The portrayal of zombies, properly called nzambi, has changed significantly since the discovery of Voodoo in Haiti in the early 1800s. Zombification was used as a form of punishment for criminals rather than capital punishment, as any death caused by humans was seen as blasphemous. The process rendered victims in a state of paralysis and extremely low vital signs for 2-3 years. While recipes varied by community, they generally included toxins from puffer fish, plants like jimson weed, toads, and tree frogs as well as human remains that induced the appearance of death. Modern zombie movies represent realities of unnatural death and apocalypse but have little relation to the original nzamb

1. The Haitian NzambiBy Hayden Stewart

2. The portrayal of Zombies – properly spelt nzambi) – has completely changed since the discovery of Voodoo in the early 1800.

3. The Haitian culture was the major endorser of voodoo, witch doctors, and zombies.

4. Since US cinema had altered the image of zombies, the origin of their existence, or lack their of, has been buried in the depths of African and Afro-American myth.