Where Did these Zombies Come From?

July 18, 2008

A reader, Chelsie, recently wrote: vicksburg

Okay, so, I always read about people, constantely talking about “how to survive a zombie attack”, and I always ask myself, and anyone I am currently talking to on AIM, the phone, etc, (haha) how people surmise that eventually there will be an army of the living dead.

In Dawn of the Dead, they use “proof” of a priest saying, “When Hell is full, the dead will walk the earth.” and whether you’re a believer of the Bible or not, it says nothing of the sort. in “The Book of Revelations” it says nothing of zombies, only the pleagues, etc.

I’ve read on zombie spoof sites, and have conversation with people, about how they “think” zombie storys have “came about”, and most people have agreed with this theory that I’ve read multiple times..

Back in like, well, some long ass time ago.. and this is no joke. People use to “use magic” and make people “die” and then “bring them back to life”. Also, back when they didn’t have high tecnology, and they weren’t able to tell if a person was actually dead when burried them, and a lot of the times people wouldnt be, and would awake in they’re coffin of doom and would tripp out and claw at their casket trying to get out.. and when people would see this, they’d assume “oh shit! zombies!”

and I just ask, because I’m HORRIFIED of zombies.. like, if there’s a phobia name for “fear of zombies” I have it.. I can’t even look outside at night ’cause I’m too afraid. =(

so what makes people “have proof” of zombies? other than people using “voodoo”, because that’s all I’ve ever came across.

Chelsie brings up a few very valid points: What makes a zombie?, Where did they originally come from? And what is truth (this one is pulled out of the "proof" question)?

There are only a few of these I can answer. I’m not the expert on everything, and even if I were - several of the questions were somewhat objective.

The ones I can answer are about the origin of zombies.

Zombies themselves stretch backward into history as far as human beings do, with reported zombie attacks all the way back to the ancient Egyptians.

The "magic" zombies you are referring to, and popularized by the 1988 Wes Craven horror film: The Serpent and the Rainbow, are actually a constuct - and possibly a true one - of the Voodoo religion in Haiti.

The Serpent and the Rainbow is based, loosely, on Wade Davis’ non-fictional account of his investigation of Clairvius Narcisse, a man who claimed to be a Voodoo Zombie.

The problem with the Voodoo zombie is that the "zombie" is alive.

Scientifically, the "potion" that the Voodoo "bokor" creates in order to create a zombie has, as one of its chief ingredients, a powerful neurotoxin (found in the puffer fish) that forces its victim into a hibernative, comatose state that closely resembles death. The bokor can then claim his zombie (now a brain damaged person) as a slave.

But, because the Haitian zombie is alive and cannot create other zombies, it’s not the type of zombie that we typically think of when speaking of the zombie apocalypse.

Solanum, a deadly retrovirus, is also sometimes pointed to as a cause for zombification.

news-graphics-2007-_635469a The horrible truth is, outside of the transfer of body fluids, we aren’t really sure what causes a perfectly normal corpse to rise from its peaceful end and kill.

And, as for proof of zombie attacks, it all depends on how you look at written history. The history of mankind is riddled with proof of the dead rising from their graves and attacking the living. The true stories are quite naturally "spun" to divert public outcry.

In the United States alone we can look back at multiple zombie attacks: The Salem witch trials were incited by a zombie attack, The multiple outbreaks of the "bubonic plague" in early colonial North America, The Donner Party, and the events in Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1863.

As for a name for "fear of zombies" you can use "necrothanatophobia," broken down it means: "irrational fear of walking corpses." Of course, I would subtract the "irrational" part… It sounds very rational to me.

Keep your eyes open Chelsie, and I suggest maintaining your healthy fear of the undead.

Posted by flowersjustin | Filed Under Fun