Jinn Superstitions

Jinn is a spirit or genie that typically causes harm to an individual.

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Superstition 1:

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Item: “Applying perfume at night can attract jinn.”

General Information:

Informant Data:

Sheherzad is from Lahore, Pakistan. She spent the first 18 years of her life there before coming to Dartmouth College. She identifies as Punjabi.

Contextual Data:

This superstition was passed down from Sheherezad’s mother. Although she doesn’t subscribe to this superstition, Sheherzad mentioned that this superstition regarding Jinns, evil spirits or demons, is extremely common and followed by most Pakistanis on a daily basis, at night time.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Transcript of Associated File:

“You can’t apply perfume at night otherwise the jinn will come out to get you and don’t sit under a tree after dark or the Jinns will possess you. And you aren’t supposed to bathe after sunset or else the Jinn will possess you. So there are a lot of superstitions surrounding them.”

Informant’s Comments:

Sheherzad said that she had heard ever since she was a child that her mother told her that once you take a shower, or apply perfume to smell nice, you are more likely to attract Jinn.

Collector’s Comments:

It is interesting to note how most of these superstitions involve doing things during night time. This is reasonable given Jinns are most active between 3am and the morning. It is also interesting that these spirits are similar to those we studied in class like the household and forest spirits.

Collector’s Name: Edric Wung

Tags/Keywords:

Customary Folklore, Magic Superstition, Jinn Superstition, Pakistani Superstitions

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Superstition 2:

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Item: “Don’t sit under a tree after dark or you will be possessed by a jinn.”

General Information:

Informant Data:

Saleha Irfan is from Lahore, Pakistan. She is Punjabi and has spent her entire life in Pakistan.

Contextual Data:

Saleha says that superstitions revolving around Jinn are very common in Pakistan and particularly intense. Her explanation of superstitions involving Jinns almost exclusively discuss possessing people. This is similar to the superstitions I was told by Heder and Sheherzad. Both Saleha and Sheherzad provided this specific superstition. Jinn can affect a person at any time, but are more common at night.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Transcript of Associated File:

“Another superstition is that they are present at night and therefore if you sleep under trees they can possess you.”

Informant’s Comments:

Jinns tend to reside in trees so sitting underneath a tree would increase your chances of getting possessed by a jinn.

Collector’s Comments:

This seems to make sense, if they are usually around trees, that being near a tree for prolonged period of time would increase your chances of being possessed as well as the fact that their peak time of activity is the early morning.

Collector’s Name: Edric Wung

Tags/Keywords:

Customary Folklore, Magic Superstition, Jinn Superstition, Pakistani Superstitions

Dartmouth Folklore Archive