Djinns and Genies | Three Ravens Bestiary #18
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After a bit of a blip, we're now back with an episode all about the mythology of Djinns and Genies from prehistory through to today!
Part of our Three Ravens Bestiary Bonus Series, we begin with our Western conception of 'the genie' - a pantomime creature, memorably played by Robin Williams in the 90's Disney movie, filtered through a century of fairy tales and family-friendly legends.
Yet, as you might expect, this slight cozy form of 'Oriental' spirit is very different to the 'Jinni' of early Semitic cultures, as discussed in a range of poetry and art, later addressed by Islamic scholars and critics informed by the entire chapter of the Qur'an dedicated to discussing desert spirits and acceptable forms of magical belief.
What emerges, as we explore these distinctions, is a series of parallels, including between the 'human' and 'spirit' worlds, between Muslim and Christian discussions of Otherworldly creatures, between types of Devil, and the ways that folktales and legends enable us to see ourselves through tales of so-called monsters.
It's a journey that takes us from abandoned ruins lost in Arabian dunes to the times of Geoffrey Chaucer, from Classical discussions of 'genius loci' to tales of pre-Islamic Soothsayers possessed by demons.
If you've been rubbing lamps and hoping to have wishes granted then you may have been barking up the wrong tree - but worry not: we've got advice for you on magic rings, fishing, and transcendental meditations that might well enable you to commune with a Jinn.
Just don't go expecting them to make all your dreams come true, as they're much more likely to ask you out on a date or hide in the form of a serpent than they are to turn your fantasies into reality...
About Three Ravens 🔮
Three Ravens is a completely independent English myth and folklore podcast where we share stories, celebrate folk culture, and fall backwards through the hedgerows of history.
Hosted by real-life couple Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux, and mostly recorded at our home in rural Sussex in southern England, Three Ravens is rated 4.8/5 from over 500 reviews and has grown by word of mouth care of our lovely listener community ‘The Conspiracy of Ravens.’
We release three episodes a week, on Mondays, Thursday and Saturdays, through which we explore folktales, folkways, fairy stories, folk songs, mythology, local heritage, seasonal customs and traditional beliefs.
Our research inspires our retellings of stories from across history and culture, with episodes standing alone but connected together across over 500 chatty, mostly light-hearted, swear-free installments driven by passion, kindness and curiosity.
Now ranked as an all-time Top 5 podcast across several categories by Goodpods, charting in the Spotify, Apple and Rephonic UK Fiction Top 10 across 2024, 2025 and 2026, if you’re interested in ghosts, monsters, regional beliefs, and the things that unite us all, then join us round the campfire and listen in…
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