"The True Origin Of The "Ghoul"?" Topic

Britannica and other sources I've found seem to indicate that it was originally a shape-shifting demon creature in Arabic mythology, looking like a hyena when in its natural form

How, then, did it become a non-shape-shifter "human" in European lore? Or was there another origin for our more commonly known version?

picture
picture

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

CC
TMP link

It is interesting but there is not a "Ghoul" creature equivalent in spanish.
The common translation "Necrofago" mean "Eater of the dead" but that description can fit any creature, not a specific one. (By this definition we humans are all ghouls as we eat must, if not all, of our food "dead").

Isn't Lovecraft to blame for the european Ghoul?

Quite a long list of references in the Wikipedia article, though nothing to contradict what you've posted. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghoul

I'd say most gaming references to Ghouls are based on the H.P. Lovecraft version; this includes Robert E. Howard's use of them in the Conan novel "Hour of the Dragon" (variant title Conan the Conqueror). Original D&D seemed to base its version on one/both of these sources as well.

Thanks guys!

CC
PS. Mex10mm: Interesting. The Spanish WH website also calls them "necrofagos".

I heard that Ron Sweed got Ernie Anderson's attention by swinging from a lamp post in a guerilla suit at a Ghoulardie rally. Since Ernie didnt want to continue his bit anymore,he gave Ron his blessing to do his version,thus the "Ghoul" was borne. "Stay sick,turn blue,scratch glass,but most importantly,dont get caught". Watch out for "da boom-booms".

hmmmm…..my first thought was either the 'ex-wives' and/or the attorneys who represent(ed) them…..since 'bloodsuckers' doesn' work…(you can't squeeze blood from a turnip, but GHOULS were alledged to feed on the flesh of the living or dead…which 'fits' with ex's/their attorneys???)

Slish???

Skinkmaster, that's what I thought. The Ghoul originated on local Detroit television programming. He actally started in Cleveland, but he is worshipped in Detroit.

Heya Froggy, ooooh look out for that M80!

A used to work with a couple of effeminate goth guys that were necrofagos.

Were the original ghuls prone to hanging out in graveyards?
Earliest English ghouls I know were the ones who stole corpes… like Burke & Hare… or was that word not really in use at that time?

venusboys3,

Yes, the original ghoul was a kind of jinn or demon that lurked around in cemetaries eating cadavers. They are from ancient Arab mythology.

Troopwo-I thought he went to Detroit after Kaiser Broadcasting went belly-up in Cleveland. I still remember watching him on channel 61 in the early 70's. He resurfaced here in NE Ohio about 10 years ago for awhile. Froggy was Da Bomb!,literally. Hiya gang,hiyahiyahiya!

didn't lovecraft's ghouls have dog-like faces? maybe that was his throw back to the original hyena types.

I remember him coming to Detroit aound '71. I think Kaiser owned or ran WKBD at the time. He then rotated through all the non-affiliated stations, WXON and WJBK through the seventies.(50, 20 and 62. Go UHF!)

He had a short return to detroit in the '80s and then back to the Ohio.

"They're coming to take me away haha, they're coming to take me away hoho, the men in their shiny white coats,,,,"

StCrispin,
I think Lovecraft's ghouls did have long snouts, but I'm too lazy to look up a description.

Though not prognathous, the ghouls in that movie 'The Descent' are 'Lovecraftian'-degenerate humans adapted to a subterranean existence

Hrothgar,

About the Descent "ghouls", look here:

TMP link

CC

The ghoul had a few revival shows in the early 2000s ,3 or 4 at most ,was testing the water for a revival.Wasnt he endorsed by the polish muslims at one point?
New Detroit b- movie guy is wolfman mac on nightmaresinema ,Saturday nights 12am,wkbd.

IIUC, Lovecraft got his ghouls from Beckford's Vathek (which was presumably more directly based on the Arab stories).

Elric encountered some ghouls in one of the later books that pretty much match the D&D variety in that they had a paralyzing touch and IIRC looked like degenerated humans.