Ghouls are not only the characters of Slavic mythology and the main characters of terrible tales. The tales of their atrocities impressed many poets, musicians, artists and writers. Books and paintings appeared telling about the life of horrible creatures. Subsequently, they gave rise to whole subcultures worshiping the supernatural. But what do we know about vampires, ghouls and ghouls? Who are they, what do they look like and do they really exist? Let's try to answer these questions in more detail.
What does ghoul mean?
In ancient times, our ancestors worshiped the forces of nature, in the hands of which human life was just a toy. The Slavs believed that the souls of their ancestors returned to their homes, feasted with their descendants and protected them from evil. Even in the Paleolithic or Mesolithic era, when the way of life of people was inextricably linked with hunting, ghouls and coastlines accompanied ancestors from birth to death. Later, the ghouls seemed to the Slavs to be the incorporeal evil spirits of the dead, who hate all life. Beregini, on the contrary, were good spirits and strove to protect people from all evil. Christianity, which replaced paganism, changed the rites and beliefs of people. Over time, the image of the dead spirit changed and acquired new features. Now ghouls are the dead who have risen from the graves to drink the blood of living people or to eat their flesh.
Who becomes a ghoul
Contrary to popular belief, it is impossible to become a living dead person through infection or initiation. This title must be earned by an unrighteous life, debauchery, drunkenness, or worship of dark forces. It is known that sorcerers, villains, witches or suicides became such monsters after death. However, some people might simply be out of luck if, for example, they were conceived in an “evil” moment. Nobody could answer what this term means, and therefore all those who were born nine months after fasting or a big church holiday were suspicious. Also, future ghouls could give out a double row of teeth or an evil character.
What does a ghoul look like?
Popular beliefs say that it is not difficult to recognize a ghoul. The most terrible of them are in the form of skeletons or deceased, swollen from drunk blood. Others do not change their appearance so dramatically and come to the living in the form of deceased relatives or friends. They are dressed in the clothes in which they were buried, and only the presence of a tail or growth under the knee, from which the soul flies, gives them out. The most cunning bloodsuckers disguise themselves as living so deftly that not everyone can distinguish them from normal people. However, if you notice that your interlocutor has no shadow, and that his lips are unnaturally swollen and have a bright scarlet color, then beware. Perhaps, a rebel dead man has come to visit you, who wants to taste the blood. To counter such a ghoul, read the next section of our article.
Bloodsucker Methods
Folk tales and legends give us clear instructions on how to protect against ghouls. Most of them we know from Western horror films and the book of the famous Irishman Brem Stoker. However, are European methods of fighting vampires so effective and whether they will affect their East Slavic colleagues. Let's take a closer look at this issue and give “proven” examples:
- Preventive methods of protection apply to all deceased even in our time. Among them is the funeral service in the church, commemoration on special days, a ban on mortal longing for loved ones.
- Strict preventive measures are taken for suspicious (sometimes even during life) individuals. To such deceased, good neighbors cut the knee tendons, poke a needle in them, dismember the body, and also stick sharp objects into the heels.
- If, however, the restless dead man decided to betray his fellow villagers, they take him seriously. There are many signs that ghouls are operating in the village - this could be a sudden increase in mortality, out of nowhere pestilence, drought or natural disaster. In this case, the good old stake comes into play (aspen in our area, and thorns in the southern brethren). It was also recommended to cut off the head of a suspicious deceased or burn his body, and dispel the dust.
Ghouls and modernity
Thanks to the promoted Hollywood plots, many descendants of the Slavs no longer remember the beliefs of their glorious ancestors. The images of the terrible dead who come to dine with living people are supplanted by the images of elegant and aristocratic vampires. Unfortunately, few fans of horror films know about the works of the great A. Pushkin, N. Gogol or A. Tolstoy, which still inspire fear and give sleepless nights. Ghouls are a vivid example of popular beliefs that have reflected in modern culture and worldview. Therefore, it will be very unfortunate if we forget about the terrible tales of our ancestors and become afraid of the appearance on the screens of refined nosferatu, born of the imagination of Western producers.