Thread by @aaolomi

In Islamic and Middle Eastern lore the djinn as an invisible race of supernatural beings have a unique relationship to magic

As beings with unique knowledge of the hidden or “al ghayb” they are believed to be agents of sorcery

A thread on magic of the djinn -1/21

Sihir or sorcery with the djinn falls into four loose arenas:

Pacts
Talismans
Powers
Divination

These also overlap and aren’t always clear cut -2/21

Pacts involve formal and informal agreements with the djinn that are entered into either through coercion or mutual benefit.

They range from complex rituals to less formal alliances. They are entered into either for long term or for a single purpose -3/21

The contracted djinn can then be housed in a ring, vessel, or object. Some lore indicates these objects can be passed down and so the contract is bound to a family line, or possessor of the object.

In these contracts the djinn operate as supernatural servants -4/21

The contracted djinn can also appear as animals; usually dogs, cats, snakes, or birds

This is not unlike a familiar spirit. These type of djinn are sometimes called re’ya and work closely with soothsayers

The contracted djinn carries out various tasks and shares secrets -5/21

The methods of forming such alliances vary. Some include time spent in the desert or graveyard.

The djinn queen Bidukh is said to be in charge of such pacts. She has to be summoned and entered into a contract and then she grants a familiar djinn -6/21

Some also claim talismans work by power of the djinn. While many talismans include the use of the secrets of letters, names of God, or angels, there are those that are more directly related to djinn

They are crafted to either contain djinn or direct the djinn to a task -7/21

Here knowledge of the secret names of djinn are required along with the skill to craft the right charm.

The names of the djinn kings are popular in such amulets

One famous talisman invokes the djinn king of Wednesday and the angel Mikail to bring trade and wealth -8/21

The djinn are also said to grant powers. They are reputed to have unique supernatural abilities themselves.

In addition to long life they have super strength, the ability to enter dreams, read minds, travel vast distances, shapeshift and more-9/21

They are said to have secret knowledge of the hidden world and can pass that wisdom to people. This can come in the form of a gift.

In one instance a smitten djinn had granted a woman the power to heal, he gave her a special herb which could heal any illness with a touch -10/21

Another telling claims it was a cup of water she was granted and she would sprinkle the ill with a few drops

Healing, metallurgy, art, and hunting are all considered unique djinn skills -11/21

The Somali Qori Ismaris are said to have special stick-like herbs granted to them by the djinn which allow them to turn into hyenas.

As werehyenas they hunt down their enemies-12/21

The powers of the djinn also appear more traditionally as “spells” or magical operations.

Love spells, spells for finding lost treasure, and curses are the most common instructions one finds in texts on magic -13/21

One such operation involves writing the name of the intended along with their genealogy, the name of a specific djinn, and a series of special glyphs. The paper is folded around incense carved with a seal and toss into a fire to rouse the passions of someone -14/21

Another working involves creating a large cloth with special symbols & soaked with perfumes. The cloth is wrapped around the body as you lay down, almost mummy-like.

Do this and in a dream-like state you’ll be transported by the djinn vast distances in a single night -15/21

Finally the djinn are said to aid in fortune telling and divination.

In Pre-Islamic Arabia, the soothsayer would become possessed by djinn and utter prophetic proclamations.

Some claim that all knowledge from divination is derived from the djinn -16/21

It is said Ifrits and Marids, two powerful type of djinn, listen in on the secrets of the heavens as destiny is being ordained and are driven away by angels with fiery missiles

These half heard and glimpses from their eavesdropping are passed on to fortune tellers -17/21

While many medieval astrologers claim their art as natural philosophy and science, critics have accused them of sending out their qareen to speak to the qareen of their clients in order to learn their secrets -18/21

The qareen is a djinn all humans are reputed to be born with.

Some say skilled fortune tellers learn their secrets by developing a good relationship with their qareen -19/21

It should be noted that despite this claim, many medieval Muslim sages distinguished some divinatory arts as a form of spiritual wisdom (dream interpretation) or as natural philosophy and science (astrology) -20/21

We’ll continue our deep dive into magic and the djinn in coming weeks -fin

Also comment on the last tweet rather than the first for the aesthetics of keeping the thread intact. Thanks 😘