Saturday, September 21, 2013

Legends of the Fire Spirits: Jinn and Genies from Arabia to Zanzibar

by Robert Lebling
(New York: I.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd., 2010)
eBook, 272 Pages, 2364 KB, Nonfiction

When Westerners think of a genie, the first image that comes to mind may be Barbara Eden in her pink harem pants or the illuminated blue buffoon from the animated Disney film Aladdin. But to the people of the Arab and Islamic worlds, the picture is dramatically different. Legends of the Fire Spirits looks beyond Westernized caricatures to immerse the readers in the vibrant lore of the jinn—the wondrous, often troublesome, and sometimes terrifying spirit beings of ancient Arab and Islamic tradition. Robert Lebling delves into long-lost accounts, medieval histories, colonial records, anthropologists’ reports, and travelers’ tales to explore the origin and evolution of legends that continue to thrive in the Middle East and beyond. He cuts through centuries of Orientalists’ cultural presumptions to craft a study that stands apart from the overwhelming body of literature concerned with religion in the Middle East. A captivating synthesis of history and folklore, this is the most diverse collection of jinn lore ever assembled in one volume. From ancient scriptures to The Arabian Nights and beyond, and with a foreword by acclaimed filmmaker Tahir Shah, Lebling has constructed a comprehensive account that not only transcends geographical borders and also spans some four millennia.

I first heard about this book listening to the Monster Talk podcast (a podcast which I highly recommend, by the way, as it is a scientific, rational skeptic and generally fun look at monsters and other paranormal, supernatural, cryptozoological phenomena). They interviewed Lebling on their December 7, 2011 episode (I only discovered and started listening to the podcast last year), and it was fascinating so I decided to pick up Lebling’s book and learn more about Jinn. I also learned that there are really only two books out there on the topic of Jinn, this one and The Vengeful Djinn: Unveiling the Hidden Agenda of Genies by Rosemary Ellen Guiley and Philip J. Imbrogno and I can only endorse one of them and Lebling’s book. Guiley and Imbrogno’s book is a collection of half-truths, new age mysticism, unsourced claims, and misinterpretations with a healthy dose of racism and xenophobia. Lebling’s book, on the other hand, is an academic look at the world of Jinn that relies on primary documents, researched sources and first-hand accounts of dealings with the jinn.

What unfolds in Legends of the Fire Spirits is a fascinating look at the world of jinn and all their many variations and permutations, and how each of these types of Jinn fit into the Arabic and Islamic worlds. It covers the history of jinn, as well as the demons and spirituality that predates Islam and how those ideas and beliefs were then, possibly, folded into the beliefs of Islam, as well as surveying Muhammad’s own dealings with Jinn as detailed in the Quran and other contemporary writings of the Prophet’s companions.

Given the tensions surrounding Islam in the world today, Lebling handles this potentially sensitive topic very well. He grounds his book in evidence (as I stated above) and cites his sources extensively and does both of these very well spanning across the millennia and looking at cultures from North Africa, into the Middle East and reaching further into Malaysia. He quotes Arabian, Islamic, and even Western studies that have come before him all the while claiming that he merely hopes this will help others continue research. That claims serves him well since he has no degree in any academic field we'd expect of such a study, only a career as a journalist that gives him the ability to research and to write in an engaging fashion.

I went into this book just looking for an interesting read, and ended up finding inspiration for my own horror novel, which was a very pleasant surprise. Whether you want to research jinn academically and need a starting point, or if you just want to learn more about a little-known topic, or if you just need something to fill the time, I can recommend this book to you without reservations.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

“The See-Saw Section”

In December of 2007, I read an interview J.K. Rowling stated that pre-Hogwarts (or Durmstrang, or Beauxbatons, or wherever) wizarding children are homeschooled by their parents. This got me to thinking what other “crunchy,” or attachment parenting, or natural family living practices the wizarding world would engage in. That led to the thought of homebirth, which in turn led to this piece of fanfiction:



The clock in the corner ticked inexorably toward nothing.  The hands didn’t tell time, five of the six hands stood at HOME, while the other pointed to WORK.  A redheaded woman stood in front of the stove, Christmas dinner bubbled over the fire.

Four red-haired children were asleep in front of the tree amid a pile of torn wrapping paper, chocolate frog cards and spent crackers.  Molly smiled at her sleeping children then winced as the baby kicked.  She patted her belly.  “Shush now Ronald,” she whispered to her mid-section.  “Shush now.”  She began to sway back and forth, crooning a lullaby to the unborn baby as she stirred the sauce that had started boiling.

Behind her, the one stray hand of the clock clicked suddenly to IN TRANSIT and then, as green flame erupted in the fire grate Arthur’s hand slid into place with the rest of the family’s at HOME.

“Arthur,” Molly said warmly and turned.  “So it didn’t take long, did it?”

“No Molly,” Arthur said, wiping his glasses and stripping off the threadbare traveling cloak.  “Not at all.  Not long at all.  You wouldn’t believe what some people believe is fun to do on Christmas.  The rotters had charmed a Muggle Christmas tree in Brighton to devour presents.  Took five of us to subdue the tree and then there were memory charms for nearly a hundred people—”

“ONE HUNDRED?  Arthur, why so many?”

“Well,” said Arthur “It was a Muggle orphanage Molly.  All those little children.  Nearly ruined Christmas for them … poor little blighters.  Made me sad to see them like that,” Arthur shrugged and dipped his head away from Molly.

“Arthur,” Molly said, brandishing the dripping sauce spoon, “what did you do?”

Arthur busied himself straightening plates and flatware on the table.  “Nothing really,” he said into his chest, “just a small charm really … no one will hardly notice …”

ARTHUR!

“Now Molly, what’s done is done, and there’s no use fretting.  How’s the baby doing?”

Molly softened immediately, her hands finding her belly.  Arthur came to her and placed his hands over hers and kissed her nose.

“Ronald was squiggling around early, but I think he’s gone to sleep now.  The midwitch was by after you had gone and left me some tea she wants me to take.”

Arthur took his wife into his arms and squeezed her.  “Molly,” he said looking into her eyes, “I want to talk to you about the baby.  While we were at the orphanage in Brighton, I was talking to the Muggle head of the place and she told me about the most wonderful thing that Muggle women are doing to give birth.  You, you simply won’t believe this Mollywobbles, and I know we have Hannah Hather as midwitch, but I want you to consider this Molly, as a favor to me.  It, it just is simply amazing what those Muggles do without magic!”

Arthur let go of Molly and started pacing the length of the kitchen gesticulating wildly as he spoke.

“These women, Molly, these women go into the doctor – I believe they’re called an Obbgynne – and this Obbgynne will examine the woman and her baby without any sort of magic.  They use a device called an uddersound and they can actually see the baby Molly.  Inside the woman … without any magic, mind you.  And then, when the woman goes into labour they go with the Obbgynne and see the sturgeon and the sturgeon will cut the woman’s abdomen and they’ll pull the baby out through that cut.”

Arthur stopped and looked at Molly expectantly.

“Arthur.  Absolutely.  NOT!  Whatever gave you the idea that I would ever agree to do something so completely ridiculous and reckless.  I will not put our baby’s life in danger by placing in the hands of some Muggle cutter-nutter who wants to slice into perfectly helpful women in order to rip a perfectly healthy baby from them.  Next you’ll be telling me Muggles still circumcise”

“But Mollywobbles—”

“Don’t you ‘Mollywobbles’ me Arthur.  Absolutely not!”

“But Molly, they have anastasia.  It’s a gas that puts you right out and you won’t even know it happened!”

“Won’t even— Arthur, tell me, what is the point of not knowing that a birth happens?  Tell me that Arthur.  What is the point?”  She took the sauce from the stove and tasted.  “There now, see what’s happened?  You’ve gone and gotten me so upset that I’ve burned the sauce and the Potters and Sirius will be here any minute now.”  She thrust the saucepan at Arthur.  “Fix this, and I don’t want to hear another word about this crazy Muggle tradition.”

“It’s called a see-saw section.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” Arthur smiled.  “Nothing Mollywobbles.  By the way, I ran into Dumbledore at the Ministry and he said if you could promise that you could conjure a pan of your chocolate fairy fantasy fudge, he’d stop by.”


Molly smiled and opened the oven and let the aroma of chocolate fill the kitchen.  “Now, Arthur, I believe I hear your sons stirring in the front room, you better go see to them before they pull down the tree again.”