Jinn or Genies

Jinn are supernatural creatures deriving from Arabian and Islamic cultures. Many Americans view Genies as helpful creatures who, when their brass lamp is rubbed, will appear and grant 3 wishes to whoever has set them free, like seen in Disney’s Aladdin movie. However, brass lamps and wishes do not exist in the original lore of Jinn. In fact, most Jinn are evil or hostile to humans. Jinn are spirits of fire or air, capable of transforming into humans or animals, and tend to dwell in inanimate objects such as trees, stones, etc. Jinn are usually blamed for many diseases and accidents and they take pleasure in punishing humans that do either intentional or unintentional harm to them. Humans who are knowledgeable about magic or possess strong wisdom are able to use Jinn to their advantage. One notable example of an evil Jinn is the legendary Umm al-Duwais, a female Jinn who allegedly appears as a beautiful woman during the night to lure men with her enchanting powers. Once she has done this, she will turn into a terrifying figure and will shortly eat her victim.

A Pocong, also known as a shrouded ghost, is an Indonesian ghost that is said to be the soul of a dead person trapped in its shroud. A shroud is a simple, white burial cloth used to cover a deceased Muslim. The pocong’s shroud is a white fabric tied over the head, under the feet, and on the neck. Because of the tie under the feet, the ghost is unable to walk, which is why it supposedly hops around like a rabbit. Some legends also claim that a Pocong teleport, fly, and roll around. Lately, news reporters have found that people are volunteering to dress up as a Pocong in an attempt to scare people off the streets in Indonesian villages during the pandemic.