The ghul in Moroccan folklore documentation

Record summary

Westermarck’s 1926 study of Moroccan ritual and belief includes material relevant to the ghul or ghoul tradition, a dangerous shape-changing being associated with wilderness, graves and deception. Although not primarily winged, some later retellings give ghouls animalistic or airborne attributes. The lead matters because it demonstrates how colonial folklore recording can transform a broad category of supernatural beings into a seemingly discrete “species.” The specific Moroccan terminology, narrative context and informant account require verification, since European popular culture often substitutes its own standardized meaning for local usage.