GINN. - An Arabic collective noun denoting a category of beings, spirits, or goblins, forming part of the belief of pre-Islamic paganism, subsequently accepted by Maometto and thus retained in Islamic dogmatics and folklore. Etymologically, the noun is connected by some with the root gnn (“to cover,” “to conceal”), by others, though more rarely in recent times, with the Latin genius.
According to the Koran, the g. are created from fire (15, 27; 55, 14); some are evil and will be condemned to Hell (6, 128; 11, 120); others are good and Muslim: in this regard see the sūrah of the Koran dedicated to them (72), which relates that a group of g. converted on hearing the preaching of Maometto. In sūrah 27 (v. 17 sgg) it is said that the g. formed part of Solomon’s army. Satan is called a g. (18, 48); but elsewhere (2, 32) he is presented as an angel.
The g. are generally anonymous. Some, however, are known by name; the most famous in popular belief, from the pre-Islamic age onward, is the gūl (female), devourer of Bedouins in the desert.