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Ghoul
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A ghoul is a folkloric monster associated with

graveyards and consuming human flesh, often
classified as undead. The oldest surviving
literature that mention ghouls is likely One
Thousand and One Nights. The term is first
attested in English in 1786, in William Beckford's
[1]
Orientalist novel Vathek, which describes the
ghūl of Arabian folklore.

By extension, the word ghoul is also used

derogatorily to refer to a person who delights in
the macabre.

Contents
1 Early etymology "Amine Discovered with the
2 In Arabian folklore Goule", from the story of Sidi
3 Other influences Nouman, of the Arabian
4 In popular culture Nights.
5 References

Early etymology
Ghoul is from the Arabic ghul, from ghala 'to seize'.[2] Marc Cramer and others
believe the term to be etymologically related to Gallu, a Mesopotamian demon.
[3][4]

In Arabian folklore
In ancient Arabian folklore, the ghūl (Arabic: ‫ ﻏﻮﻝ‬, literally demon) [5] dwells in
burial grounds and other uninhabited places. The ghul is a devilish type of jinn
[6]
believed to be sired by Iblis.

The Arabian ghoul is a desert-dwelling, shape shifting demon that can assume
the guise of an animal, especially a hyena. It lures unwary travellers into the
desert wastes to slay and devour them. The creature also preys on young
[5]
children, robs graves, drinks blood, steals coins and eats the dead, taking on

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the form of the one they previously ate.

[7]
In the Arabic language, the female form is given as ghouleh and the plural is
ghilan. In colloquial Arabic, the term is sometimes used to describe a greedy
and/or gluttonous individual.

Other influences
The star Algol takes its name from the definite Arabic term ‫ﺍﻟﻐﻮﻝ‬, "al-ghūl", "the
[8]
ghoul".

In popular culture
Main article: Ghouls in popular culture

References
1. ^ "Ghoul Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Ghoul"
(http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-ghoul.html) . Encyclopedia.com.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-ghoul.html. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
2. ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary" (http://www.etymonline.com
/index.php?search=ghala&searchmode=none) . Etymonline.com.
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=ghala&searchmode=none. Retrieved
2011-03-23.
3. ^ Marc Cramer. The devil within (http://books.google.com/books?id=fdB-AAAAMAAJ&
q=ghoul+galla+sumerian&dq=ghoul+galla+sumerian&hl=en&
ei=8erITIzSMIG8lQfnmpXoAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&
ved=0CDUQ6AEwAw) . W. H. Allen, 1979. ISBN 0491023669, 9780491023665
4. ^ "Cultural Analysis, Volume 8, 2009: The Mythical Ghoul in Arabic Culture / Ahmed
Al-Rawi" (http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~caforum/volume8/vol8_article3.html) .
Socrates.berkeley.edu. http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~caforum/volume8
/vol8_article3.html. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
5. ^ a b ""ghoul"" (http://webster.com/dictionary/ghoul) . Merriam-Webster Online
Dictionary. http://webster.com/dictionary/ghoul. Retrieved January 22, 2006.
6. ^ ""ghoul"" (http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9036705?query=Ghoul&ct=eb) .
Encyclopædia Britannica. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-
9036705?query=Ghoul&ct=eb. Retrieved January 22, 2006.
7. ^ *Muhawi, Ibrahim, and Sharif Kanaana. Speak, Bird, Speak Again: Palestinian Arab
Folktales. Berkeley: University of California Press, c1988
8. ^ Jim Kaler (Prof. Emeritus of Astronomy, University of Illinois). "Algol"
(http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/algol.html) . STARS. http://www.astro.uiuc.edu
/~kaler/sow/algol.html. Retrieved February 18, 2006.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghoul"
Categories: Arabic words and phrases | Corporeal undead | Arabian legendary

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creatures | Persian legendary creatures

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