Otherworldly Beings in Modern Yemeni Ethnographic and Fiction Literature

Abstract

The society of Yemen, which in many respects retains its traditional features, is characterized, among other matters, by a strong belief it the existence of otherworldly beings, such as jinn, ghoul, ghost, werewolf, etc. This paper is intended to discuss to what extent and in what way this belief is manifested in the modern ethnographic and fiction literature of Yemen. Appropriate fragments of short stories, novels, memoir and scholarly works of Yemeni authors help to clarify what Yemenis think about the nomenclature of supernatural creatures, about their appearances, abilities, habits and “specializations” in contacts with humans, about their harm and their possible benefits for humans.