A sylph is a personification of the element of air, and was defined by Paracelsus alongside the three other classical elements (earth, fire, water). Invisible beings of air, they are also often portrayed as or conflated with human-like fairies. The concept of the slyph appears in many literary works, ballet, opera, and continues to influence modern perceptions of air elementals (especially with links to fairies), including in games such as Final Fantasy and League of Angels.
Djinn (also known as Genies in Western depictions) are magical spirits of fire and sometimes wind from Arabic mythology. Djinn are defined as being neither good nor evil, and so associated in folklore with both with wicked trickery, and also benevolence. Capable of shifting into different shapes, storms and shadows, animals (such as snakes and black dogs), and also in human-like forms with anthropomorphic traits. The concept of genies in Western culture was popularised by Aladdin, and their appearance as half-man, half air-elemental (a man's torso and wispy tail) persists in media, such as with appearances in Dungeons and Dragons, and online MMOs like World of Warcraft.
Air elementals might be distinguished from spirits of air such as sylphs, and Djinn/genies, by a greater lack of human personification in form. Instead, they are usually depicted more as ambiguous spirits or bundles of wind and debris, clouds, or cyclones.
By Natasha Vranic-Peters
Email Natasha Vranic-Peters
Published On: 26/05/2020