The Mythical Ghoul in Arabic Culture
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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 Tnomads of Arabia were always in di- Rustaq College of Applied Sciences, rect contact with the more “advanced” Sultanate of Oman people of Mesopotamia, mainly for the purpose of trade. This contact produced cultural exchange between the two peo- ples, mostly in terms of life style and bor- Abstract rowed words. In ancient Mesopotamia, For a long time, the idea of the ghoul preoccupied there was a monster called ‘Gallu’ that the lives of many people from different cultures could be regarded as one of the origins and religions. Though the ghoul has origins as 1 old as the Mesopotamian civilization, Arabs were of the Arabic ghoul. Gallu was an Akka- largely responsible for popularizing it. Because dian demon of the underworld ‘respon- Islam incorporated this being in its doctrine, the sible for the abduction of the vegetation- ghoul remained a source of fear and mystery in god Damuzi (Tammuz) to the realm of the Arab culture. death’ (Lindemans). Since Akkad and Peter M. Holt and Ann Katherine argue in Sumer were very close to the Arabian The Cambridge History of Islam that Islam deserts, Arab Bedouins in contact with came about as a ‘revolt’ and as a ‘protest against’ Mesopotamian cultures could have bor- the old Arabs’ beliefs, but that it could not change rowed the belief in the ghoul from the all their existing convictions. Instead, it ‘inte- Akkadians. grated’ some old practices like the yearly pilgrim- age to Mecca (1997, 17). This study argues that Before discussing different ideas Islam could not change the belief in supernatural of the ghoul, however, I will examine beings such as genies and ghouls, because they the ghoul’s general depiction in a pre- were an integral part of Arab culture. This essay Islamic context to show that the Arabic sheds light on the Arabic origins of the Arabian ghoul is older than the religion of Islam. Nights and suggests possible written sources In some old Arabic works written before for some tales as a complement to existing argu- Islam, ghouls were regarded as devil- ments that certain tales were orally transmitted ish creatures. al-Mas‘ūdī (c. 896- c. 957) and later written down. In relation to the ghoul, referred in Murūj al-Dhahab to the older the paper also discusses the fact that some Ara- books written by Ibn ‘Ishqq and Wahb bian Nights tales contain Islamic elements and motifs, and feature plots that are clearly similar Ibn al-Munabbih, who tackled the old to older written accounts found in various Arabic Bedouins’ myth of creation. Arabs before books. This work traces its evolution from the past Islam believed that when God created to modern times in an attempt to give an overall genies from the gusts of fire, He made understanding of the ghoul, and an idea of how from this type of fire their female part, and why its concept changed from one culture to but one of their eggs was split in two. another. Hence, the Quṭrub,2 which looked like a cat, was created. As for the devils, they Cultural Analysis 8 (2009): 45 - 69 © 2009 by The University of California. All rights reserved 45 Ahmed Al-Rawi Mythical Ghoul in Arabic Culture 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 ghoul there (Ibid.). 3 Mârid, inhabited the islands; the ghoul In addition, Abū Asīd al-Sa‘dī men- resided in the wilderness; the si‘lwah tioned the story of Arqam Bin Abū al- dwelt in lavatories and waste areas; and Arqam in which a ghoul appeared and 4 the hâmah lived in the air in the form of kidnapped al-Arqam’s, son who was on a flying snake (1986, 171). a desert journey. The ghoul, disguised al-Qazwīnī (c.1208-c.1283) men- in the form of a woman, 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-Wâqidī 1984, 104). drop on Heaven, God threw meteors at This story emphasizes the well-known them,5 whereupon some were burnt, fell deceitful and wicked character of the into the sea and later turned into croco- ghoul. In folktales, motif (G443.2) ‘Ogre diles, while others dropped onto the abducts woman’s children…’ (El-Shamy ground and changed into ghouls (1980, 1995, 149) is similar to the account given 236). Such descriptions cannot be found above. In general, the Pre-Islamic ghoul in Islamic texts. For instance, Abū ‘Uth- is known as a devilish female creature mân al-Jâhiẓ (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-Ḥaywân (The Animal), 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 discusses how 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 When Islam firstly spread in the Arabian before Islam. For instance, ‘Umar Bin Peninsula in the seventh century, it suc- al-Khaṭṭâb (c. 586-644), the second Mus- ceeded in changing many old customs, lim Caliph, was known as the man who such as ending the habit of burying re- killed a ghoul in the desert when he was cently born baby girls and preventing traveling to Syria. After stopping him, women from marrying more than one the female monster asked the man: ‘Bin man at a time. It could not, however, al-Khaṭṭâb, where are you heading?’ change other ideas such as the belief in The Caliph answered: ‘This is not your the ghoul or the si‘lwah (si‘lah).7 Proph- concern,’ and the ghoul turned its head et Muhammed mentioned the ghoul in completely around in order to frighten several of his sayings, but later Muslim him (Ibn Manẓūr 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-Khaṭṭâb raised his sword and negated the ghoul’s existence and others killed it by striking it between its shoul- confirmed it. Despite the rational voices der and neck. When he returned to the that rejected the existence of this mon- 46 Mythical Ghoul in Arabic Culture ster, many Arabs (especially Bedouins) they lied. His prediction was accurate. narrated tales and recited poetry that The Prophet then advised al-Anşârī to featured or mentioned the ghoul. Since recite the ‘Âyat al-Kursī’ (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. (Abū al-Fidâ’ 1980, 306-8; al-Tirmidhī However, the legend spread to the Ar- n.d., 158; al-Kūfī 1988, 94; al-‘Asqalânī abs’ urban areas and became part of the 1959, 159; al-Naysâbūrī n.d., 519). Abu culture there, which suggests that the Asīd al-Sa‘dī, another of Prophet Mu- Bedouins’ beliefs were very influential, hammed’s companions, had a similar ex- and in some cases formed the very fabric perience (al-‘Asqalânī 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 instances, to comment on beings by eating or spoiling their food or confirm the existence of ghouls. For or by frightening travelers when they example, Ismâ‘īl bin ‘Umar Abū al-Fidâ’ are in the wilderness. In order to avoid (?- c. 1372) mentioned in Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr 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 Abī Abū Dharr in a mosque, the Prophet al-Sheikh al-Aşbahânī (c.887-c.979) de- advised Abū 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. Abū Dharr was its shape and appear to travelers in the surprised to hear the Prophet confirmed wilderness to delude and harm them. the existence of creatures such as these, He narrated the story of Aḥmed al-Dab- which the Prophet identified as ghouls bâgh’s father, who went once on a trip (1980, 306-8). and took a risky road that was known In another anecdote, Abū Ayūb al- to be frequented by ghouls.