The world of the supernatural has fascinated almost every culture and religion for generations, inspiring stories and legends that still permeate our modern writings. The book The Golem and The Jinni by Helene Wecker takes the mythology of jinn from Arabian culture, and mixes it with golems from Jewish mysticism. These two characters who are unwittingly brought together in early industrialized New York, learn to adapt and work within human culture.
Jinn in Arabian mythology are spirits who inhabit many forms, being able to shape shift into animals and humans alike. They often quarrel with humans, possessing or attacking them for pleasure or vengeance. There are some powerful humans who have the ability to capture or use jinn to their advantage however (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica). The Golem and The Jinni focuses on a jinni who is trapped in his human form by a powerful wizard, and is placed inside an oil flask for thousands of years before unwittingly being released in the early part of the 20th century. He has almost all his powers in this form, only being able to melt metal with his bare hands. Most people cannot see his true form, however some well studied in mythology are able to identify him. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, a belief in jinn was quite common among early Muslims, Turks, Persians and Syrians, appearing in many stories and folk tails.
Golems in Jewish tradition are beings made out of clay that are given the spark of life by a powerful rabbi. They would use formulas from the book of creation, utilizing the power of God to give life (Michaelson). The Golem and The Jinni imagined golems to be naturally bound to a master and able to hear and act on their thoughts. Once the master of Chava, the golem in the story, dies, she is left to live unbound, able to hear everyone's thoughts and desires along with an urge to act on every one of them. This book follows a long tradition of golem stories, with many having a golem save or protect the jewish community, or having it go crazy and destroy everything in it's sight (Michaelson). This book is nontraditional however, choosing instead to focus on the golem as a main character, and what coping with being a completely different being is like in our society.
Michaelson, Jay. “Golem.” My Jewish Learning, My Jewish Learning, www.myjewishlearning.com/article/golem/.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Jinni.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 12 Apr. 2018, www.britannica.com/topic/jinni.
Jinn in Arabian mythology are spirits who inhabit many forms, being able to shape shift into animals and humans alike. They often quarrel with humans, possessing or attacking them for pleasure or vengeance. There are some powerful humans who have the ability to capture or use jinn to their advantage however (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica). The Golem and The Jinni focuses on a jinni who is trapped in his human form by a powerful wizard, and is placed inside an oil flask for thousands of years before unwittingly being released in the early part of the 20th century. He has almost all his powers in this form, only being able to melt metal with his bare hands. Most people cannot see his true form, however some well studied in mythology are able to identify him. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, a belief in jinn was quite common among early Muslims, Turks, Persians and Syrians, appearing in many stories and folk tails.
Golems in Jewish tradition are beings made out of clay that are given the spark of life by a powerful rabbi. They would use formulas from the book of creation, utilizing the power of God to give life (Michaelson). The Golem and The Jinni imagined golems to be naturally bound to a master and able to hear and act on their thoughts. Once the master of Chava, the golem in the story, dies, she is left to live unbound, able to hear everyone's thoughts and desires along with an urge to act on every one of them. This book follows a long tradition of golem stories, with many having a golem save or protect the jewish community, or having it go crazy and destroy everything in it's sight (Michaelson). This book is nontraditional however, choosing instead to focus on the golem as a main character, and what coping with being a completely different being is like in our society.
Michaelson, Jay. “Golem.” My Jewish Learning, My Jewish Learning, www.myjewishlearning.com/article/golem/.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Jinni.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 12 Apr. 2018, www.britannica.com/topic/jinni.
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