Zombies, as a concept, originated in Haiti.
The Origins of the Zombie Myth
The zombie myth has deep roots, specifically tracing back to Haiti during the 17th and 18th centuries. This was a period marked by the brutal reality of African slaves working on sugar plantations under French rule.
- Context: Enslaved Africans faced unimaginable hardships and oppression.
- Belief: A strong belief emerged among these slaves that suicide wouldn't bring freedom but rather a horrifying eternity. They feared being trapped within their own bodies as the undead. This fear contributed significantly to the development of the zombie myth.
Zombies in Haitian Folklore
Within Haitian folklore, zombies are often depicted as corpses reanimated through a form of witchcraft or sorcery. These revived bodies are typically devoid of their former will and are controlled by the sorcerer, often used as forced labor. The exact "location" of these zombies, therefore, would be wherever the sorcerer who controlled them resided or had them working. Because the origin of the myth is Haiti, the initial zombies were conceived as living in Haiti, often in rural or isolated areas.
