Ever since first being translated from Arabic into French, by archaeologist Antoine Galland, in the early eighteenth century, the stories of The Arabian Nights’ has captivated the imaginations of people of all ages. The stories contained within the books speak of fantastical creatures, beautiful places, and a world full of magic and mysticism. The first known translation of The Nights’ to English was around 1760 and was published as: The Arabian Nights’ Entertainment . This version was subsequently translated into many languages including German, Italian, Dutch, and Russian. Quickly becoming recognized as one of the most famous books in the world.
Among the most interesting of the mystical characters, we encounter throughout the 1001 Nights’ is the Djinn, sometimes called Genie (a Romanized version of the word) or Ifrit. The Djinn are a race of creatures much like humans. It is believed that “God created many worlds and subjected them to humans and (D)jinn to explore them(El-Zein) and benefit from them”. The world of the Jann can be compared to a dream world in which we(humans) can interact in a reality that is similar to our own, however, is NOT.
To many of us, the word Genie invokes images of Barbara Eden in I Dream of Genie or Robin Williams as the loveable blue Genie of Disney. However in the Nights’, Genie are often described as huge creatures with legs like masts, and mouths as big as caves they have wings and claws many possess large weapons. Throughout the books of Arabian Nights’ we meet many Djinn and Djinniyah each with his or her own motivations. Some have been imprisoned for misdeeds(a popular theme), while others are driven by motives such as love or loyalty.
With great powers, Genie have the ability to enrich the lives of humans, to grant them wishes, or to smite them with but a thought. Sometimes, Djinn use these powers to subject humans to their whims, using them as pawns as a means to their own ends. Other Djinn serve humans with fierce loyalty. The Djinn and Djinniyah throughout the Nights’ are both protagonists and saviors, helping and hindering the humans they encounter along the way, and constantly reminding us to… Be Careful What We Wish For.