“Dust Motes and Desert Winds..”
Middle Eastern Folklore, Myths & Legends
By The Authenticator
Far off to the East, amongst the heat of the desert sands and the chill of Night, there lingers the aura of an oft-overlooked mythos, that of the Middle East…We all have a favorite mythology, most of us probably think of Greco-Roman,with it's stories of demigod heroes and philandering nymphomaniac gods, the British Isles, either with tales of fairies that echo long into the Celtic past, or the medieval tales of Arthur, his knights and Grail quests, saturated in the air of the post-Roman transition that kept the Western imagination warm and alive all through the Darkest of Ages.( Please excuse the poetic wordplay), or Ancient Egypt with its Magickal mysteries, pharaohs and the noble deities of the Nile-Folk; all of these are truly worthy subjects and may make excellent topics for another day,but between the homespun familiarity of the Anglosphere and the lavish mysteries of Egypt there is a kind intermediary lore with its own wonders to offer, a genius or maybe genie-ous all own( which may be a tad redundant, but we'll get into that) and clearing the smoke ( haha) there is where we should start?
We're all at least somewhat familiar with genies, in fact I venture to say that people from the Middle East and certain parts of India and Africa notwithstanding, it's probably first and most iconic exposure most people get to Middle Eastern folklore. Whether it's Disney ( twice now) multiple episodes of the Twilight Zone, Neil Gaiman's “American Gods” ( novel or series) or a Barbara Eden sitcom from the 60s, it's safe to say we've all run through it in our heads at least once if only in passing… we'd find it in an old curio/antique shop or may be buried in a desert somewhere, perhaps in a tomb or cave…
Irregardless, it could be a ring, bottle or oil lamp( yes the standard “genie lamp” is supposed to be for burning oil, didn't you know? What did think they were for?)but one thing is for certain, it's unassuming, dirty, maybe even a little dinged up, it looked ratty and unremarkable, and we, either by luck, our personal eye for value or shrewdness find ourselves in possession of it, and by coincidence either rubbing or opening it, and hence in a streaming plume of smoke out comes the genie, bound to grant us our wildest dreams, wealth power, luck, romance: y'know the works!! Right, well, about that…
It's hardly a secret at this point that scenarios like the above, shall we say “come with strings attached” moreover, this archetype has been used as precautionary “ careful what you wish for” lesson almost as long as it's been around in the first place. Whether due to mischief or malice on the part of the genie, intent to take the least charitable version of the wishes meaning to turn getting what we want bittersweet at best or literal-mindedness from the same taking the letter of our word rather the context, meaning or intent due a lack of understanding of human in general or just natural unforseen consequences of the uncommon circumstances needed to plausibly beget the extraordinary windfall in the first place. Whatever it may be, the consensus seems to be basically” if you wish something up, prepare to be f**ked with!!” Well what if I told you, even with this attitude you still be missing the point, Sirs, Madames and others, a word, if you please.. about the Jinn…
A Word About the Jinn/Djinn
Here's the thing, my host for this little showcase, the illustrious White Viking, has every intention that this be a recurring bit, and that being the case we NEED to talk about the Jinn, so buckle up, as it's probably best to get it outta the way here…
First, yes, Jinn/Djinn ( in the neutral plural) or Jinni( in the neutral singular) is the proper word, “Genie” is basically informal, multicultural slang. The explanation is somewhat complicated but ( at least somewhat) worth relaying. See, in the late Renaissance well into the Enlightenment, France in particular saw a boom in interest in ancient or distant cultures as did the rest of Europe, thereby they would often be the first to translate certain texts, including Middle Eastern ones which of course often featured the Jinn ( neutral singular Jinni remember..) and when translating “Jinni” became “Genie” (same root in Latin as the word”genius” oddly enough) and this slight flub stuck, when this was exported and translated elsewhere. Genius i'nit?
Second, the Jinn are desert fire spirits most closely tied to Islam, though anthropological evidence suggests they are CONSIDERABLY older than any of the Abrahamic faiths, and may in fact have roots in regional nature spirits ( much like the Fairies of the British Isles) Jinn, it should have independent thought and agency they lead lives and have motives of their own though they have predisposition toward hedonism, self-interest, manipulation, and all too often wild, intense fits of passion, which may go a long way toward explaining their reputation for lavish otherworldly gifts, but it should be noted that the reason so many stories have Jinn stuck in containers is because they were put there and it is for their freedom that they may export some extraordinary generosity, but it's not their natural state it's no more part of their nature to be servile than you or I and probably a fair degree less so. Moreover, if you never learn anything else from this section, for F**ks sake, never piss off a Jinni, and certainly never act entitled to it's favors.
Lastly, before we move on to today's story,just a few more notes on the nature of Jinn, getting a bit more into specifics. As stated above the nature and energy of the Jinn are analogues to fire and as such, their form is extremely malleable ( though it has limits) and they move as smoke, vapor, dust storms and whirlwinds do
Also Jinn are not all the same, there are various ranks breeds and types and it's it's worth learning to differentiate:
The Hinn is a small Jinn that most often behave like an animal or imp and favors froms such as those if ever revealing itself, think animal spirit meets hobgoblin/ gremlin,
The Jann ( Jwan ) is a fairly commonplace Jinn, considered to be youthful as far as Jinn go, moderate in power, good at shaping luck and coincidence, one of those likely to find in good temperment, they are said to bond to houses, families and people if given a chance usually seen a yellow or green
The Guhal is that from whence we get the word “ghoul” is such that it takes pleasure in death itself.( rather than killing or bloodshed in it's own right) They are are said to be masters of Necromancy and can posses unattended corpses, and curse living victims with everything from boils to flesh-eating viruses, to leppersy to cancer… just don't even.. ever. NEXT!!!
The Shayatian( shae- yot-teen) meaning “Adversary” and one of two words from which we derive the name “Satan” these Jinn are about as low as you can go before you just straight-up hit demon, and in fact there is some debate whether this variety of Jinn are actually the origins of and interchangeable with demons or vice versa… Need I say more? No? Thought not, how's about we all agree to just leave these ones IN the proverbial bottle ay?
The ifrit ( ee-freet or if-fret) are high ranking Jinn of immense power, here is where you start to get into the kingmakers and earth-shatterers, depending of course very much on their mood, the most witty and cunning of Jinn, almost always seen as green, if a story involves Jinn doing large scale things and the type is not otherwise indicated, an Ifrit most likely a safe bet.
The Marid is the most powerful variety of Jinn, if Ifrit are said to be kingmakers, then Marids are the wondermakers, said to be able to literally move mountains to and fro as easily as you or I could juggle a single tennis ball ( and bury their enemies in ruin beneath them in case it even need to be said ) and even magicks aside, they manifest as giants with strength to match unless they alter their appearance in some way, they regularly appear blue, and while there name means “rebellious” it could just mean in terms of self-reliance as the Marid can be swayed either way. In short if a Marid does something, you can be sure its of its own will or by convincing, for blatant woe betide the poor,sad fool who tries nigh-on anything else.
On that note, Let's begin the last leg off our journey for today, The story, like so many of the stories we have of this mythos it comes to us from “ A Thousand and One Arabian Nights”
“Today's Tale:The Merchant and the Jinni
Once upon a time, there a merchant who was possessed of noteworthy wealth and standing, and all of which he kept and managed well and with nobility of character, which was exceeded in his nature only by his modesty, his efficiency and his dutiful precision in all things.He was in this way a good landlord, a good keeper of household, a good man of business, and a good husband and father. What's more, his modes and methods had furnished him a return of his nobility in all these areas, most which he drew an agreeable ( and often, which was nearly always, a great degree more than agreeable) profit from. Even his wife and children, who would each say they drew the better portion of the arrangement they had with him, enriched his life so greatly that he often ( which was nearly always) resolved to work tenfold harder in all things in compensation to them. This he did gladly and without retort, and each time finding measured success as befit his nature, and reaped, each time he did this, measured rewards in the same factor.Now it so happened, that on one particular day, whilst returning home from lucrative trading, in which much like his family, his trading partners thought themselves in possession of the Lion's share of the benefit whereas he thought it an equitable arrangement at best and at worst indulgent in favor of himself ( much the same as all the times before it) that he became quite hungry. So he carefully reached into his saddlebag and unfurled a small load of honey-glazed bread and small muslin bag of pistachios and departed the path, in search of a place to rest himself and consume his provision, and after trailing for a while he found it an oasis, though one unlike any he had ever seen.
It had a radiance and lushness that would've put Nebuchadnezzar's own gardens in a their hanging glory to a quite disgraceful shame. It's waters were clear as crystal yet blue as the bluest Sapphire, even the sun seemed brighter here, gone was the soft amber aura that outshined any candle yet was familiar to it's countenance, no, not here, for here the sun itself looked freshly polished anew and the air itself resonated with a low humidity like that of a harp several moments after it had been plucked, but sustained and undiminished, and as he lingered there he noticed this hum make it's way the pores of his skin, into his bones which harmonized with it as finely tuned flutes as though they were made for it and in fact as though they had never been made for anything else, certainly not anything so unromantic as holding a man, especially a man such as he together, a thought which apparently signaled the amorphous atmosphere to begin it's work on the inner nonphysical substance of his mind.
He shook his head like a sailor regaining his barings after his ship had gotten snagged in a current and returned to his waiting sustanance. He ate reservedly of the honey loaf, enjoying each morsel til it was no more and untied the tidy pouch of pistachios, and it was then he made a horrible mistake.
As he discarded the pistachios’ shells, he did so purposefully, precisely as he might do any task, but paid it no more mind than accompanied the average shelling of pistachios. Added to this he was still a little foreign from from his right mind, or else one detail-oriented as he may have noticed the peculiar if miniscule dust mote that surfaced about space a a child perking it head out of a hidden place, only to be snuffed out abruptly by a haphazardly thrown pistachio shell, and thereby save himself from what happened next and the sight of a dust mote he was surely unable to miss.
It came up unforeseen in the middle of the oasis curiosity leaving not a single detail altered save for the dust and wind that comprised it's great thunderous self. The merchant dove behind his camel for some respite til it passed and when next he looked there in striking shades of sapphire blue relief was the Marid, elephant-height at his waist, stood there with the scowl of a hardened soldier who was the survivor of a thousand year war that constituted nothing but slaughter for his side. Undoubtedly did he stand there, and just as so was he regarding the bewildered merchant as a large muscle-bound man regards an ant who had somehow managed to irritate him.
They stood in silence for a few moments more, till the Marid in a voice like thunder put directly” I mean to kill you as you had called one among my sons, a curious and benevolent child no less”
Silence returned, the horrified merchant craned his neck straining to look up at the Marid who impatiently wiggled his bare toes( the largest of which on each foot was slightly larger than the merchants head and either could've crushed it with the ease of a man's crushing grapes for wine. Neither of these facts were lost on either party
“ Tell me insect, what defense have you?” The Jinni taunghted. The merchant considered, uncharastically broke composure for the briefest off of moments and falling to to his hands and knees in heavily sobs but even in this moment answered forthrightly, if through histarics “ none I not contest it, I have but one last request give me a year to arrange things rightly and lest you think me fleeing if at a any point you doubt me a any point, my life is yours as easily then as now and my own son's life's then shall be forfeit at the waste of the indulgence, you have my word”
The Marid eyed him carefully but agreed, and the year passed with the archness of a dream so that is how I shall relate it...
He relayed his story and arrangement with exactitude befitting only him, his household wept under unrelenting morass of grief and he closed his dealings all with perfection and expediency, and the year drrew to a close.
He gathered himself with the forbearance of a man who knew he was dead already and made his way to the oasis. On his way there though he found three travelers bound the same direction who inquired as to his visible forlorn state. He relayed it once more and the three gentlemen hatched a plan to help their new friend…
When they reached the Marid they made him an offer to tell him their lives and if he was as amazed by theirs as they were by the merchant's he would get a third of the way to his freedom.
These would save his life...
but those are for another day…
…
That about does it for today if you like this please consider checking out my YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA1Fkgi1ebZiO_0b-hNun7Q
The Authenticator
Till another day
Cheers everyone!!!
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