Ghoul

Historical Background
In Arabic mythology, the Ghoul is a type of demon. They reside in graveyards, wilderness areas (the desert), lonely areas, caves, and islands occasionally. They feed off of the dead and any living passersby. They are said to be able to change their shape into anything, including animals. In some accounts, Ghouls were only female. The males of their race were called Qutrub. In early 20th century horror fiction, Ghouls were turned into the human-eating undead modern people are familiar with. Ghoul derives from Al Ghul, which means "the demon". The star in the constellation Perseus, Algol, is derived from the term Al Ghul.