Zombies are a part of modern and classic movies. They make their appearance in video games. They have many names they go by-the walking dead, creatures of the night, flesh-eating, brain seeking monsters. But what is a history of zombies? Their origins begin long ago.
The walking dead are like any other fairy or folk tale. A good fairy tale or folk tale was told to warn the youth of a village against things the adults didn’t want them to do-like go into the woods alone. The creatures of the night are very similar in that they too have a bit of truth behind them. However, they do differ quite a bit from the movie star zombies of today. The “Hollywood monsters” have quite the appearance in movies and games where they are running, breaking things, and chasing after the living to eat. The ancestors of these guys were a little quieter.
Voudou (pronounced Voodoo) originated in West Africa and moved into Haiti, Cuba and parts of Louisiana. This is where the word zombie first appears. Voudou is a religion that was and still is misunderstood by many; thus the scary walking dead stories begin. It was believed that a Voudou priest or sorcerer could cast a spell on a deceased person, cursing them, and making them a zombie-zonbi or zombi, or departed spirit. This newly undead creature would then be able to be the priest or sorcerer’s minion, mindlessly controlled by him or her alone.
Voudou is a religion that is misunderstood and was misunderstood. It is not Christian based and seen as ‘evil’. In not understanding the religion, it is easy to be misguided by stories of folklore or deception. In this misunderstanding however, a creature was born and has made its way through to the “Hollywood monsters” and movie screens.
In France during the Middle Ages, it was believed that souls of the dead would return to haunt the living, usually when they had been wronged-such as in a case of murder. These could also be soldiers who had died in battle coming back to take their revenge. These stories of the undead can be seen over many cultures in many different ways.
In Egypt, these dead rising creatures could be referred to as mummies. However, some would argue that they are two completely different things. In the version of the story where the mummies rise to release the curse upon trespassers, the concept is still the same-the dead rises to take revenge. However, mummies in the original Egyptian believe could be resurrected into the same person and brought back to life for a immortality type life.
The classic movies with zombies show the mindless creatures of a Voudou sorcerer. The walking dead has evolved in their mindlessness and controlled beings. They also have become creatures from chemical outbreaks and even have cures in some movies. They are also move violent in nature and stronger. Groaning “brains” is a thing of the past, however, they are usually met with grunting or just noises. These creatures of the night will more likely show you that they want to eat your flesh than tell you. The living creatures around these undead must run, fight off, and look for high places to hide to have any luck against them. A simple slamming of the door no longer works.
A history of zombies is helpful is seeing where they came from and where they have ended up. This can also help look towards where these undead creatures may be headed in the future of the cinema. Only the creators of movies and games and really tell but ideas may begin to form. Through movies, music videos, and games, these undead will be around for a while.
If you like hearing zombie stories you should take a look at zombie games. You can find many free zombie games online these days.