Zombietology: Their Origin and Creation

 

Zombietology: Their Origin and Creation

The concept of Zombies was imported to the United States from Haiti.During the 1920s occupation of Haiti, Americans learned from its inhabitants the fear of zombies. This was later dramatized and romanticized in such popular movies a night of the living dead and residents' evil.

The mythic zombies of America are known to eat human flesh. However,other depictions show zombies eating whatever they run into thus transforming them into one of their one. This has sorta a vampire feel about it. I suppose that the saliva of zombies contains the zombie virus. They are clumsy in their movements and blind. According to High School of the Dead, zombies only react to sound. Interpretations vary in classical zombietology. Some claim that zombies are created by evil scientific experiments. Others attest that zombies are the result of a demonic resurrection of the body. Some claim that zombies do not suffer putrefaction. Others say that they rot and move while dancing around.

In Haiti, zombies are created by the boko (or wizards). Vodoo has two branches (or Nanchos) the Petros and the Radas. Those who worship the Petro versions of the lwas are the creators of zombies. They only seek to benefit themselves from zombie creation. The last recording of zombie action was done during the reign of Papa Doc in the 1950s. His secret police the tutom Macut (or the boogiemen) was his personal army of zombie warriors. After his death, his son was not able to rebind the zombies to his will. Subsequently, the zombies turned on Baby Doc.

 

Papa Doc and his Zombies

The Haitian zombies are to some extent rational. They hide their eyes behind glasses to mask their zombie eyes. They obey the orders of their master mercilessly. These zombies are created in the following fashion. Haitians take great care to clod the eyes and ears of the dead and clip the hair and nails of their dead relatives in order to prevent zombiefication of the body. The boko(or evil wizard) removes the dead from his grave and obtains a sample of hair and nail. This is offered to Legba's Petro form. In this form Legba appears as the demon commander of zombie dogs. The boko ask Legba to give him the ti'bonash (or free will) of the dead body. Using the free will of the body, the boko is able to reanimate it and to use it for his own evil deeds. These zombies are more dangerous for it is hard to tell them apart from the regular humans. So be careful next time you go to Haiti.

Legba's Symbol.

Legba's humanoid form. It is a bit of a crude depiction but you get the gist of it. He is a trickster and cannot be trusted. Only. someone he really likes will be able to convince him to make zombies for you.

 

Legba is usually associated with this saint. So in a ritual to summon Legba it is common to see this effigy.

I hope this was interesting and do not try this at home. Oh and a lot of the important rituals for zombiefication have not been written. This is done in an effort to prevent guppies from thumb raiding one's family's resting place.

More on Zombies

Another Zombie category that people do not explore are mummies. Mummies sound a bit clicheis but they are in all true forms zombies. Lest take a common example : Inmotep, yes that is one that all people know. He is a mummy that was revived using the book of the dead.

You may ask ? He is too autonomous to be a zombie but he still follows certain restrictions. He hates cats and devours humans in order to maintain his form. In addition,  he does not have a soul. Zombies lack soul or fragments of the soul. He is in the same category as the Boggiemen.

His friends are also in the same category as Zombies. They have less autonomy than the major zombi imotep. They obey blindly his orders like robots. There are also the minor Mummies that only say oohh or ahh and munch on the living. Both their mind and Ka (soul) departed the word.

The three Egyptian zombies mentioned exist thanks to the Book of the Dead. This book has all the spells of the Egyptian Priest. The reviving spell assures control from the minor zombies, that being of the mindless and the warrior types. But the major zombie or Mummy remains whole.

This is due to a Remnant obsession that keeps the will stuck to the body. Even a soulless being can come back from the dead to bother the living  if it has a strong will.

Other types of Zombies

A strange type of zombie inhabits the lands of china and Japan. These zombies are reanimated by their old restless spirits . A perfect example is the Grudge. This movie is a perfect example of the capabilities of the Asian zombie. This type of zombie cannot be confused with a simple good old fashion poltergeist. At least with poltergeist one can try to reason. This zombie is animated by a single emotion. That being of intense hatred and a desire to do harm to whatever is nearest.

Their hair is used as a main weapon and have the most strength in door way or corners.  They can pass threw walls but cannot take objects on their journey through the corridors. They are the remnants or zombie of a poltergeist. They are created when a very stupid person does some serous harm to the astro-projected body of the human. The spirit in a way experiences a second death. Remember poltergeist should not be dealt with violently. :(

All that remained of their humanity is replaced by shear anger or grudge. The only way to defeat them is to erase all trace of existence that includes exorcism , destruction of property and recovery and burial of the poltergeist dead astro body. This ones are truly the most dangerous types of zombies out there.

Another Strange and Bizarre Zombie : Bodhisattva

The Bodhisattva are saints that reached enlightenment. Their bodies are usually modified by their Buddhist worshipers. However, should some one defile their resting place the body of the saint becomes tainted. In this form any random demon can take over it and cause havoc among the living. Also at times, by pure inertia these bodies begin to move on their own. This happens when the saints had one final regret before dying. Their bodies where then purified under the assumption of their saintliness however, they wonder around the world in a zombiesh fashion. They do not eat the flesh of humans per say ...rather these zombies are the type that curse you or drown you when you pass near a well. So be careful around the Buddhist pure land temples.

Other Monster Blogs:

http://www.phistars.com/2011/09/origin-of-monsters-dragons.html
http://www.phistars.com/2011/09/origin-of-monsters-elf.html
http://www.phistars.com/2011/09/zombietology-their-origin-and-creation.html
http://www.phistars.com/2011/09/origin-of-monsters-vampires.html
http://www.phistars.com/2011/09/origin-of-monsters-werewolf.html