Jinnee

I guess it sort of makes more sense to me now.  In my youth there were a few shows on tv that I often watched.  One was “I dream of Jeannie.”
Today is dictionary day and my finger fell on the word “jinnee.” The definition was “(muslim myth) spirit lower than angels able to appear in human and animal forms and having supernatural power over men.”
There are two words very similar that have slightly different meanings.  “Genie” refers to “a spirit of Arabian folklore, frequently depicted as being imprisoned within a bottle or oil lamp and as being capable of granting wishes when summoned.” And jinn which means “(in Arabian and Muslim mythology) an intelligent spirit of lower rank than the angels, able to appear in human and animal forms and to possess humans.”  Jinn is the singular form of jinnee.
It appears to me Wikipedia had the most balanced and informative view.  It showed the jinn were a pre-Islamic concept.  Although abided by the religion Wikipedia says, “These folkloric beliefs and practices, although especially common throughout the Muslim world in the past, have been met with increasing disapproval due to their association with idolatry.”
The reason I mention “I dream of Jeannie” was I can now see where the concept for her came from.  She nearly always appeared in middle eastern get up and exercised her powers by wiggling her nose or folding her arms and stretching them out and then using her head in a fast nod.  To me it seems even the spelling of her name is a combination of the two.
As is so often the case it was seen as “harmless fun” and on one level it was.  Yet to me it was one of many things that made their way into movies and onto tv, that eroded beliefs that made the world a better and safer place than it is today.