Djinn

spirit · Senegal · West Africa

In Wolof and broader Senegalese folklore, jinn (djinn) are supernatural beings of smokeless fire, integrated from Islamic tradition into pre-existing spirit beliefs. They shapeshift (often as snakes), inhabit ruins and deserts, and can be mischievous or helpful. Iron and Qur'anic verses repel them. Not merely tricksters — they occupy a parallel moral universe accountable to God.

Open in the interactive archive →