İn Cin

According to Turkish beliefs, İn and jinn inhabit forgotten or desolated places.^[4] Therefore, a place visited by such beings, as for example in "İn cin top oynamak" ("İn and jinn play ball"), means that this place must be completely devoid of human life.^[5]

The combination of these two entities bears resemblance to the Quranic phrase al-ins wa al-jinn (الإِنسِ وَالْجِنِّ).^[6] However, whereas in Arabic the term al-ins (الإِنسِ) refers to mankind, the similar Turkish term (İn) refers to a being similar to the jinn (human means insan in Turkish).^[7] The İn would be less predictable in behavior and more prone to chaos than the jinn.^[8]

The jinn entered the Turkish consciousness through Islam. The İn refers to a type of demon from Turkish legends. İn might root in the concept of Turkic master spirits (İye).^[9] In many Turkish tales, people are afraid or even killed by the İn and jinn when visiting haunted places.^[10][11]

• Div
• Peri