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Notes on the Jinn and the Ghoul in the Peasant Mind of Lower Egypt

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 December 2009

Constance E. Padwick
Constance E. Padwick
Affiliation:
Pupil of the School of Oriental Studies, American University, Cairo
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Extract

Note.— The script used to represent Egyptian Arabic speech in these notes is that of the International Phonetics Association, with the necessary modifications for Egyptian Arabic sounds, as found in Gairdner's Egyptian Colloquial Arabic.

Type
Papers Contributed
Information
Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies , Volume 3 , Issue 3 , June 1924 , pp. 421 - 446
Copyright
Copyright © School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 1924

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References

1 Aspects of Islam, p. 330.Google Scholar

2 The same confusion exists in the peasants' use of this word as was noted by Goldziher in its use by the earlier Moslems. It means indiscriminately “die mit den Ginnen völlig identischen Śeyṭânen der gâhilijja und der mit dem jüdisch-christlichen Iblîs identischen Śeyṭân”. (Abuhandlungen zur Arabischen Philologie, 7.) In these notes the word is only used as a common, not a proper noun.

1 Paul Kahle in his very interesting transcription of the Zâr-ritual words (Zâr-Beschwörungen in Ægypten, Der Islam, 1912, p. 23)Google Scholar quotes a cry to a spirit calied “Umm il Ghulâm”, among the salutations to semi-satanic powers in both the Cairo and Luxor rituals. He thus explains the use of the term: “Umm el Ghulâm (Mutter des Knaben) ist eine berühmte Walija in Kairo, deren Heiligtum in der nach ihr benannten Strasse östlich von der Gâme'el Hasanein leigt. Sie soll nach der Schlacht von Kerbela das Haupt Husêns gefunden haben; als man es von ihr forderte, habe sie ihrem eignen Sohn den Kopf abgeschlagen und den herausgegeben, das Haupt des Husên aber nach Kairo gebracht. Die Moschee, in der sie beerdigt ist, wird nur einmal im Jahre geöffnet, und zwar eine Nacht, vor der lêlet el-kebîre des Mûlid des Husên. Darauf spielt das uba'uda an: jedes Jahr einmal möge eine Zar-Beschwörung veranstaltet werden. Auserdem ist aber die Umm el-Ghulâm hier zu einem Zâr-Geist geworden.”

In spite of the fact that “umm il ǥula:m” is thus invoked in the Cairo and Luxor rituals, I have not so far been able to find that any Delta peasant has heard of her. A question about her is always corrected as though the questioner were stumblingly trying to say “umm el ǥi:la:n”, and some answer about the habits of the local ǥu:1 is given.

1 Religion of the Semites, Lecture III.

1 Religion of the Semites, Lecture III, n. 15.Google Scholar

1 The Rites of the Coptic Church, translated by Evetts, B. T. A., p. 27.Google Scholar

1 Strictly speaking these should be recording angels, but since they are holy powers, they are regarded as guardians against jinn.

1 Vollera, , “Noch einmal der Zar”: Z.D.M.G., vol. xlv, p. 343.Google Scholar

1 Smith, Robertson, Religion of the Semites, Lecture III.Google Scholar

1 Abhandlungen zur Arabischen Philoloqie, p. 3, Goldziher.Google Scholar

1 I am not able to judge of the alluring theory that this belief is a survival of the ancient Egyptian “Ka”.

1 Goldziher, Abhandlungen 6.