GENII

 GENIUS

"Of late I climb'd a lonely height
And Wat'd the moon-streak'd clouds in flight,
Whose forms fantastic reel'd and whirl'd
Liked Genii of a spectral world."

H.P. Lovecraft, A Cycle Of Verse: Clouds

 

"The name of a group of spirits in the classical Roman, Etruscan, and Assyrian mythologies. They are essentially guardian spirits of the individual beings and phenomena that have been created. A Genius (Genii, plural) was assigned to each individual at birth. The Genius of each man (women were protected by Juno) controlled his character and destiny, eventually conducting his soul out of the mortal world. They were variously depicted as naked winged youths, while the Genius of a family in Pompeii was protrayed as a snake."

Carol Rose, Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns and Goblins