn are supernatural creatures that feature extensively in the folklore and mythology of the Middle East. Jinn appear in ancient Arabic texts and pre-Islamic legends, as well as the Quran and later Islamic literature.
They exhibit free will and can be both benevolent and malevolent towards humans. A complex array of magical beliefs, rituals, folk tales, and superstitions have evolved around jinn over the centuries across the Middle East.
Examining the rich legends around these elemental spirits provides insight into the cultural imagination, values, and belief systems of the region.
Pre-Islamic Jinn Lore
In pre-Islamic Arabia, jinn were thought to inhabit wild, deserted places and possess supernatural powers. Ancient Arabs made offerings to appease jinn and gain protection.
Different tribes of jinn were linked to various terrains – junūn to rivers, si’lā to mountain ranges, and şu’ār to deserts. Ifrits were the most powerful and feared type of jinn because of their ability to shapeshift and wreak havoc. Tribes told stories of jinn afflicting people with seizures, madness, and physical illnesses.
The famous folktale of Aladdin features a mischievous jinni trapped in a lamp and compelled to serve the owner.
Tales like this portrayed jinn as magical beings that could be manipulated, captured, and harnessed for human ends through skill and sorcery. Jinn also appeared as tricksters, pranksters, and causes of strange events in mythical narratives and folk beliefs.
Quranic Jinn Lore
The Quran and Islamic texts portray a layered theology around jinn. Allah is said to have created jinn out of “smokeless fire” before humans.
They have free will and occupy a parallel world, invisible but able to interact with people. Iblis is a powerful jinni who refused Allah’s command to bow to Adam and was exiled from heaven as “Shaitan” (Satan). Jinn can be good, embracing faith, or evil and seduced by sin like humans.
Quranic stories tell of prophets like Solomon controlling jinn through divine authority to build his temple. But ordinary people are forbidden from attempting to command jinn, who should only be summoned in God’s name.
Jinn inspire fear as entities capable of harming humans through magic and possession. But religious verses and injunctions also provide protection against wicked jinn.
Mediaeval Islamic Occult Lore
Mediaeval grimoires (magic texts) like the 10th century Picatrix and Ghâyat al-Ḥakîm gave instructions for summoning, binding and commanding jinn through elaborate rituals.
By preparing in sacred places at astrologically meaningful times and using incantations, charms and animal sacrifices, occultists attempted to harness jinn’s powers for their personal ends. Such dangerous dabbling with jinn was officially forbidden but still secretly practised.
The mystical occult practice of takwin involved creating and animating a jinni “spirit servant” bound to serve their master loyally.
Methods ranged from using complex formulas to awakening jinn spirits inhabiting an object or statue. Practitioners saw jinn as conduits to paranormal knowledge and magical abilities.
Folk Legends of Trickster Jinn
Folk tales across the Middle East tell of jinn playing tricks on people by shape-shifting into animals like camels, goats, snakes or rabid dogs. Jinn are said to haunt marketplaces, seeking to barter cursed or defective goods with humans to dupe them.
Other stories have jinn haunting and even attacking travelers who stray from caravans crossing the desert. Alleged jinn sightings are still reported today linked to strange lights, apparitions, voices and poltergeist activity.
Superstitions About Jinn Possession and Exorcism
A major aspect of modern folk beliefs about jinn involves their alleged ability to possess humans and cause physical or mental illness.
Symptoms of seizures, madness, lost memories, fainting, and compulsive behaviour are attributed to jinn possession. Traditional healers perform rituals like the exorcistic Zār ceremony to drive out jinn.
Sufi incantations are also used to appeal to Islamic saints for intercession against spirit possession. The prevalence of these beliefs reveals the continuance of fears about menacing jinn.
Protection and Taboos Against Jinn
Folk practices have also evolved to ward off jinn. Parents whisper prayers into newborn babies ears for protection. Amulets containing sacred verses and religious symbols are worn to deter jinn, especially in mosques, tombs, or abandoned sites jinn are known to haunt.
Reciting the names of Allah and reading the Quran aloud are believed to repel jinn.
Various taboos also aim to avoid angering or attracting jinn. These include prohibitions on sleeping outdoors at night, pointing at graves, urinating outside mosques, or stepping on places jinn frequent.
Respecting such taboos represents the lingering belief in placating vengeful jinn.
Conclusion
The extensive Middle Eastern lore around jinn provides a window into the cultural imagination and lived beliefs of the region over centuries.
Multiple layers of pre-Islamic myths, Quranic verses, mediaeval occultism, folk tales, and strict modern taboos have constructed a rich supernatural tradition around these elemental spirits.
An ambivalent mix of fascination, fear and spiritualism continues to surround jinn in the modern Middle East. Jinn remain firmly ingrained in both the cultural psyche and theological doctrines of everyday Islamic society.