By Martha Hazzard-Decker
Djinn or Genie are they real or folklore? Do they come from the paranormal world or another dimension? Djinn have been around through religion and folklore for thousands of years. Most Americans often think of I Dream of Jeanie when they think of the Djinn or the genie that grants three wishes. They are mentioned in Islam, the Bible and other religious books. While the concept of the Djinn does not occur in the original Hebrew version of the Bible the word is used in Arabic translations. In the “Testament of Solomon,” he describes enslaving demons to build his temple. Then there was the novel so many read, “Arabian Nights.” Who didn’t wish for their three magic wishes? The earliest reference in literature to Djinn is found in “The Book of 1001 Nights.” Even the cartoons taught children to be careful of what they wish for because the wish would be granted quite literally. The name is spelled many different ways and they are called by a variety of names.
Arab folklore and Islamic teachings describe them as supernatural creatures that occupy a parallel world alongside our world. It also states that Djinn, humans and angels make up the three sentient creations of Allah. The Qur’an states they are made up of smokeless flame and they can be good, evil or benevolent, according to Wikipedia. Some archaeologists within Middle Eastern cultures consider beings less than angels to be Djinn when describing stone carvings and other works of art.
In “The Vengeful Djinn,” by Rosemary Ellen Guiley and Philip Imbrogno they write about unveiling the hidden agenda of Djinn. She discusses theories in quantum physics and explores the relationship between Djinns, demons, fairies, shadow people and extraterrestrials. (This author attempted to contact Ms Guiley for an interview but she did not respond) In the book Djinn are described as, “A particular type of entity that exists between the multiverse of matter and energy. The Djinn exist in a dimension close to our own, and they seem to have the ability to interact with certain people who live here when it suits their purpose.” She goes into quite a lot of detail in the book and on the website for the book.
If you go to About.com to obtain information about the Djinn this is some of what you will find, “Djinn: A spirit from Arabic mythology that can be either good or evil. The djinn are less powerful than angels, but can assume the shapes of humans, animals or whirlwinds. Belief in djinns has been wide-spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and Central Asia; the spirits are even mentioned in the Koran. In fact, Satan often is believed to be the most prominent of the djinns. Belief in djinns may well predate both Christianity and Islam. In Zoroastrian Persia, before the coming of Islam, evil female spirits called jaini were thought to cause disease and misfortune. The word djinn comes from the Arabic "jinni," or demon. Its root is janna, meaning "to cover or conceal." In English, the word is often translated at "genie,” in an article by Kallie Szczepanski.
Real or not real is similar to a recent article on Eye on the Paranormal regarding ghosts and just what is a ghost. We may never know is the Djinn or real but researchers are working hard to prove there may be alternate dimensions or even worm holes in many places and while open people are actually seeing into the other dimension, sometimes even interacting with beings there but calling them ghosts. A good example of alternate dimensions could be seen on the TV show “Fringe” as they travel back and forth between parallel dimensions. On this show there are the same people in the both dimensions, they look the same but the worlds and people are different.
Some individuals claim there are six major tribes of Djinn, they are related to the Fay and are supposed to be older than mankind. The tribes live in different area and will interact with people in different ways. It is believed that some Djinn can be very dangerous. Dependent on what reference you read there are at least three tribes and up to six. There is a movie on YouTube called Reptilians, Demons and the Djinn in ancient Mythology by wolovoman80 that provides additional information.
Irfit are considered to be one of the strongest tribes and violent toward humans. Jann are allies of Irfit and more conservative. The Ghul are said to be corrupted by infernal powers. The Madrid are said to be the smallest of the tribes and the oldest. Shaitan are said to be master deceivers. There are those who believe they can bind Djinn to an object using a spell once they know the Djinn’s true name and possess a piece of the Djinn. An easy Google search will give you plenty of pages to peruse looking for spells. You can even buy Djinn bound jewelry on eBay by the hundreds. It is said that once bound a Djinn can be forced to do the bidding of the owner. Hence Aladdin’s lamp type of image books and shows.
This article is by no means meant to tell you all there is to know about Djinn or if there is such a thing. It is meant to provoke thought and communication so comments are welcome. What do you think?
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