What are genies? Genies is the digital avatar app that offers the most dynamic and intelligent avatars available, but the name is derived from folklore. We are taking a closer look at the origin of these mythical beings and their awesome powers.
Where Did Genies Come From?
Genies, also known as jinn or genii, are spirits from the pre-Islamic Middle East. They are said to be made of smokeless fire, and in possession of magical powers. Belief in genies or jinn is included in the Quran, and much as Catholic traditions involve exorcism of spirits, so too do certain Muslim traditions involve driving jinn out of human bodies they have inhabited. According to the Quran, they were created by Allah, alongside humans and angels. Genies can be good or evil, but there are five varieties, the most well known two of which are considered to always be evil: shaitan and ifrit.
What Powers Do Genies Have?
Genies in Middle Eastern folklore do not always have the power of granting wishes to the mortals which hold their lamps, like in the story of Aladdin. Typically it is the most powerful magic users who can command genies, although there is also a legend of the magic ring of King Solomon, which gives the wearer command over genies and other beings. The connection between genies and oil lamps comes from the story of Solomon in which he bound a genie to a jar, as a means of controlling the spirit and preventing it from doing harm. This trope was one that got carried forward in Arabic literature, eventually surfacing in the Thousand and One Nights (widely known in the English-speaking world as the Arabian Nights). Possibly the most famous of Scherezade’s tales, the story of the genie of the lamp has been adapted into multiple forms, most notably twice as Disney’s Aladdin motion pictures in 1992 and 2019.
Genies’ powers vary from story to story, but it is generally agreed that they can:
- Fly through the air
- Create matter, such as food, precious gems, and gold
- Shapeshift
- Manipulate weather
While we can’t promise that your Genie avatar will have all of these incredible powers, with so many clothing and facial options available in our avatar builder, it’s almost like shapeshifting.
Genies is a trademarked term owned by the company Genies to describe computer services in the nature of non-downloadable software that allows users to create personalized emojis, ideograms, virtual images, and avatars representing individuals that can be shared and transmitted via multi-media messaging, online chatrooms, and other social and communications platforms for purposes of commenting on, sharing, discussing, and reacting to news, popular culture, and current events.
