Show Notes: Ghuleh/Zombie Queen
Ghuleh
Ghuleh..
Ghuleh..
Ghuleh..
We begin with 4 words repeated in what sounds like a whispered calling. Ghuleh, as far as I can see is more than likely not a real word. The only definition I could find linking it to the real world is an anonymous post on Tumblr which states: Ghuleh is a word used in Arabian folklore to describe a female Ghoul.
I believe this is the first time we hear from Satan himself in the lyrics. It almost sounds like he’s calling softly to wake her up from sleep and going into a.. well a love song.
Putrefaction
A scent that cursed be
Under cold dark dust
These lines are pretty much proof that Lillith has passed during childbirth, and judging by the timeframe it was not too long ago.
According to the Internet, Putrefaction (which is the decay of organic matter involving the decomposition of proteins, breakdown of the tissues and liquefaction of organs) occurs between 10-20 days of passing, meaning this song likely takes place just over a week after “Jigolo”. Now in my personal opinion, this is the first time Ghost has played with time in their universe, as I believe this song takes place after Year Zero which is an unholy celebration that, I think, takes place very shortly after Jigolo.
From the darkness
Rise a succubus
From the earthen rust
Darkness in this verse (and the following) has a double meaning. The first and most obvious is a literal sense of darkness, as in this is taking place in a dark place/on a dark night, but it could also mean the metaphorical darkness that is Death.
Lillith rising again as a succubus makes a lot of sense to me. For those who don’t know, a succubus is a female demon who preys typically on weak mean in their sleep, stealing their souls through… activities. With Lilliths backstory, and a line in the next segment, this is the perfect way to end Lilliths story.
Bringing it back to my first point, from the earthen rust sort of indicates to me that this dark place is a grave.
Haresis Dea
Once a majesty
Now exposing bone
From the darkness
Rise a succubus
And usurp the throne
Haresis Dea is such an interesting line. Translated into English it means “Heretic Goddess”, and kind of goes to show that, in my opinion, this is Satan appointing Lillith the Succubus as the Queen of Hell which is backed up by the final line of the verse, ursurp the throne. Is he speaking of his own throne, or the throne of his current queen though?
Majesty is beauty, exposing bone implies that beauty is being destroyed or rotted. Maybe this is implying that while the physical form may be broken and destroyed, the spirit is still beautiful.
Let’s talk about the obvious change in the type of song this is from here on out. If we look at this from a musical perspective, I would say this is the point of the song that Lillith has started to transform and Satan and the demons of hell are celebrating in earnest.
The moon is full and shines
An evil blinding light
Under a monolith, her likeness
Marble white
We get some of the best imagery in this song and it comes mostly from this verse. “The moon is full and shines an evil blinding light” is just a fantastic way of turning the soft glow of the moon into something sinister, yet, also romantic in a way.
I think the lines “under a monolith her likeness, marble white” pretty much confirms this is in a graveyard. At first I thought it was describing her as being marble white, but in thinking about it it makes sense that this “monolith” is her gravestone and, since its fresh, it’s marble white.
Zombie Queen
Zombie Queen
Black light guides you
Ghuleh Ghuleh
Zombie Queen
Zombie Queen
Black light guides you
Ghuleh Ghuleh
Lilith being queen of hell.
Black light guides is you is a straight up inversion of “going into the light” when you die. This can be seen as her spirit returning the other way, away from the afterlife and into the muddy darkness that is the world.
Up from the stinking dirt she rises
Ghastly pale
Shape-shifting soon but now she's rigid
Stiff and stale
This is sort of describing the process of Lillith becoming the aforementioned “zombie queen” or succubus.
A succubus in common folklore does indeed have the ability to shape-shift to better entice her prey, and it seems Lillith will inherit this power.