Zombie is an animated or living corpse. The term comes from the Vodou religion of the West Indies (also spelled Voodoo or Voudou). A zombie is a corpse brought back from the dead to serve an evil priest, called a bokor. According to Vodou legend, a bokor puts a spell on a victim using a poisonous powder. After the victim dies and is buried, the bokor digs up the corpse and forces the zombie to work as a slave. According to tradition, several things can break the spell and enable a zombie to return to the grave.
Belief in zombies has a long history in Haiti. There, laws once made it illegal to create zombies. Local folklore commonly featured tales of zombies used for work in fields. Some scientists believe there may be an actual basis for zombie folklore. They suggest that the bokor’s powder could have been made from puffer fish. These animals produce a toxin called tetrodotoxin. It can cause a zombielike state in people who consume it.
Zombies are also popular subjects in fiction. Vodou zombies have appeared in films since the 1930’s. Today, films and television often portray zombies as shambling corpses who attack and eat living people. These zombies are often created by a mysterious effect, such as radiation from space or a mutant virus. Modern zombies move slowly and feel no pain. They can only be killed if their brain is destroyed. In some zombie fiction, anyone can become a zombie when they die. People can also become a zombie through infection if they are bitten by one.
