It occurs to me that with my project to categorize the various “TYPES” of zombies I need a definition for what a zombie is.
After combing the intertubes, then grudgingly cracking open a dictionary I’ve come up with this definition. I needed something specific to cover the subject matter, but general enough to allow as many interpretations of a zombie as possible.
So here is my definition of what a zombie is:
Main Entry: zom·bie
Variant(s): also zom·bi \ˈzäm-bē\
Function: noun
Etymology: Louisiana Creole or Haitian Creole zonbi, of Bantu origin; akin to Kimbundu nzúmbe ghost
Date: circa 1871
1. A corpse reanimated by various means either supernatural or mundane whose body continues to move despite a lack of normal biological function.
2. A living being stripped of it’s will, humanity, and normal behavior by outside forces either supernatural and mundane.
3. A mixed drink made of several kinds of rum, liqueur, and fruit juice.
So far I feel this definition covers most zombies (even including the 28 day variety) you would see in movies and literature.
What do you Think????
I’m still on the wall about the 28 days later variety…they really aren’t animated dead, just disease ridden which makes them crazy and so on. Yes they are infected with…something, but they aren’t something that died and then came back…like resident evil zombies, which are infected things with the T-Virus, but they do die and then reanimate.
I just don’t feel that the number 2 variety are really zombies. Just my personal opinion. I could go on about how if they were then 90% of the people in an insane asylum would be considered a zombie…and so on
Keep in mind that voodoo zombies are not dead either. They breath, eat, poop, ect… But have had their will stripped from them by a Bokor (Think evil voodoo priest).
Voodoo zombies predate “Romero zombies” and are the origin of the zombie myth in the first place. It’s just that Romero zombies have been so successful at defining the “POP Culture” zombie so that’s what people think of a zombie as. I’m trying to be more inclusive and define all the types of zombies I can think of… It’s a very nerdy thing to do I admit.
Also people in an insane asylum don’t count I think, as most of them still have their will, are capable of conversation, have personalities, ect… Only very rare cases do patients have those things missing from them.
Even in those rare cases it’s unlikely that they have been taken from them from an outside source ie… magic, voodoo, alien spores, ect.. So my definition would still apply.
But if that happened…. I’d call them zombies at that point.
Do you think when the Romero zombies came out there were people who argued they weren’t real zombies because they broke from the Haitian tradition, or is this level of geek debate a modern thing?
Only a few more weeks until the baby gets here, after that who is buying me a few rounds of Zombie #3?
I don’t know. I think it’s pretty safe to say that as long as there has been anything like “Pop Culture” people have been arguing about it. Also there is something about today’s geeky mindset that makes us want to classify things and argue with other geeks over our little obsessions.
Also congrats on your new little “TAX DEDUCTION! ” That’s awesome! As I don’t live anywhere near you I’ll buy you a totally imaginary round. Careful though, it’s full of Trioxin.