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2010-10-04 Home Front: Culture Wars

Famed Arab space scientist believes in ghouls

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Posted by tipper 2010-10-04 08:03|| || Front Page|| [6 views ] Top

#1 The pre-Koranic invisible critter bestiary actually has some interesting thingys in it, as well as explanations why they were not so plentiful as they had been in the-then ancient past.

The most popular of these were the djinn, who liked to hang out in graveyards, pretend to tell the future, then lie like dogs about it. Allan didn't care for them much, so would smite them with meteorites and lightning bolts when He was in a bad mood.

Mohammed latched on to the Arab version of the Hebrew myth, attributing the end of the old ways first to the Hebrew King Saul, who outlawed and killed most of the sorcerers and witches; the King David, who did a bunch of other unnatural critter slaying; and most of all to King Solomon.

The latter was given a powerful gift by Allan, so he created some lead tubes, which he used to imprison most of the djinn, then he sealed the tubes with his signet, and cast them into the ocean.

One of the more interesting non-djinn thingys are the Abdala. Their myth today has been taken over by the Sufi sect, revised, updated and Disney-fied, but originally they were far more interesting.

As humans have covenants with Allan, their "rules", the Abdala have a *different* covenant with Allan, so they do not operate under human rules. Their purpose is to "maintain reality", keeping the order and continuity of the world for Allan.

An interesting bit is that this included a warning to humans to leave the Abdala strictly alone. Also odd that they have no physical description, or mentioned characteristics. What they do is not the business of humans.

Apparently the original myth became blended with a different one from the Far East, so has taken on a different context. But they are kind of unique as myths go. "They exist but leave them alone."

Posted by Anonymoose 2010-10-04 09:36|| 2010-10-04 09:36|| Front Page Top

#2 The next step, obviously, is for the UN to appoint Dr. al-Baz special ambassador to Jinn, ghouls, zombies and other unpleasant critters.
It would be a perfect follow-up to their new office of Ambassador to Extraterrestrials, a job for which al-Baz might also be qualified if it comes open.

Posted by Atomic Conspiracy 2010-10-04 11:06|| 2010-10-04 11:06|| Front Page Top

#3 AC: There are like a gazillion Twilight fans that would fight him to the death for the vampires and werewolves job.

And are we talking slow zombies or fast zombies here?

Posted by Anonymoose 2010-10-04 11:28|| 2010-10-04 11:28|| Front Page Top

#4 Just a culture inventing ways of explaining mental illness, nothing more, nothing less.

Posted by gromky 2010-10-04 11:59|| 2010-10-04 11:59|| Front Page Top

#5 gromky: Also unexplained natural phenomena.

For example, even today there are problems explaining stuff like this sand geyser. Which would totally perplex those without science.

Posted by Anonymoose 2010-10-04 12:11|| 2010-10-04 12:11|| Front Page Top

#6 in other news, there is a famous Arab space scientist (although I've never heard of him before)

Posted by lord garth 2010-10-04 12:32|| 2010-10-04 12:32|| Front Page Top

#7 Of course The Ghoul is real! He used to host a late night monster movie on Channel 61 in Cleveland.

Posted by Mike 2010-10-04 12:57|| 2010-10-04 12:57|| Front Page Top

#8 Another reason NASA is in the shitter.

Posted by Water Modem 2010-10-04 16:28|| 2010-10-04 16:28|| Front Page Top

#9 They may have the ghouls, but we have the peacebloom.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2010-10-04 16:47|| 2010-10-04 16:47|| Front Page Top

#10 ...so he created some lead tubes, which he used to imprison most of the djinn, then he sealed the tubes with his signet, and cast them into the ocean.

This would have made an awesome Lovecraft novel.

Posted by Angie Schultz 2010-10-04 18:42|| 2010-10-04 18:42|| Front Page Top

#11 Angie, seriously? I haven't read the book myself, but Tim Powers, who is pretty good, has already done a book on the subject, called _Declare_.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2010-10-04 19:03|| 2010-10-04 19:03|| Front Page Top

#12 Declare is a great book, TFSM. I also recommend Charles Stross' Laundry series, The Atrocity Archives, The Jennifer Morgue, and The Fuller Memorandum.

Posted by Eric Jablow 2010-10-04 20:48|| 2010-10-04 20:48|| Front Page Top

#13 Another reason NASA is in the shitter.

Actually he worked during NASA's glory days.

This is the guy they named one of the 'shuttlecraft' on Star Trek after.

He selected the landing sites for the Apollo moon landers and trained the astronauts

Posted by john frum 2010-10-04 21:15|| 2010-10-04 21:15|| Front Page Top

#14 And staying serious for a minute, I think NASA is in the %%%%%%% today mainly because of decisions they made back in their glory days; remember, the shuttle was developed and laid down back when Von Braun was head of NASA.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2010-10-04 21:25|| 2010-10-04 21:25|| Front Page Top

#15 "back when Von Braun was head of NASA"

♪ "In Cherman und Englisch I know how to count down, und I'm lear-ning Chinese," says Wernher von Braun. ♫

/Tom Lehrer

Posted by Barbara Skolaut 2010-10-04 21:55|| 2010-10-04 21:55|| Front Page Top

#16 I saw something that suggests there may be a Tom Lehrer DVD out there. If so, I've got some serious early Christmas/Hanukkah shopping to do!

Posted by trailing wife 2010-10-04 22:18|| 2010-10-04 22:18|| Front Page Top

#17 Tom Lehrer was a trip, wasn't he, tw?

I used to know several of his songs by heart (still know most of "So Long, Mom, I'm Off to Drop the Bomb"). :-D

"New Math" was/is a treasure. ("Base 8 is just like Base 10, if you're missing two fingers.")

Posted by Barbara Skolaut 2010-10-04 22:55|| 2010-10-04 22:55|| Front Page Top

23:57 JosephMendiola
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23:14 Perfesser
22:55 Barbara Skolaut
22:39 Secret Master
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22:18 trailing wife
22:17 Rambler in Virginia
21:55 Barbara Skolaut
21:53 trailing wife
21:45 Barbara Skolaut
21:26 tu3031
21:25 Procopius2k
21:25 Thing From Snowy Mountain
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20:55 Barbara Skolaut
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20:48 Eric Jablow
20:48 Barbara Skolaut