ghoul, in popularlegend, a demonic being believed to inhabit burial grounds and other deserted places. In ancient Arabic folklore,ghūls belonged to a diabolical class ofjinn (spirits) and were said to be the offspring ofIblīs, the prince of darkness inIslam. They were capable of constantly changing form, but their presence was always recognizable by their unalterable sign—ass’s hooves.

Considered female by the ancients, theghūl was often confused with thesiʿlā, also female; thesiʿlā, however, was a witchlike species of jinn, immutable in shape. Aghūl stalked the desert, often in the guise of an attractive woman, trying to distract travelers, and, when successful, killed and ate them. The sole defense that one had against aghūl was to strike it dead in one blow; a second blow would only bring it back to life again.

Theghūl, as a vivid figure in theBedouin imagination, appeared in pre-Islamic Arabic poetry, notably that of Taʾabbaṭa Sharran. InNorth Africa it was easilyassimilated into an ancientBerber folklore already rich in demons and fantastic creatures. Modern Arabs useghūl to designate a human or demonic cannibal and frequently employ the word to frighten disobedient children.

Anglicized asghoul, the word entered English tradition and was further identified as a grave-robbing creature that feeds on dead bodies and on children. In the West ghouls have no specific image and have been described (byEdgar Allan Poe) as “neither man nor woman…neither brute nor human.” They are thought to assume disguises, to ride on dogs and hares, and to set fires at night to lure travelers away from the main roads.