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The Mythical Ghoul in Arabic Culture

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The Mythical Ghoul in Arabic Culture The Mythical Ghoul in The Pre-Islamic Ghoul Arabic Culture he earliest records of Arabs docu- ment their activities in Mesopota- mia, providing evidence that the Ahmed Al-Rawi nomads of Arabia were always in di- RustaqCollege of AppliedSciences, rect contact with the more "advanced" Sultanateof Oman people of Mesopotamia, mainly for the purpose of trade. This contact produced cultural exchange between the two peo- pleg mostly interms of life style andbor- Abstract rowed words. In ancient Mesopotamia, For a long time, the idea of the ghoul preoccupied there was a monster called 'Gallu' that the liaes of many people different cultures from could be regarded as one of the origins and religions. Though the ghoul hns origins as old as the Mesopotamianchtilization, Arabs were of theArabic ghoul.l Gallu was anAkka- dian demon of the undernrorld'respon- Iargely responsiblefor popularizing it. Because Islam incorporated this being in its doctrine, the sible for the abduction of the vegetation- ghoul remaineda sourceof fear and rnystery in god Damuzi (Tammuz) to the realm of theArab culture. death' (Lindemans). Since Akkad and PeterM. Holt and Ann Kathsine arguein Sumer were very close to the Arabian The Cambridge History of Islam that Islam deserts, Arab Bedouins in contact with cameabout as a'reuolt' and asa'protest against' Mesopotamian cultures could have bor- theold. Arabs'beliefs,but that it muld not change 'inte- rowed the belief in the ghoul from the all their existing conoictions.Instead, it Akkadians. grated'some old practiceslike theyearly pilgnm- age to Mecca (1997, 17). This study arguesthat Before discussing different ideas Islam could not changethe beliefin superzatural of the ghoul howeveq, I will exarnine beingssuch as geniesand ghouls, becausethey the ghoul's general depiction in a pre- were an integral part of Arab culture. This essay Islamic context to show that the Arabic shedslight on the Arabic origins of the Arabiart ghoul is older than the religion of Islam. Nights and suggestspossible written sources In some old Arabic works written before for sometales as a complunentto existing argu- Islam, ghouls were regarded as devil- ments that certain taleswere orally transmitted ish creatures. al-Mas'tidr (c. 896- c.957) and later written down. ln ghoul, relation to the referred rn Murilj sl-Dhahabto the older the paperalso discussesthe that some Ara- fact books written by lbn'Ishqq and Wahb bian Nights talescontain Islamic elementsand Ibn al-Munabbilu who tackled the old motifs, and fenture plots that are clearly similar Bedouins' myth of creation. Arabs before to older'zprittenaccounts found in aariousArabic books.This work tracesits eoolutionfrom the past Islam believed that when God created to modern times in an attempt to giue an ooerall genies from the gusts of fire, He made understandingof the ghoul, and an ideaofhow from this type of fire their female part, and why its mncept changedfrom oneculture to but one of their eggs was split in two. another. Hence, the Qu!rub,2 which looked like a cat, was created. As for the devils, they CulturalAnalysis 8 (2009):45 - 69 O 2009 by The University of California. All rights reserved AhmedAl-Rawi came from another egg and settled in same place after few hours, however, he the seas.Other evil creatures,such as the could not find the ghoui there (Ibid.). Mfrrid,3 inhabited the islands; the ghoul In additioru Abu Asrd al-Sa'dr men- resided in the wildemess; the si'lwah tioned the story of Arqam Bin Abfl al- dwelt in lavatories and waste areas;and Arqam in which a ghoul appeared and tlire hdmahalived in the air in the form of kidnapped al-Arqam'q son who was on a flyrng snake (1986, 171.). a desert joumey. The ghouf disguised al-Qazw-rnr- (c.1208-c.1283) men- in the form of a womary carried the boy tioned a different description taken on its back. When they saw al-Arqam's from an old Arabic source, which says friend, the woman pretended to be the that when the devils wanted to eaves- boy's attendant (al-WAqidl 1984, 104). drop on Heaverg God threw meteors at This story emphasizes the well-known them,s whereupon some were bumt, fell deceitful and wicked character of the 'Ogre into the sea and later turned into croco- ghoul. In folktales, motif (G443.2) diles, while others dropped onto the abductswoman's children...' (El-Shamy ground and changed into ghouls (1980 1995,149)is similar to the account given 236). Such descriptions caxnot be found above. In general, the Pre-Islamic ghoul in Islamic texts. For instance, Abu'Uth- is known as a devilish female creafure mAn al-]Ahiz (c.775- c. 868), who com- that intends to inflict harm on travelers piled many popular beliefs in his book and is able to change its form. In most al-flaywkn (TheAnimal), wrote that com- cases,the ghoul is defeated by striking moners thought that the devil's eyes it with a sword.6 The following section were upright as in images taken from the discusseshow the ghoul has been associ- Bedouins (1969,214),whose ideas lived ated with Islamic practices. on for almost two thousand years. As for popular tales, several sto- The Islamic Ghoul ries dealing with the ghoul circulated 'Umar When Islam firstly spread in the Arabian before Islam. For instance, Bin Peninsula in the seventh century it suc- al-KhattAb (c.586-6M), the second Mus- ceeded in changing many old customs, lim Caliptu was known as the man who such as ending the habit of burying re- killed a ghoul in the desert when he was cent$ bom baby girls and preventing traveling to Syria. After stopping him, 'Bin women from marrying more than one the female monster asked the man: man at a time. It could not, howeve4 al-KhattAb, where are you heading?' 'This change other ideas such as the belief in The C3liph answered: is not your the ghoul or the si'lwah (si'lah).'ZProph- concern' and the ghoul furned its head et Muhammed mentioned the ghoul in completely around in order to frighten several of his sayings, but later Muslim (Ibn him Manztr vol. xxvii, 269-70). scholars had conflicting views about the Knowing the evil intentions of the mon- authenticity of these sayings, as some ster, Bin al-KhattAb raised his sword and negated the ghoul's existenceand others killed it by striking it between its shoul- confirmed it. Despite the rational voices der and neck. When he retumed to the that rejected the existence of this mon- 46 Mythical Ghoul in Arabic Culture stel, many Arabs (especially Bedouins) they lied. His prediction was accurate. narrated tales and recited poetry that The Prophet then advised al-AngAn- to featured or mentioned the ghoul. Since recite the'Ayat al-Kursf (Throne verse) this creature originated in the desert, it from the Holy Quran, which proved to was particularly popular there from the be useful in getting rid of the ghouls pre-Islamic period until present time. (Abu al-Fide' t990, 306-8; al-Tirmidhr- However, the legend spread to the Ar- n.d., 158; al-Kuft 1988, 94; al-'Asqal6nr abs' urban areas and became part of the 1959, 159; al-Naysdbnrl n.d., 519). Abu culture there, which suggests that the Astd al-Sa'dl, another of Prophet Mu- Bedouins' beliefs were very influential, hammed's companions, had a similarex- and in some casesformed the very fabric perience (al-'AsqalAnr 1959, 489) though of the Arab society.As mentioned earlier, in this version the ghouls themselves Holt and Katherine's argument that Is- gave advice on how to rid humans of lam could not change all the old beliefs their harm. of Arabia is valid in the case of belief in To sum up, according to the Prophet the ghoul. Muhammed, ghouls are the demons or Prophet Muhammed himself was enchantresses of genies that hurt human said, in many instanceg to comment on beings by eating or spoiling their food or confirm the existence of ghouls. For or by frightening travelers when they example, IsmA'rl bin'Umar Abu al-Fida, are in the wilderness. In order to avoid (?- c.1372) mentioned rnTafstr lbn Kathrr their harm, one can recite a verse from that ghouls were the'demons of genies', the Holy Quran or call for prayer since and cited the following famous incident: they hate any reference to God. When the Prophet met his companion Other Muslim scholars like Abr Abu Dharr in a mosque the Prophet al-Sheikh al-Agbah6nr- (c.887-c.979) de- advised Abu Dharr to pray in order to scribed the ghoul or si'lwah as a kind of be saved from the mischief of the devils a female demon that was able to change of humans and genies. Abu Dharr was its shape and appear to travelers in the surprised to hear the Prophet confirmed wildemess to delude and harm them. the existence of creafures such as these, He narrated the story of Ahmed al-Dab- which the Prophet identified as ghouls bdgh's fathe4, who went once on a trip (1980,306-8). and took a risky road that was known In another anecdote, Abu Ayrrb al- to be frequented by ghouls. After walk- AngArr asked the Prophefs advice be- ing for few hours, Ahmed al-DabbAgh's cause some ghouls used to eat from his father saw a woman wearing a ragged dates store at night. The Prophet told dress lying on a bed above hung lan- 'In him to say the following: the Name tems used to illuminate the place.
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