Zombies How they came to exist?

Haiti & the Truth About Zombies. (n.d.). Retrieved May 4, 2013, from Zombies: http://www.umich.edu/~uncanny/zombies.html

In today's culture we know zombies to be the "walking dead" rose from the dead eating flesh and in some cases brains of the living. However, their origin is a little different. Finding it's roots in Voodoo in countries like Africa and Haiti, zombies were thought to be an "animated corpse resurrected by mystical means, such as witchcraft." (Wikipedia, 2013) The state of zombie also refers to "a person who is hypnotized lacking consciousness and self-awareness but mobile and responsive to outside stimuli." (Wikipedia, 2013) The name zombie comes from a voodoo snake Iwa Damballah Wedoi originating from the Niger-Congo area and similar to the word nzambi meaning 'god'. (Wikipedia, 2013). Both West Africa and Haiti believe in bokor's, or sorcerers for hire who use both black and light magic, who are believed to be the makers of zombies using black magic. (Wikipedia, 2013) It is believed that they use a deadening poison or brew concocted from a puffer fish to make people appear to be dead, allowing them to be buried alive. Later, the bokor returns to "reanimate" the corpse to do their bidding, usually manual labor. The zombie is then given delirant drugs (usually Datura) so they are detached in a somewhat dreamlike state without mind control. (Wikipedia, 2013) Some legends, however, are more realistic in their depictions and believe the bokor raises zombies from the dead bodies who's souls have already left them. (Wikipedia, 2013)

The Zed Word. (2012, January 20). Retrieved May 7, 2013, from The Dead Review: http://www.zedwordblog.com/2012/01/dead-review.html

Africa

In West Africa they believe the bokor captures a person's "astral" (part of the human soul) that is used to enhance their powers or kept in a bottle and sold to their clients for luck, healing or business success.(Wikipedia, 2013) However, they believe that the bokor can hold onto the soul for a limited time and then God takes the soul back. This means that being a zombie is only a temporary spiritual entity. (Wikipedia, 2013) West African legend also states that if one were to feed a zombie salt the zombie would then return to it's grave. (Wikipedia, 2013) In South Africa, however, it is believed that a zombie is created by a child putting a spell onto a person. The spell can be broken but only if done by a powerful enough "Sagoma." (Wikipedia, 2013) South African's also believe that witches can turn people into zombies by killing and then possessing the victims body in order to force them into slave labor. (Wikipedia, 2013)

It appears that the myth (although they believe it to be truth) of zombies stems from their fear of being taken and placed as slave in a manual labor camp. However, there has never been a train spotted filled with zombie workers. Nor would it be physically possible for someone in the zombie state to do manual labor.

uwbeccaredden. (2013, January 14). Where Did You Dig Her Up From? – The Critical Zombie. Retrieved May 7, 2013, from Chapter One – That Voodoo You Do: http://thecriticalzombie.wordpress.com/2013/01/14/chapter-one-that-voodoo-that-you-do/

Haiti

Haitians share in some of the same beliefs that African's do concerning zombies and bokor's.  They believe that a deadly concoction used to poison a person by putting a combination of puffer fish poison and datura into the bloodstream the person goes into a zombie state and are completely subject to the bokor. (Wikipedia, 2013) However, most modern people believe this to be a myth as getting the exact amount of the poison that would not actually kill the person is almost impossible to do. (Radford, 2012) The Haitians, however, believe with the initial state of being a zombie is deathlike, but the person is "re-awakened," usually after being buried, into a psychotic state. However, some say that this psychotic state plus the drugs that are given to the person hypothesized them into believing they are a zombie. (Wikipedia, 2013) This process of creating a zombie damages the brain and causes them to be slow and uncoordinated, which contrary to popular belief would not make them good candidates for manual labor. (Radford, 2013) Another problem with the theory of zombies being created for a work force comes from Haiti's poor economy. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and there is plenty of cheap labor to be found, why would someone have to go through all the trouble of making a zombie who they would have to pay for clothes, food, lodging, etc. when they could cheaply hire someone? In reality there has never been a field of zombies seen working leading people to believe that they don't really exists. (Radford, 2013).

Zombies are known to hang around grave yards "exhibiting attitudes of low affect." (Wikipedia, 2013) There is hope for a zombie, however, if they were to catch a glimpse of the ocean it is believed that the hypnosis would dissipate, their mind would return, they would become self aware and angry making an effort to return to the grave. Also like the African culture the Haitians also believe that salt will release the person from being a zombie. (Radford, 2012)

Jiang shi (Chinese zombie) close-up. (2012, October 29). Retrieved May 7, 2013, from DesMoinesRegister.com: http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2012/10/29/10-scariest-chinese-monsters-youve-never-heard-of/article/jiangshi2

China

In China the undead are known as "Jiang Shi." ( Estes, 2012) Here they believe in the stiff limbed, gaunting things with greenish white skin that slowly comes after you. This s where the United States obtained their view of zombies. The Chinese, however, believe that these zombies kill a human being in order to absorb their "qi" or life essence. (Estes, 2012)

Scandinavia

In Scandinavia, they believe in the myth of drauger. A drauger rises from the dead, guarding whatever treasure that may be in the grave. Here the drauger's have supernatural strength and kill victims by devouring them whole. (Estes, 2012)

Aravosis, J. (2013, February 2). “Zombie” cells created by govt. research lab (really). Retrieved May 7, 2013, from America Blog: http://americablog.com/2013/02/researchers-develop-zombie-cells-that-outperform-living-cells.html

United States

In the United States our perception of zombies is completely made of from Hollywood. (Estes, 2012) We have hypothesized many reasons as to how a zombie apocalypse can come to be, the guesses go from aliens to nuclear waste, space borne radiation, and pandemic plagues. (Turner, 2009) In reality the residents interest in zombies has become more prevalent in times when they were fearful of diseases that could not be explained or times of hardship such as when AIDS, Ebola, cloning, genetically modified foods were introduced and by being reminded of the brave new world of technology. (Turner, 2009) In the United States zombies are a person to person struggle, killed by being shot with a gun, explosive, machete, or chainsaw. (Turner, 2009) Portraying strength is very important to Americans and the belief that a good weapon and a strong man or women can save the day helps to ease the minds of the American public. (Turner, 2009) The American obsession with zombies is believed to derive from our fear that science and technology will lead to our destruction. (Turner, 2009)

Conclusion

Over time and cultures zombies have changed based on the fears of the people who believe. People need to believe they have control despite these fears rather it be slavery or destruction of their civilization. Regardless of the need for believing in zombies, even if purely for entertainment purposes, zombies are here to stay.

Works Cited

Wikipedia. (2013, Feburary 27). Retrieved May 6, 2013, from Bokor: http://en.wikipedia.org 
             /wiki/Bokor

Wikipedia. (2013, May 6). Retrieved May 6, 2013, from Zombie: http://en.wikipedia.org
             /wiki/Zombie

Radford, B. (2012, June 4). A History of 'Real' Zombies. Retrieved May 7, 2013, from Discovery  
            News: http://news.discovery.com/history/history-zombies-12-6-4.htm

Estes, A. C. (2012, October 31). The Atlantic Wire. Retrieved May 7, 013, from A Brief History of Zombies: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2012/10/brief-history-zombies/58574/

 

Turner, J. (2009, October 09). A Brief History of Zombies. Retrieved May 7, 2013, from Forbes.com: http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/29/oreilly-godzilla-science-technology-breakthroughs-zombies.html