News Flash! Zombies!!
Quick – try to pretend you aren’t excited!
Latest news: Zombies are Popular
The word Zombie evokes many different ideas and fears. Most picture a mindless, animated corpse searching for its next meal of human flesh (or brains). Others picture an all-out Armageddon caused by rapid growth of said monsters. Generally, popular culture and contemporary fiction has us believing that a victim of a zombie will eventually transform into a zombie. This transformation causes endless anxiety as a massive outbreak would take over the world in a short period of time. Imagery of Hollywood quickly fills our mind, but what is hard to grasp is that a lot of these stories have real possibilities and a lot of real history.
Zombies may be the oldest and most famous monster in human History
Back in the day – they weren’t contagious and they weren’t dangerous – they were the fall guy for the unexplained.
The word zombie is a relatively new word in the scheme of history. However, the zombie monster has a history dating back to the 8th century that spans across Africa. The original meaning of Zombie is simply: re-animated dead. Oddly enough, ancient peoples had varying levels of dead.
The Zombie wasn’t always after death, sometimes it was a slave with daily duties like farming. However, cultures across the globe gave a more sinister history to the zombie and a name to match. [reference 10]
Medieval European culture called them revenants among many other names. They blamed these Zombie creatures for everything from diseases to ill will.
There are stories of them attacking and eating people, but true to legend they don’t have the normal brain function. There is Biblical mention of animated corpses causing fear. There is even fan-theory based on unfinished Mayan writings. People believe that animated corpses were a problem to their society. Unfortunately, mental incapability is startlingly similar to some of the cases, giving zombies a bigger realistic place in society. No culture in our history is free of terrifying stories of re-animated dead and malicious intent. [Reference 11]
Hollywood Zombies are already very real for millions of people across the world
Zombies make millions of dollars in surprising ways. There are people – right now – prepared for the zombie apocalypse. Most of the zombies we see in Hollywood probably don’t exist, (at least not yet that we know of) but the concept of Zombies is very real for millions of people.
The word Zombie is put into search engines more than 20 million times a month. There are zombie search engines. In addition to that, there are numerous serious magazines and even insurance in case of Zombie outbreak. (Zombie Apocalypse Insurance Company starts plans charging a mere $.99, [reference 1] to insure you and calm your woes: make sure to read the fine print though).
Paranoid people have created triage and support for different levels of Zombie outbreaks. The creative minds have made multiple sites on how to protect yourself in each situation. Entire groups, books, and forums are dedicated to the serious business of Zombies. Zombie even has a new meaning online {reference 2} zombie traffic is when the hits on your site go up but no interaction or evidence of a visit besides clicking on the link. (don’t be a zombie here: interact)
The word zombie became famous because of Haiti, but the zombie exists in all cultures.
Everyone believes the current Zombie “craze” started in Haiti. This holds some truth. The African language used to describe their version of a zombie was made famous by Dennis Alan in his book “The Serpent and the Rainbow”.[reference 3] This book is the most famous historical reference. However, the word came from Africa in about 1819 [Reference 4] and adapted to the scary monsters everyone already pictured in legends.
Haitian history is full of reanimated dead, and they explain that Voodoo “shamans” will use their “magick” to zombify a person. There are more documented cases of “Zombification” in Haiti then could be listed in a reasonable article. It is so common that Haiti has created laws against it. Haitian law determines that creation of a zombie is attempted murder because the victim is usually buried first by their family and then robbed from the grave. However, the zombies portrayed this culture are not the flesh hungry monsters we all picture. Instead, they are average people who are unable to lift their head, talk with a nasal inflection, and generally are unable to carry out regular conversation. Usually, it is claimed that they are controlled by an external and mostly selfish or malicious force. [reference 3]
Vampires in the 1500’s are the Zombies of today.
The names have changed over the years, but the fears and descriptions were still exactly the same. If someone were to travel back in time about 500 years and describe a Zombie people would immediately react. They would instead call it a Vampire if they spoke the same language. Before Vampires were romanticized in popular culture by Bram Stoker [reference 5], they were described as mindless blood-sucking, flesh-eating monsters. Their appearances were described as the undead bloated rotting corpses.
In ancient tradition it was common for loved ones to stab the dead to ensure they would not return as the undead. [reference 6] It was more acceptable to spear your passed love one than buy them flowers. They also believed that the bite of a vampire to a living victim would turn them into the blood hungry monster. During that time there are several instances of mass hysteria which resulted in public execution of many people believed to be vampires. The Black Death brought most of the cases.
There is a famous doctor; Dr. Schlozman – who became Dr. Zombie by finding scientific ways that Zombies actually exist.
He claims he doesn’t believe zombies exist. But, if they did, he would be the guy that knows why. He has written books that explain the possible medical issues with all our favorite Zombies, from the “slow, shambling dumb-as-a-doorknob Zombies” to Zombie slaves.
He says “I saw them and realized they’re sick. They’re not just ghouls stumbling around in this graveyard … They’re ill with something,”
He has even explained the hardest symptom of zombies: being incredibly hungry and very ill. Schlozman said. “There are certain viruses and also certain lesions that can affect a region of the brain — the ventromedial hypothalamus — that affect satiety, and that affects the sense that you’ve eaten enough.”
The scariest part of his findings? He says: if Zombies happen it would most likely be a disease made by man. (Always those mad scientists get us!) Many scientists agree, but what is more shocking is there are several conditions causing legit zombie like symptoms. In the last decade there have been more diseases emerging that mimic a zombie state. Maybe the CDC should get involved. {reference 12 & 13}
The CDC (Center for Disease Control) had an entire section of their website dedicated to Zombies.
They have a blog, book, e-cards, posters and a sense of humor we were unaware they possessed. They don’t say there are no zombies. Instead, they say roughly: “If you are prepared for Zombies, you’ll be prepared for hurricanes, tornadoes, pandemic or terrorist attack.”
They go through the history and now even have a scientific name for the Zombie disease. They call it “Ataxic Neurodegenerative Satiety Deficiency Syndrome” and it is claimed to be caused by an infectious agent. They also make sure to add that if (or when) a real Zombie apocalypse happens they are prepared to take steps against it.
They have a detailed list of what they would do in the situation to protect the people. It comes off as ploy to make money, but at the same time a way to get people involved with the CDC. Maybe they know something everyone else does not. Their exact quote is: “Wonder why Zombies, Zombie Apocalypse, and Zombie Preparedness continue to live or walk dead on a CDC web site? As it turns out, what first began as a tongue in cheek campaign to engage new audiences with preparedness messages has proven to be a very effective platform. We continue to reach and engage a wide variety of audiences on all hazards preparedness via Zombie Preparedness.” {reference 7}
Most modern Hollywood Zombie outbreaks start out with an unknown disease. Science has documented many cases of zombie like activities
According to scientists, there are several diseases that could potentially cause people to become the zombies we all know. A few of these diseases are not the man made affliction most people would assume it to be. Rabies is very commonplace and is identical to the symptoms by a zombie. Infection is transferred through bite, the mind deteriorates and the person changes, and there is no known cure; only prevention through vaccination. Leprosy is another known disease that could physically as well as mentally cause a person to be very similar to a zombie. The flesh is covered in unpleasant sores and the afflicted are unable to walk properly. They often loose motor skills and become unable to communicate. Leprosy has also been in human history for millennia. [reference 15] Luckily, most people have a natural immunity to it, those that don’t are treated like dead to this day.
Finally, there are several cases of people dying and being brought back. Most cases are people who have fallen in water and froze – so the cells are preserved and professionals are able to bring them back to life. Others are electrical impulses forced upon corpses. Science has lists of people who could make animal corpses function, but not be normal. Most people find ethical problems with this so there are not a lot of people willing to document and take the time to reanimate the dead. [reference 16]
There are relatively new diseases popping up in which mimic zombie symptoms
One is called “nodding disease” it is a physically and mentally crippling disease. It is happening and no one knows the cause or the cure. Since 1960 when the disease was first discovered, children experience a range of odd symptoms. They will undergo complete personality change, unusual seizures brought on by things such as new food or weather changes, violent behavior in some, and a host of other baffling symptoms. Aggressive behavior is regularly documented with this disease. Afflicted individuals will attack unprovoked, set fires, and generally known to be a great nuisance to people surrounding. Most don’t receive the medical attention they need and are tied to their homes to prevent damage to others. It is almost always fatal within three years of subsequent diagnosis of the disease. Doctors are looking for the cause and they believe it to be related to a parasitic worm/nematode. [reference 17]
Similarly, the sleeping sickness A.K.A. Trypanosomiasis, is believed to be caused by a parasite from the tsetse fly bite. There are two stages and one is that of a regular cold/flu. The 2nd stage is one that turns a regular person into a zombie like state. Mental degradation makes a person confused, aggressive, and psychotic. The disease does not take a physical form no one would be the wiser if someone was affected. It is estimated that around 30,000 people in that same area are infected with unknown diseases because they don’t have the medical attention they need. [reference 18]
The Zombie exists in the animal kingdom.
There are numerous parasites, viruses, and bacteria that infect insects of all varieties. Luckily, this usually happens in the rain forest or in warmer climates. The parasites usually cause the insect to act in a way that would end its life. Usually the zombie parasite causes it to become appetizing to different animals, or making infection easier to other insects. In the case of parasitic fungus found in ants, the ant is turned into the ‘root’ system which it shoots its spores out to infect more ants. There is also the parasite that causes the gypsy moth to remain still while its body liquefies and rains the “goo” down so the infection can spread to others. Most cases the “zombification” is used to spread the disease to others. The other cases, the victim is used to provide a place to live for the developing parasite.
Mad cow disease is another one. If it was spread among humans through biting it would cause the exact same scenario as “28 days later”. Fortunately, according to doctors it is not spread by a bite to human; it is done by eating an affected cow brain. As it stands, mad cow disease is very bad for humans because it isn’t a virus or a bacterium. It is a protein, and it is incurable if a human body doesn’t fight it off. Luckily there have only been 3 documented cases in the U.S. and 200 cases total. Most human cases were found to be genetic so the cows are usually the only unfortunate ones. In cows, the disease turns them into the stereotypical Zombie until they die. [reference 8 & 19]
Zombies satisfy a deeper human need.
Zombies give name to a fear.
In 2012 someone broke into the CDC labs and allegedly let loose a flesh eating bacteria. This bacteria affected many people and traveled across the States within weeks. It is called necrotizing fasciitis, and it attacks the deeper layers of skin causing amputation, and in more than a quarter of people, death. The disease has been around since at least 1952, but in 2001 the scientific community discovered and has been studying a new strand that is much more deadly. Only part of the scientific outbreak was exposed to the public making the fears about an unknown virus much more realistic. Who knows what scientists are doing behind closed doors? And, an incurable sickness that spreads that quickly is truly terrifying. [reference 20]
Zombies give people a moral and physical separation between a “us” and a “them”; it helps us deal with a disaster situation. If disease “A” attacks the brain just right we have a non-conscious person looking to fulfill basic needs, food and water. What do we have an abundance of that can sustain a zombie? People!
It isn’t that far-fetched according to the scientific community. They say that we make connections of debilitating diseases to zombies to put a face on our fears. It is easier to wield a machete and decapitate a human than face the fact that we are almost helpless to stop the spread of a virus spread by breathing. Technically speaking, we almost need zombies to make us feel better. [reference 21]
References:
Link13: http://www.stevenschlozman.net/
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