Knowing How to Interpret

Representations and Agencies of the Jinn in Morocco

Authors

  • Bruno Bartel Professor do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Antropologia da Universidade Federal do Piauí (PPGAnt/UFPI)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34019/2236-6296.2025.v28.47988

Keywords:

Jinns, Islam, Morocco

Abstract

This text aims to problematize the conceptions and actions of the jinns in the Islamic cosmological imaginary, based on an ethnographic case study conducted in Morocco. Instead of restricting the issue to the moral division between humans and jinns, I argue that the monstrosity present in these encounters manifests through the inversion of symbolic signs (order/disorder) provoked by the jinns in their interaction with humans. This dynamic unfolds on an intersectional plane, in which the distinguishing nature of the jinns plays a central role. This research incorporates the analysis of ethnographic data collected in Morocco between January and November 2012, focusing on the rural village of Sidi ‘Ali, located in the Fez-Meknes province. The analysis makes it possible to draw conclusions that clarify the nature of the relationships between humans and jinns, as well as the implications of these interactions for the understanding of the sacred, otherness, and monstrosity.

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Published

2025-08-17

How to Cite

BARTEL, B. Knowing How to Interpret: Representations and Agencies of the Jinn in Morocco. Numen, [S. l.], v. 28, n. 2, p. 131–148, 2025. DOI: 10.34019/2236-6296.2025.v28.47988. Disponível em: https://periodicos.ufjf.br/index.php/numen/article/view/47988. Acesso em: 19 dec. 2025.

Issue

Section

Dossiê: Monstros e monstruosidades nas expressões religiosas