# What Is a Ghoul? (The Terrifying Monster of Arabian Myth)

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/let-s-talk-religion-4777682/what-is-a-ghoul-the-terrifying-monster-of-arabian-myth.md
Podcast: [Let's Talk Religion](https://stenobird.com/podcast/let-s-talk-religion-4777682)
Published: 2025-10-12T19:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/lets-talk-religion/episodes/what-is-a-ghoul-the-terrifying-monster-of-arabian-myth
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/61c869811c6a7900119a34ed/e/68eb856cd8c631bb504d042c/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/let-s-talk-religion-4777682/episodes/what-is-a-ghoul-the-terrifying-monster-of-arabian-myth
Duration seconds: 1635

## Resource

Long before modern horror imagined zombies or demons, ancient Arabic folklore spoke of the Ghoul (غول) — a terrifying shape-shifting creature haunting deserts, ruins, and graveyards. In this video, we uncover the true origins of the Ghoul: its roots in pre-Islamic Arabian mythology, its transformation through Islamic tradition, and its lasting influence on global horror culture. Find me and my music here: https://linktr.ee/filipholm Support Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonate Sources/Recommended Reading: Al-Rawi, Ahmed (2009). "The Mythical Ghoul in Arabic Culture". Article. The University of California. Al-Rawi, Ahmed (2009). "The Arabic Ghoul and its Western Transformation". Folklore 120 (December 2009): 291–306. Lebling, Robert & Tahir Shah (2014). "Legends of the Fire Spirits: Jinn and Genies from Arabia to Zanzibar. I.B. Tauris. Henninger, Joseph (2004). "Beliefs in Spirits among the Pre-Islamic Arabs". In "Magic and Divination in Early Islam". Edited by Emile Savage-Smith. Ashgate Publishing Company. Rašić, Dunja (2024). "Bedeviled: Jinn Doppelgangers in Islam and Akbarian Sufism". State University of New York Press. "The Annotated Arabian Nights: Tales from 1001 Nights". Edited by Paulo Lemos Horta. Translated by Yasmine Seale. Liveright Publishing Corporation. Online version of Qazwini's "Wonders of Creation": https://shamela.ws/book/30006/310?utm_source=chatgpt.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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