The Ghoul

A Monstrous Mashup of Myth and Macabre

Meet the ghoul, a creature so delightfully demonic it'll make you shiver with excitement. Born from the mystical realms of pre-Islamic Arabian folklore, this monstrous humanoid has evolved into the ultimate symbol of undead terror in modern fiction. Think of it as the goth cousin of all mythical creatures—dark, mysterious, and always up for a midnight stroll through the graveyard.

Ghouls are associated with graveyards and the consumption of human flesh

Arabic: غول, ghūl

Ghūls: The Shape-Shifting Ass-Hooved Party Animals of Arabic Lore

Imagine wandering through the ancient Arabian desert, minding your own business, when suddenly you hear the unmistakable clip-clop of… donkey feet? Congratulations, you’ve just encountered a ghūl, the shape-shifting pranksters of the spirit world!

These diabolical divas are the rebellious offspring of Iblīs, the prince of darkness in Islam. Think of them as the goth kids of the jinn family – always changing their look, but never quite able to hide those telltale ass’s hooves. It’s like they’re perpetually stuck in a cosmic costume party where everyone forgot to bring shoes.

But wait, there’s more! In Arabic, calling someone a ghūl isn’t just reserved for hooved hellions. It’s also a sick burn for that friend who always clears out your fridge or orders everything on the menu. “Stop being such a ghūl, Mohammed! Leave some shawarma for the rest of us!”

And if you think that’s wild, hold onto your turbans, folks! The etymology of this ghoulish term is a linguistic rollercoaster. It’s linked to words meaning “to cast spells,” “scream,” and “crow” – because nothing says “party” like a screeching, spell-casting bird-demon, right? But wait, there’s more! It’s also associated with “warlike ardor” and “wrath,” suggesting these creatures are the ultimate hangry warriors of the underworld.

Speaking of the underworld, let’s not forget the Akkadian “gallu” – demons so bad they make the ghūls look like fluffy bunnies. These are the OG underworld terrors, the ones that make even the toughest ghūls say, “Nope, I’m out!”

So next time you’re out in the desert and hear the clip-clop of hooves, don’t panic! It’s probably just a ghūl looking to raid your picnic basket and maybe cast a spell or two. Just don’t call them “ass” – they might take it the wrong way!

SEE MORE AT Encyclopaedia Britannica

ghouls

Etymology

The Ghoulish Debut of 1786: When “Vathek” Unleashed the Ghoul

In 1786, William Beckford’s novel “Vathek” introduced the English-speaking world to the ghoul, a grave-robbing, corpse-munching fiend straight from Arabic folklore. The term “ghoul” comes from the Arabic “ghul,” an evil spirit with a taste for midnight snacks of the recently deceased. The root “ghala” means “he seized,” painting a vivid picture of these creatures snatching bodies with ease.

Beckford’s “Vathek” wasn’t just a spooky story; it was a cultural phenomenon that bridged Eastern and Western horror traditions. His tale of a power-hungry Caliph making deals with the devil captivated readers with its blend of Gothic horror and Arabian Nights-style fantasy. So, the next time you encounter a ghoul, remember Beckford’s 1786 translation that brought this creature to life!

A GHOUL IS A MYTHICAL CREATURE ORIGINATING IN PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIA, OFTEN DESCRIBED AS HIDEOUS HUMAN-LIKE MONSTER THAT DWELT IN THE DESERT OR OTHER SECLUDED LOCATIONS IN ORDER TO LURE TRAVELLERS ASTRAY

In Arabic Folklore

Ghul & Ghulah

The ghul is said to dwell in cemeteries and other uninhabited places. A male ghoul is referred to as ghul while the female is called ghulah.

Behold, the Ghoulish Matriarch of the Desert!

Meet the Arabic ghoul, a femme fatale of the most deliciously demonic variety. This seductive specter, known affectionately (or terrifyingly) as Mother Ghoul (ʾUmm Ghulah) or the more familial Aunt Ghoul, is the ultimate man-eater – quite literally!

Picture this: A sultry siren of the sands, luring unsuspecting male travelers with her irresistible charms. “Oh, darling nephew,” she coos, “come inside for a bite!” Little do these poor saps know, they’re the main course on her macabre menu!

This ghastly gal isn’t your average monster-under-the-bed. No, she’s the monster-who-owns-the-bed, and she’s always hungry for company. Her home is a culinary trap, a den of delectable deception where men check in, but they don’t check out – at least not with all their limbs intact!

So, gentlemen, the next time a mysteriously alluring “aunt” invites you over for dinner in the middle of the desert, remember: You might be the appetizer, main course, and dessert all rolled into one tasty human burrito!

Shapeshifting Demon

Some whisper that the ghoul is a desert-dwelling, shape-shifting demon with a penchant for the dramatic. It can transform into the most cunning of creatures – often a hyena, that scavenger of the sands. With its new disguise, the ghoul lures unsuspecting travelers into the unforgiving desert wastes or abandoned ruins, where it strikes with deadly precision, slaying and devouring its prey under the starry night sky.

The Ghul-e Biyaban: A Monstrous Shapeshifter’s Buffet

Meet the ghoul, the ultimate supernatural foodie with a taste for the macabre! This desert-dwelling demon doesn’t just stick to one dish – it’s got a whole menu of terrifying treats:

: Tender young children

: A refreshing blood consommé

: A handful of stolen coins (for that extra metallic crunch)

: The dearly departed, served fresh from the grave

: A dash of identity theft, taking on the form of its latest victim

But wait, there’s more! Let’s not forget the pièce de résistance of ghoulish gastronomy – the Ghul-e Biyaban. This particularly monstrous character is the Gordon Ramsay of ghouls, haunting the wild landscapes of Afghanistan and Iran. It’s the kind of creature that would make even the bravest explorer say, “Nope, I think I’ll stay home and watch the Travel Channel instead.”

So, next time you’re wandering through the Afghan wilderness and spot a suspiciously well-fed hyena with an identity crisis, remember: it might just be the Ghul-e Biyaban, looking for its next all-you-can-eat buffet!

Galland's Gift to Europe: The Ghoul's Grand Entrance

It wasn't until the 18th century, when Antoine Galland translated One Thousand and One Nights into French, that the Western world was formally introduced to the ghoul.

Galland’s influence was profound. His translation, though not always faithful to the original Arabic text, added stories like “Aladdin’s Lamp” and “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,” which became integral to the European perception of Middle Eastern folklore. The ghoul, with its dark allure, was just one of many fascinating characters that Galland’s work introduced to the West, forever changing the landscape of European literature and folklore.

So, the next time you hear a spooky tale about a ghoul lurking in the shadows, remember Antoine Galland – the man who brought these creatures out of the desert and into the hearts of Europeans everywhere!

"Amine Discovered with the Goule", from the story of Sidi Nouman in the One Thousand and One Nights

Picture this: You’re at a fishy beach party, and the guest of honor is trimethylamine, the odoriferous diva of decaying fish. But wait, there’s more! Your brain’s VIP lounge is packed with amine celebrities like epinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin, all partying harder than a neuron on New Year’s Eve.

And let’s not forget proteins, those molecular conga lines where lysine’s ammonium group is playing an eternal game of “salt bridge tag” with carboxylate groups. It’s like a biochemical rave where DNA, the anionic wallflower, gets cozy with amine-rich protein hunks.

Now, meet the “ammines” – the fancy cousins of amines who crashed the coordination chemistry party. They’re like ammonia groupies, clinging to metal ions like Cr(III), Co(III), and Ni(II). And don’t you dare spell it with one ‘m’ – that’s reserved for those alkyl and aryl posers!

Finally, we’ve got “goule” – the linguistic trickster that’s more about jaws than graves. It’s the secret ingredient in “badlagoule,” the French word for chatterbox that sounds like a medieval insult. And speaking of chatterboxes, let’s not forget the origami fortune-teller, that paper prophet of playground doom, also known as a cootie catcher. Because nothing says “ghoul” like folded paper predicting your crush’s name, right?

So there you have it – from fishy smells to metal-hugging molecules to chatty paper fortune-tellers. It’s a ghoulish goulash of scientific silliness that would make any self-respecting ghoul proud… or at least mildly amused while munching on its latest graveyard snack.

GHOULS IN ISLAMIC THEOLOGY

Ghoul are not mentioned in the Quran, but in hadith.  While some consider the ghoul to be a type of jinn, other exegetes of the Quran (tafsir) conjectured that the ghouls are burned devils.  Accordingly, the shayatin (devils) once had access to the heavens, where they eavesdropped, and returned to Earth to pass hidden knowledge to the soothsayers. When Jesus was born, three heavenly spheres were forbidden to them. With the arrival of Muhammad, the other four were forbidden. The marid among the shayatin continued to rise to the heavens,but were burned by comets. If these comets didn’t burn them to death, they were deformed and driven to insanity. They then fell to the deserts and were doomed to roam the earth as ghouls.

The Prophet's Advice:

Abu Ayyub al-Ansari sought the Prophet's counsel when ghouls were stealing his dates. Muhammad instructed him to recite "In the Name of God, answer the Prophet of God." When the ghouls returned, the Prophet advised reciting the Ayat al-Kursi (Throne Verse), which proved effective in banishing them,

Umar's Encounter

Al-Masudi recounts that during his journey to Syria, Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab encountered and slew a ghoul with his sword, demonstrating the belief in these creatures even among early Muslim leaders.

Exorcism & Protection

The Throne Verse (Ayat al-Kursi) is widely used in exorcisms and as protection against jinn and shayatin (devils). Its recitation is believed to grant both spiritual and physical protection from supernatural harm.

Origin of Ghouls

Some Islamic exegetes theorize that ghouls are burned devils (shayatin) who, after being barred from the heavens by the birth of Jesus and later Muhammad, were struck by comets. Those who survived were deformed and driven to insanity, doomed to roam the earth's desolate places

Algol (from the Arabic رأس الغول Ra's al-Ghul, which means The Demon's Head)

Behold, the Cosmic Cabaret of Chaos: Algol, the Demon's Disco Ball!

 

Picture this: It’s the 13th century, and some monk with too much time on his hands decides to name a star after a demon. Why? Because nothing says “holy” like naming celestial bodies after creatures of the underworld! Fast forward to the 14th century, and we’ve got ourselves a full-blown “Demon Star” party in the Perseus constellation.

But wait, there’s more! The Arabs, not to be outdone in the naming game, called it رأس الغول (ra’s al-ghūl), which basically means “Hey, look at that ogre’s head in the sky!” Because nothing says “astronomy” like decapitated mythological creatures, am I right?

Now, let’s talk about Algol’s hot and heavy threesome action. This isn’t your average star – oh no! It’s a ménage à trois of cosmic proportions. We’ve got Beta Persei Aa1, the hot shot, Aa2, the cool but dim sidekick, and Ab, the third wheel that nobody talks about. Every 2.867 days, they put on a show that would make Las Vegas blush. Aa1 and Aa2 play peek-a-boo, causing the star to wink at us like a cosmic flirt.

But wait, there’s more! This star’s got more aliases than a international spy. The Hebrews called it “Satan’s Head” because apparently, they were running out of body parts to name after the devil. The Chinese, being their practical selves, said “Nah, it’s just the fifth star in a cosmic mausoleum.” Talk about a grave situation!

And just when you thought it couldn’t get any weirder, some guy named R.H. Allen comes along and says, “You know what? Let’s call it ‘Piled up Corpses’!” Because nothing says “sweet dreams” like imagining a stack of dead bodies in the night sky.

As if being a demonic, winking, three-way star wasn’t enough, Algol decided to lend its name to a computer language in 1959. Because apparently, naming a programming language after a demon star is totally normal and not at all a recipe for disaster.

So there you have it, folks! Algol: the star that’s part demon, part strip show, part corpse pile, and part computer nerd. It’s the celestial equivalent of that one friend who can’t decide on a career path and ends up being a DJ-accountant-taxidermist. Keep winking, Algol, you beautiful, chaotic mess!

Algol, our favorite winking demon in the sky, isn’t just any old star – it’s the celestial embodiment of Medusa’s severed head. Picture this: Perseus, ancient Greece’s original action hero, swings Medusa’s noggin around like a cosmic disco ball. And where does he hang this grisly trophy? Right in the constellation named after him, of course! Talk about an ego trip.

But wait, there’s more! Algol’s periodic dimming isn’t just some astronomical quirk – it’s Medusa’s eyes, blinking at us from beyond the grave. Creepy? Absolutely. Cool? You bet your stone-cold statue it is!

Now, let’s hop over to Egypt, where Algol gets a godly makeover. Here, our favorite demon star transforms into Horus, the falcon-headed deity with a penchant for divinity and kingship. Imagine Horus, perched on his celestial throne, his all-seeing eye scanning the heavens – and that eye? It’s Algol, baby!

The ancient Egyptians, those stargazing trendsetters, figured out Algol’s funky light show way before it was cool – we’re talking 3,000 years before Western astronomers got with the program6. They even wrote it down in their fancy Cairo Calendar, proving that ancient Egyptians were the original astronomy nerds.

So, is Algol a decapitated Gorgon or a divine Egyptian eye? Why not both? This stellar diva plays double roles, switching between Greek horror show and Egyptian divine right with the ease of a cosmic chameleon. It’s the ultimate celestial identity crisis, proving that even stars can have multiple personalities..

Remember, folks: whether you’re facing a snake-haired Gorgon or an all-seeing Egyptian god, keep your eyes on Algol. Just don’t stare too long – you might find yourself between a rock and a hard place… literally!

 
 
 
 
 

GHOULS IN THE MOVIES

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

Hold onto your brains, folks, because we’re about to dive into a ghoulish conspiracy that’ll make your head spin faster than a zombie doing the Twist!

Picture this: It’s 1968, and George A. Romero unleashes “Night of the Living Dead” upon an unsuspecting world. But here’s the kicker – those flesh-munching fiends aren’t zombies, they’re ghouls! That’s right, Romero himself spilled the beans, saying he never called them zombies. It was those fancy-pants French film critics at Cahiers du Cinema who slapped the Z-word on ’em!

Now, here’s where it gets wild. You know those creepy Medusa heads in the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul? The ones chillin’ in the northwest corner, looking all upside-down and sideways? Well, hold onto your tinfoil hats, because the “Night of the Living Dead” movie poster bears an uncanny resemblance to those stone-cold ladies!

Coincidence? I think not! Could it be that Romero was secretly an ancient Byzantine time traveler, drawing inspiration from subterranean snake-haired sculptures? Or perhaps the ghouls in the movie are actually Medusa’s long-lost cousins, risen from the depths of mythological obscurity to feast on the flesh of the living?

But wait, there’s more! In the movie, our hapless heroes catch a news report calling these undead menaces “ghouls.” Ghouls, people! Not zombies, not walking corpses, but honest-to-goodness, grave-robbing, flesh-eating ghouls! It’s like Romero was trying to tell us something, but we were too busy hiding behind our popcorn to notice!

So, the next time you’re watching “Night of the Living Dead,” remember: you’re not just witnessing the birth of the modern zombie genre. Oh no, you’re peering into a twisted funhouse mirror that reflects ancient mythology, underground water reservoirs, and the fevered imagination of a director who might just have had a time machine stashed in his basement.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go check my local cistern for any signs of reanimated Medusa heads. You can never be too careful in this ghoul-eat-ghoul world!

THE ART OF THE REACH

GORGONS & MEDUSA

Gorgon

A Gorgon is a creature in Greek mythology. Gorgons occur in the earliest examples of Greek literature. While descriptions of Gorgons vary, the term most commonly refers to three sisters who are described as having hair made of living, venomous snakes and horrifying visages that turned those who beheld them to stone. Traditionally, two of the Gorgons, Stheno and Euryale, were immortal, but their sister Medusa was not and was slain by the demigod and hero Perseus.

“female monster with a petrifying look,” late 14c., in Greek legend, any of the three hideous sisters, with writhing serpents for hair, whose look turned beholders to stone, from Greek Gorgones (plural; singular Gorgō) “the grim ones,” from gorgos, of a look or gaze, “grim, fierce, terrible,” later also “vigorous, lively,” a word of unknown origin. Beekes’ sources reject the proposed connections to Old Irish garg “raw, wild,” Old Church Slavonic groza “shiver,” Armenian karcr “hard.”

Transferred sense of “terrifyingly ugly person” is from 1520s.

Stheno (‘forceful’) was the eldest of the Gorgons, vicious female monsters with brass hands, sharp fangs and “hair” made of living venomous snakes. She was known to be the most independent and ferocious, having killed more men than both of her sisters combined.

Euryale (far-roaming’) was the second eldest of the Gorgons. In some variations of the myth of Orion, she is the hunter’s mother by Poseidon, who lay with her following Medusa’s death. Euryale is noted for her bellowing cries, particularly in the tale of Medusa’s death at Perseus’ hands, in which her anguished howls could make stone crumble to sand.

When only one gorgon is mentioned, Medusa usually gets the credit. In Greek mythology, Medusa (“guardian, protectress”), also called Gorgo, was one of three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those who gazed into her eyes would turn to stone. 

Homer refers to the Gorgon on four occasions, each time alluding to the head alone, as if she had no body. In the Odyssey xi, Homer does not specifically mention the Gorgon Medusa: ‘Lest for my daring Persephone the dread, From Hades should send up an awful monster’s grisly head.’

Medusa

One of the three Gorgon sisters, the most beautiful, and the only mortal one, Medusa was punished by Athena after the rape by Poseidon in her Temple. Athena punished Medusa by turning her hair into snakes. Some versions of the story state that Athena also cursed her so that a pair of golden wings grew from her head.

Medusa was beheaded by the Greek hero Perseus, who then used her head, which retained its ability to turn onlookers to stone, as a weapon until he gave it to the goddess Athena to place on her shield. In classical antiquity, the image of the head of Medusa appeared in the evil-averting device known as the Gorgoneion.

Perseus was able to slay her while looking at the reflection from the mirrored shield he received from Athena. During that time, Medusa was pregnant by Poseidon. When Perseus beheaded her, Pegasus, a winged horse, and Chrysaor, a giant wielding a golden sword, sprang from her body.

Bellerophon riding Pegasus and killing the Chimera, Roman mosaic, the Rolin Museum in Autun, France, 2nd to 3rd century AD.jpg

There are several versions of the birth of the winged stallion and his brother Chrysaor in the far distant place at the edge of Earth, Hesiod’s “springs of Oceanus”, which encircles the inhabited earth, where Perseus found Medusa:

One is that they sprang from the blood issuing from Medusa’s neck as Perseus was beheading her, similar to the manner in which Athena was born from the head of Zeus after he swallowed her pregnant mother.

In another version, when Perseus beheaded Medusa, the brothers were born of the Earth, when the Gorgon’s blood fell upon her. A variation of this story holds that they were formed from the mingling of Medusa’s blood, pain, and sea foam, implying that Poseidon had involvement in their making.

The last version bears resemblance to Hesiod‘s account of the birth of Aphrodite from the foam created when the severed genitals of Uranus were cast into the sea by Cronus.

Jane Ellen Harrison argues that Medusa’s “potency only begins when her head is severed, and that potency resides in the head; she is in a word a mask with a body later appended… the basis of the Gorgoneion is a cultus object, a ritual mask misunderstood.”

PIE root *med-

The name is from Greek Medousa, literally “guardian,” fem. present participle of the verb medein “to protect, rule over” (from PIE root *med- “take appropriate measures”). The zoological name was chosen by Linnæus (for jellyfish), suggested by the creature’s long tentacles. Related: Medusoid. “take appropriate measures”

Hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit midiur “I judge, estimate;” Avestan vi-mad- “physician;” Greek mēdomai “be mindful of,” medesthai “think about,” medein “to rule,” medon “ruler;” Latin meditari “think or reflect on, consider,” modus “measure, manner,” modestus “moderate,” modernus “modern,” mederi “to heal, give medical attention to, cure,” Irish miduir “judge,” Welsh meddwl “mind, thinking,” Gothic miton, Old English metan “to measure out.”

It forms all or part of: commode; commodious; commodity; empty; immoderate; immodest; Medea; medical; medicament; medicaster; medicate; medication; medicine; medico; medico-; meditate;  meditation; Medusa; and more.

Located in the northwest corner of the Basilica Cistern, the bases of two columns reuse blocks carved with the visage of Medusa. The origin of the two heads is unknown, though it is thought that the heads were brought to the cistern after being removed from a building of the late Roman period. There is no written evidence that suggests they were used as column pedestals previously. Tradition has it that the blocks are oriented sideways and inverted in order to negate the power of the Gorgons‘ gaze; however, it is widely thought that one was placed sideways only to be the proper size to support the column. This would not explain placement of the upside-down Medusa, however, because she would be the same height right side up.

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