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Zombie Information

Zombie (Haitian Creole: zonbi; North Mbundu: nzumbe) is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft.[1] The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli. Since the late 19th century, zombies have acquired notable popularity, especially in North American and European folklore.

In modern times, zombies became a popular subject in horror fiction, largely because of the success of George A. Romero's 1968 film Night of the Living Dead [2] and they have appeared as plot devices in various books, films and in television shows. Zombie fiction is now a sizeable sub-genre of horror, usually describing a breakdown of civilization occurring when most of the population become flesh-eating zombies – a zombie apocalypse. The monsters are usually hungry for human flesh, often specifically brains. Sometimes they are victims of a fictional pandemic illness causing the dead to reanimate or the living to behave this way, but often no cause is given in the story.

Contents

Religion

West African Vodun

According to the tenets of Vodou, a dead person can be revived by a bokor, or sorcerer. Zombies remain under the control of the bokor since they have no will of their own. "Zombi" is also another name of the Vodou snake lwa Damballah Wedo, of Niger–Congo origin; it is akin to the Kikongo word nzambi, which means "god". There also exists within the West African Vodun tradition the zombi astral, which is a part of the human soul that is captured by a bokor and used to enhance the bokor's power. The zombi astral is typically kept inside a bottle which the bokor can sell to clients for luck, healing or business success. It is believed that after a time God will take the soul back and so the zombi is a temporary spiritual entity.[3] It is also said in vodou legend, that feeding a zombie salt will make it return to the grave.

Haitian Vodou and alleged pharmaceutical explanation

In 1937, while researching folklore in Haiti, Zora Neale Hurston encountered the case of a woman who appeared in a village, and a family claimed she was Felicia Felix-Mentor, a relative who had died and been buried in 1907 at the age of 29. Hurston pursued rumors that the affected persons were given a powerful psychoactive drug, but she was unable to locate individuals willing to offer much information. She wrote:

“ What is more, if science ever gets to the bottom of Voodoo in Haiti and Africa, it will be found that some important medical secrets, still unknown to medical science, give it its power, rather than gestures of ceremony.[4] ”

Several decades later, Wade Davis, a Harvard ethnobotanist, presented a pharmacological case for zombies in two books, The Serpent and the Rainbow (1985) and Passage of Darkness: The Ethnobiology of the Haitian Zombie (1988). Davis traveled to Haiti in 1982 and, as a result of his investigations, claimed that a living person can be turned into a zombie by two special powders being entered into the blood stream (usually via a wound). The first, coup de poudre (French: 'powder strike'), includes tetrodotoxin (TTX), a powerful and frequently fatal neurotoxin found in the flesh of the pufferfish (order Tetraodontidae). The second powder consists of dissociative drugs such as datura. Together, these powders were said to induce a death-like state in which the will of the victim would be entirely subjected to that of the bokor. Davis also popularized the story of Clairvius Narcisse, who was claimed to have succumbed to this practice.

The process described by Davis was an initial state of death-like suspended animation, followed by re-awakening—typically after being buried—into a psychotic state. The psychosis induced by the drug and psychological trauma was hypothesised by Davis to re-inforce culturally-learned beliefs and to cause the individual to reconstruct their identity as that of a zombie, since they "knew" they were dead, and had no other role to play in the Haitian society. Societal reinforcement of the belief was hypothesized by Davis to confirm for the zombie individual the zombie state, and such individuals were known to hang around in graveyards, exhibiting attitudes of low affect.

Davis' claim has been criticized, particularly the suggestion that Haitian witch doctors can keep “zombies” in a state of pharmacologically induced trance for many years.[5] Symptoms of TTX poisoning range from numbness and nausea to paralysis (particularly of the muscles of the diaphragm), unconsciousness, and death, but do not include a stiffened gait or a death-like trance. According to psychologist Terence Hines, the scientific community dismisses tetrodotoxin as the cause of this state, and Davis's assessment of the nature of the reports of Haitian zombies is viewed as overly credulous.[6]

Scottish psychiatrist R. D. Laing highlighted the link between social and cultural expectations and compulsion, in the context of schizophrenia and other mental illness, suggesting that schizogenesis may account for some of the psychological aspects of zombification.[7]

South Africa

In some South African communities it is believed that a dead person can be turned into a zombie by a small child.[8] It is said that the spell can be broken by a powerful enough sangoma.[9]

Popular culture

See also: Zombies in popular culture Zombies from George Romero's Night of the Living Dead

Zombies are regularly encountered in horror and fantasy themed fiction and entertainment, appearing as early as the 1929 novel The Magic Island by William Seabrook. Time claimed that the book "introduced 'zombi' into U.S. speech".[10] As of 2009, zombies are challenging the vogue for vampires in pop culture.[11]

Film

See also: List of zombie films The Swedish-American actor Tor Johnson as a zombie in the film Plan 9 from Outer Space of 1959 The American horror film Night of the Living Dead of 1968 remains a classic in this genre.

Initially released in 1968, Night of the Living Dead, a taboo-breaking and genre-defining classic, would prove to be more influential on the concept of zombies than any literary or cinematic work before it.[12] In this case, the film offered little explanation ("radiation" from a space probe) for the zombies' reanimation, other than the fact that it was happening.

In popular culture, zombies have typically been depicted as mindless, shambling, decaying corpses with a hunger for human flesh or brains. However, zombies in recent popular films have considerably increased their agility, as seen in Colin, 28 Days Later, and the 2004 Dawn of the Dead.[13] Innately tied with the conception of the modern zombie is the "zombie apocalypse", the breakdown of society as a result of zombie infestation.[14] Scholar Kim Paffrenroth notes that "more than any other monster, zombies are fully and literally apocalyptic ... they signal the end of the world as we have known it."[14]

Print and literature

See also: List of zombie novels

Though zombies have appeared in many books prior to and after Night of the Living Dead, it wouldn't be until 1990 that zombie fiction emerged as a distinct literary subgenre, with the publication of Book of the Dead in 1990, which featured Romero-inspired stories from Stephen King and others. In 2005, Brian Keene's novel The Rising won the Bram Stoker award.[15]

The most well-known current works of zombie fiction are 2006's Cell by Stephen King and World War Z by Max Brooks, which were both New York Times bestsellers.[16] Brooks had previously authored the cult hit The Zombie Survival Guide, an exhaustively researched, zombie-themed survival guide published in 2003.[11]

Other zombie appearances have been cataloged in dozens of novels, comics, and webcomics. Like vampires and other famous archetypal creatures, the zombie archetype has spread far and wide.

Television

One of the most famous zombie-themed television appearances was 1983's Thriller, a Michael Jackson short film and music video, directed by John Landis. It featured a rap by Vincent Price, star of the aforementioned The Last Man on Earth and "a famous voice, in the horror genre".[17] One of the most popular music videos of all time, it is a horror film parody featuring choreographed zombies performing with Jackson. Many pop culture media have paid tribute to this scene alone, including zombie films such as Return of the Living Dead 2, cementing Thriller's place in zombie history.

Fantasy-themed shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The X-Files sometimes include zombies as part of their horror/fantasy settings. Romero-styled zombie outbreaks are often featured in animated shows, such as in the Halloween episodes of The Simpsons, South Park, and Invader Zim. In the far east, zombies also often appear in anime, such as Samurai Champloo, Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpucho, Highschool of the Dead, YuYu Hakusho,[18][19][20] Zombie-Loan and many others both within and beyond the horror genre.

Gaming

Player characters battling enemy zombies from Konami's Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin See also: List of zombie video games

Zombies and ghouls are a popular theme for video games, particularly in the first-person shooter and role-playing genres. Some notable titles in this area include the Resident Evil series, Dead Rising, The House of the Dead, CarnEvil, and Left 4 Dead.[21] Massively multiplayer online role-playing games include Urban Dead. Some games allow the gamer to play as a zombie such as Stubbs the Zombie in "Rebel Without a Pulse". Commonly in these games, Zombies are impervious to most attacks, except trauma to the head (which would instantly destroy the zombie). Zombies are also featured in Sega Superstars Tennis, most notably in a challenge where the player must hit the zombies with the tennis balls to defeat them.

The concept of the infected dead appears often in video games, though not always as humans. The Flood from Halo and Headcrabs from Half-Life portray zombie-like aliens with the ability to kill opponents and possess their bodies.

Outside of video games, zombies frequently appear in collectible card games such as Magic: The Gathering, role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, and tabletop board games such as Zombies!!!. Humans vs. Zombies is also a popular zombie-themed live-action game played on many college campuses.[22]

Music

Many songs and bands have been based on these flesh-eating ghouls, most notably in Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and the work of the musician Rob Zombie. Zombie references crop up in every genre from pop to death metal and some subgenres such as horror punk mine the zombie aesthetic extensively. Horror punk has also been linked with the subgenres of deathrock and psychobilly. The success of these genres has been mainly underground, although psychobilly has reached some mainstream popularity.

The zombie also appears in protest songs, symbolizing mindless adherence to authority, particularly in law enforcement and the armed forces. Well-known examples include Fela Kuti's 1976 single Zombie, and The Cranberries' 1994 single Zombie.

In art

Artist Jillian McDonald has made several works of video art involving zombies, and exhibited them in her 2006 show, “Horror Make-Up,” which debuted on September 8, 2006 at Art Moving Projects, a gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Others have included “Zombie Loop” and “Zombie Portraits”.[23]

Consumables

Many companies from around the world have also put strong focus on creating products geared towards the 'zombie' culture. This list includes Kittiwat Unarrom, an artist in Thailand, that bakes/glazes breads to look like human body parts;[24] a company in California , Harcos Labs, that sells bagged Zombie Blood and Zombie Jerky in specimen style pouches;[25] and an array of small companies creating novelty products such as Zombie Mints (which taste like "rotting brains"), Screaming Zombie Energy Drink, and Gummy Brains. These items have been incorporated into cosplay during zombie walks around the world.

Zombie apocalypse

Main article: Zombie apocalypse

The zombie apocalypse is a particular scenario of apocalyptic fiction that customarily has a science fiction/horror rationale. In a zombie apocalypse, a widespread (usually global) rise of zombies hostile to human life engages in a general assault on civilization. Victims of zombies may become zombies themselves. This causes the outbreak to become an exponentially growing crisis: the spreading "zombie plague/virus" swamps normal military and law enforcement organizations, leading to the panicked collapse of civilian society until only isolated pockets of survivors remain, scavenging for food and supplies in a world reduced to a pre-industrial hostile wilderness.

The literary subtext of a zombie apocalypse is usually that civilization is inherently fragile in the face of truly unprecedented threats and that most individuals cannot be relied upon to support the greater good if the personal cost becomes too high.[21] The narrative of a zombie apocalypse carries strong connections to the turbulent social landscape of the United States in the 1960s when the originator of this genre, the film Night of the Living Dead, was first created.[26][27] Many also feel that zombies allow people to deal with their own anxiety about the end of the world.[28] In fact the breakdown of society as a result of zombie infestation has been portrayed in countless zombie-related media since Night of the Living Dead.[14] One scholar concluded that "more than any other monster, zombies are fully and literally apocalyptic ... they signal the end of the world as we have known it."[14]

Due to a large number of thematic films and video games, the idea of a zombie apocalypse has entered the mainstream and there have been efforts by many fans to prepare for the hypothetical future zombie apocalypse. Efforts include creating weapons [29] and selling posters to inform people on how to survive a zombie outbreak.[30]

Philosophical zombie

Main article: Philosophical zombie

A philosophical zombie is a concept used in the philosophy of mind, a field of research which examines the association between conscious thought and the physical world. A philosophical zombie is a hypothetical person who lacks full consciousness but has the biology or behavior of a normal human being; it is used as a null hypothesis in philosophical debates regarding the mind-body problem. The philosophical context of the term zombie was coined by philosopher David Chalmers in the mid-1990s.[31]

Social activism

A zombie walk in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Main article: Zombie walk

Some zombie fans continue the George A. Romero tradition of using zombies as a social commentary. Organized zombie walks, which are primarily promoted through word of mouth, are regularly staged in some countries. Usually they are arranged as a sort of surrealist performance art but they are occasionally put on as part of a unique political protest.[32][33][34][35][36]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Zombie". Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 1998.
  2. ^ Smith, Neil (March 7, 2008). "Zombie maestro lays down the lore". London: BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7280793.stm. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
  3. ^ *McAlister, Elizabeth. 1995.“A Sorcerer's Bottle: The Visual Art of Magic in Haiti.” In Donald J. Cosentino, ed., Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou. UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, 1995: 304–321.”
  4. ^ Hurston, Zora Neale. Dust Tracks on a Road. 2nd Ed. (1942: Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1984, p. 205).
  5. ^ Booth, W. (1988), “Voodoo Science”, Science, 240: 274–277.
  6. ^ Hines, Terence; "Zombies and Tetrodotoxin"; Skeptical Inquirer; May/June 2008; Volume 32, Issue 3; Pages 60–62.
  7. ^ Oswald, Hans Peter (2009 (84 pages)). Vodoo. BoD – Books on Demand. p. 39. ISBN 3837059049.
  8. ^ Marinovich, Greg; Silva Joao (2000). The Bang-Bang Club Snapshots from a Hidden War. William Heinemann. p. 84. ISBN 0434007331.
  9. ^ Marinovich, Greg; Silva Joao (2000). The Bang-Bang Club Snapshots from a Hidden War. William Heinemann. p. 98. ISBN 0434007331.
  10. ^ "Mumble-Jumble", Time, 9 September 1940.
  11. ^ a b Craig Wilson, "Zombies lurch into popular culture via books, plays, more," USA Today, April 9, 2009, p. 1D (1st page of Life section, above the fold), found at Zombies lurch into popular culture article at USA Today. Retrieved April 13, 2009.
  12. ^ Richard Scheib, Night of the Living Dead (film review) http://www.moria.co.nz/horror/notld.htm
  13. ^ The Running Dead – How did movie zombies get so fast? By Josh Levin Posted Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007, at 7:34 AM ET
  14. ^ a b c d Kim Paffenroth, Gospel of the Living Dead: George Romero's Visions of Hell on Earth. Waco: Baylor University Press, 2006.
  15. ^ Past Stoker Nominees & Winners http://www.horror.org/stokerwinnom.htm
  16. ^ The New York Times, 15 Nov. 2006
  17. ^ Peter Lyle (2007-11-25). "Michael Jackson's monster smash". Telegraph.co.uk. Telegraph Media Group Limited. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3669538/Michael-Jacksons-monster-smash.html. Retrieved 2010-01-24.
  18. ^ http://www.absoluteanime.com/yu_yu_hakusho/suzaku.htm
  19. ^ http://www.tv.com/Yu+Yu+Hakusho/Suzaku%2C+Leader+of+the+Beasts/episode/137982/recap.html
  20. ^ http://www.yyhworld.com/episode_view.php?ID=18
  21. ^ a b Christopher T. Fong (December 2, 2008). "Playing Games: Left 4 Dead". Video game review (San Francisco Chronicle). http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/01/DD4R14F77J.DTL. Retrieved 3 December 2008.
  22. ^ Commando Performance
  23. ^ Kino, Carol (July 30, 2006). "Jillian Mcdonald, Performance Artist, Forsakes Billy Bob Thornton for Zombies". New York Times (New York Times). http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/arts/design/30kino.html?ex=1311912000&en=3989cf428a229b6f&ei=5088%22%02ner=rssnyt&emc=rss. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  24. ^ Eaton, Sasha (October 29, 2009). "Human Bread, Anyone?". Beautiful Decay (Beautiful Decay). http://beautifuldecay.com/2009/10/29/human-bread-anyone. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
  25. ^ Eaton, Kit (May 11, 2010). "Zombie Blood Quenches Thirst, Boosts Energy, Turns Consumers Into Brain-dead Horde". Fast Company (Fast Company). http://www.fastcompany.com/1644198/zombie-blood-energy-drink-marketing-pr-sugar-soda-advertising. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
  26. ^ Adam Rockoff, Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film, 1978–1986 (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2002), p.35, ISBN 0-7864-1227-5.
  27. ^ "Zombie Movies" in The Encyclopedia of Fantasy, ed. John Clute and John Grant (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999), p.1048, ISBN 0-312-19869-8
  28. ^ Cripps, Charlotte (November 1, 2006). "Preview: Max Brooks' Festival of the (Living) Dead! Barbican, London". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/features/preview-max-brooks-festival-of-the-living-dead-barbican-london-422481.html. Retrieved September 19, 2008.
  29. ^ Andy Fliege (December 5, 2008). "Daily Distraction: UItimate Zombie Weapon". Windy Citizen. http://techloop.windycitizen.com/2008/12/05/daily-distraction-uitimate-zombie-weapon. Retrieved 6 December 2008.
  30. ^ Michael Harrison (December 5, 2008). "10 Geeky Gifts for Under $10". Wired. http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2008/12/10-geeky-gifts/. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  31. ^ Chalmers, David. 1995. "Facing Up to the Problem of Consciousness", Journal of Consciousness Studies, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 200–219
  32. ^ Colley, Jenna. "Zombies haunt San Diego streets". signonsandiego.com. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070726-9999-1n26zombies.html. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
  33. ^ Kemble, Gary. "They came, they saw, they lurched". abc.net. http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200604/s1627099.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
  34. ^ Dalgetty, Greg. "The Dead Walk". Penny Blood magazine. http://www.pennyblood.com/zombiewalk1.html. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
  35. ^ Horgen, Tom. "Nightlife: 'Dead' ahead". StarTribune.com. http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/dining/31116719.html?elr=KArksD:aDyaEP:kD:aUt:aDyaEP:kD:aUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiU. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
  36. ^ Dudiak, Zandy. "Guinness certifies record for second annual Zombie Walk". yourpenntrafford.com. http://www.yourpenntrafford.com/penntraffordstar/article/guinness-certifies-record-second-annual-zombie-walk. Retrieved 2009-10-01.

Further reading

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