The Brooklyn Museum - Winged Genie Iraq, Nimrud (Assyria, from Room H of the Northwest Palace Reign of Ashur-nasir-pal II, circa 883-859 B.C. Alabaster 91 inches high, (231.1 cm) Gift of Hagop Kevorkian. While visiting the museum I viewed twelve - Assyrian palace reliefs All were removed from Ashur-nasir-pal II's royal residence at Nimrud in 1853 and brought to the museum in 1955. These reliefs shows the king performing the official duties of an Assyrian ruler: fighting, hunting lions, governing, overseeing the crops, and participating in religious rituals. Beginning with Ashur-nasir-pal II's rule - Kings decorated the lower portions of their palace walls with monumental alabaster reliefs.

The relief above depicts a great winged genie who attends the king at a religious ceremony. He holds a single ritual object, a pail, which may have contained liquid used to purify the 'Sacred Tree' - Tree of Life.

The genie's long braided hair and beard are in keeping with the fussiness of Assyrian royal art. He wears a fringed shawl draped over his knee-length, tasseled tunic. The ensemble is enhanced by an elaborate array of jewelry, including a rosette on his forehead, earrings, bracelets, and a beaded necklace. The handles of two daggers project from beneath the genie's shawl.

A long cuneiform test appears across the center of this and other scenes from Ashur-nasir-pal II's palace. This 'Standard Inscription' recounts the major events in the illustrious reign of the self-proclaimed 'King of the World'.

The feminine version of Genie is Jinniyah - plural Jinn in Arabic and Islamic folklore - and is a spirit or demon endowed with supernatural power. In ancient belief the jinn were associated with the destructive forces of nature. In Islamic tradition they were corporeal spirits similar to men in appearance but having certain supernatural powers, especially those of changing in size and shape. Capable of both good and evil, the jinn were popular in literatures of the Middle East, notably in the stories of the Thousand and One Nights. The term genie is the English form and is sometimes confused with the Roman genius.

Genie are presented in many forms - usually male - living / trapped in lamps or other inanimate objects (carpets) - who once freed will bestow 3 or more wishes on the person who freed them. The Genie is seen as empowered - like a God. Aladdin is a famous character who had his own magic lamp and genie.

The cartoon (links with Mythological tales) 'Much Abu About Something' finds the citizens of Ziggerock - as in Ziggeraut - frightened by the thunder lizard, Tyrannosaurus Rex! Aladdin comes to help, but only Abu (the genie) holds the power to liberate the city.

When we think of female Genies

we think of Barbara Eden in her lamp

granting wishes to her master - the astronaut.

Genies are Magicians

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