Jinn

The origin of the word "Jinn" remains uncertain. It is an Arabic urban legend. The more used term for these creatures is "genie". In stories, it is portrayed as a wish-granting entity locked up in a lamp. However, it is said that a genie doesn't grant a wish to just anyone. Only the person who releases it can get a free wish, meaning he doesn't have to trade anything. It is said to grant other people wishes in exchange for their souls, or it could even turn the wish on the person himself by its cunning. It is also said that genies do not like being talked about and that they start haunting people if they talk too much about them.

In the UAE, people are afraid of one particular jinn: Umm Al Duwais. Umm Al Duwais is one of the most famous jinns in the United Arab Emirates. Her story is simple: at first, she appears as a beautiful woman to attract men. But as soon as she's reeled them in, Umm Al Duwais changes into a terrifying figure who eats the men she's enchanted. But remember; jinns can be either good or malevolent.

Though it might just be a scary story to tell kids to warn them about stranger danger, there's a video that claims to be footage of one such jinn.