Somali · numen · Somali traditional religion; continuing · numen
The Ayaanle (from ayaan, 'good fortune') are the benevolent spirits of pre-Islamic Somali belief: bringers of blessing and good fortune who serve as intermediaries between the sky-god Waaq (Eebbe) and humankind, functioning much like angels. They are set in opposition to the malevolent jinn, the harmful spirits of the same cosmology. The favourable sense of ayaan persists in Somali culture, and the name Ayaanle remains in common use as a personal name meaning 'the fortunate one'.