Where it Began:
The concept of zombies originated in 17th and 18th century Haitian folklore. During this time period, French colonists enslaved Western Africans in Haiti. They stripped enslaved Africans of their free will and treated them brutally. The term ‘zombie’ (zonbi) was a metaphor for slavery and the fear that many enslaved Africans had of being eternally enslaved, even after death.
In Haitian folklore and Voodoo beliefs, zombies were corpses brought back to life by a sorcerer (the borkor) for the purpose of creating an enslaved laborer. The sorcerer would take control of the zombie with a potion to ensure that it wouldn’t have any will or recollection of its past life.
Entry into American Culture:
In 1915, the American military occupied Haiti. Soldiers brought back to the U.S. exaggerated stories about zombie folklore. The stories were turned into sensationalist films and journalism.
White Zombie, directed by Victor Halperin in 1932, is said to be the first movie that featured zombies. It introduced some tropes that we see in modern-day zombie media, such as zombies being mindless creatures with blank stares who travel in hordes.
I can’t talk about the creation of zombies without also mentioning Night of the Living Dead, which was filmed in the Pittsburgh area. It premiered in 1968 and was directed by George A. Romero. This film was the precursor to the creatures as we know them today. Romero introduced zombie archetypes such as cannibalistic urges, infectious bites, and the brain as the monster’s weak spot. The origin became more science-based, rather than magic-based.
Modern Day:
Today, the zombie apocalypse has become a common conceit and a symbol of modern fears including societal collapse, contagion, and alienation. The scenario of a zombie apocalypse has become a motivator to prepare for future emergencies. There’s even a conceptual plan (CONPLAN 8888) created by the U.S. Department of Defense that utilizes the fictional event as military training.
Out of all fictional monsters, zombies are the scariest by far because they’re more likely to become a real thing. Let me know which monster is scariest to you. Leave a comment below!
