We all know about vampires and werewolves, or at least we think we do. The legends and myths that inspired these monsters are sometimes surprisingly different, but no less chilling. In this series of posts, Monster Monday, we’ll investigate the monsters that have informed our modern notions, as well as some lesser known monsters. Today, we talk about the Si’lat.

A si’lat is a type of djinni in Arabic, Persian, and Turkish folklore. Si’lat are expert shapeshifters and can easily pass as human. They most often appear as beautiful women. Si’lat tend to live in forests and desert oases, but they are more open-minded about humans than other types of djinn and can easily integrate themselves into human society. They are extremely intelligent and prefer to talk their way out of trouble than use force.

Si’lat are not usually malicious but have been known to hide oases from travelers they don’t like. They also can be meddlesome, and their attempts to help humans with their problems often make them worse.