İn Cin

Lesserfolk-consensusTurkish folk beliefIslamic cultural influence (jinn)Turkey

İn Cin (also written İn jinn) is a Turkish folkloric phrase and folk concept used to indicate that a place is entirely abandoned; it refers to two kinds of unseen inhabitants—İn and jinn—believed to occupy forgotten or desolated locations and make them unfit for human habitation.

Origin

The pairing of İn and jinn in Turkish usage reflects a syncretic folk taxonomy: jinn are present in Turkish consciousness via Islamic tradition (the Quranic pairing al‑ins wa al‑jinn is noted in the source), while İn is treated in Turkish material as a native folkloric being. The source states that the Turkish term İn is not equivalent to the Arabic al‑ins (mankind) and that İn might be rooted in Turkic concepts of master spirits (İye). The fixed idiom 'İn cin top oynamak' ('İn and jinn play ball') is used to explain why a place is completely devoid of human life.

Appearance

The provided source does not offer a physical description of İn. The entry describes İn as a type of demon or being similar to the jinn in Turkish legends but gives no corporeal or sensorial details.

Abilities

According to the cited material, İn and jinn inhabit forgotten or desolated places and function as an explanatory model for why such places are empty. People avoid these places; in many Turkish tales, visitors are afraid or even killed by İn and jinn. The source further characterizes the İn as less predictable in behavior and more prone to chaos than the jinn. No additional specific powers are documented in the cited source.

Weaknesses & Wards

Weaknesses

  • other
    Not specified in source

Wards

  • other
    Not specified in source

Community Record

Sources
  1. [1]
    İn Cin. Wikipedia: 'İn Cin' entry — describes İn and jinn inhabiting forgotten or desolated places, the idiom 'İn cin top oynamak', relation to the Quranic phrase al‑ins wa al‑jinn, and notes that İn might root in Turkic İye.wiki
folk-consensus