Our team has been working to train people for the coming Zombie Apocalypse through tools and tips learned in their various fields of expertise. We expect to give you the same tools and training to ensure your one of the survivors, and not part of the undead plague.
By keeping up to date on the latest literature, tools, and training we plan to show you how to stay healthy and avoid becoming one of the undead horde that will pillage humanity. So check back with us on a regular basis to ensure you are prepared to survive the Zombie Apocalypse
Voodoo Zombies: A Non-Existent Threat
The Voodoo Zombie
Threat Level: White
The Voodoo Zombie is barely deserving of the term. Yes, the term Zombie stems from the Kikongo word nzambi, and yes, practitioners of Voudon believe that the zombi astral (a piece of the soul) can be used by a bokor (a voudon shaman) to control a person who has been turned into a zombie.
That said, the Voodoo Zombie is not what we conventionally think of as a zombie, and in fact, is not part of the living dead. A Voodoo Zombie is not dead at all, but merely a creation of the religion and social pressures of the areas in which they live and the beliefs they hold.
To create a Voodoo Zombie the bokor first creates a powder or powders of ingredients they will apply to control the effected person. The mixture consists of plant matter, usually Datura, and neurotoxins, typically tetradotoxin (TTX) from the pufferfish. The bokor then applies the power(s) to a wound or scratch on the victim causing them to fall into a deep trance-like state where respiratory and pulmonary functions are slowed considerably.
The trace-state is so deep that it is not unusual for a trained medical professional to pronounce the victim dead. The bokor then waits for the victim to be buried or otherwise interred and then goes, excavates, and then revives the body with an antidote to the previously administered powders.
Due to the religious nature of the revival, and likely due to brain-damage from a lack of oxygen (both while under the effects of the drugs and during burial) the victim is now open to suggestion and easily controlled by the bokor. In the Voudon religion they are now a zombie. To everyone else, they are a brain damaged slave.
Identification
A Voodoo Zombie is not that easy to identify as they typically look and act like any other brain damaged human being. In fact, the only outward identifying factor is their willingness to do whatever their bokor tells them to do. Some Voodoo Zombies are completely unidentifiable as their brains were undamaged through the zombification process, and due to personally beliefs they are uneffected by the orders of the bokor.
A Voodoo Zombie is a human being and, brain-damaged or not, is still a part of the society in which they live. They do not rot, they require real food, they can recognize one another and other human beings, and they will only become aggressive if ordered.
Spread
The only way for the Voodoo Zombie to spread, is through the ministrations of a bokor. A bite or scratch from a Voodoo Zombie should be treated, but only because the human mouth is a bacterial playground of unmatched proportions.
Termination
The only way to release a Voodoo Zombie is to take out the bokor. In areas where they exist, the best way to remove the influence the bokor has is through the authorities. If you encounter a Voodoo Zombie, please contact the local police. In nearly every area where voudon is practiced, zombification is illegal.
We do not recommend you attempt to remove the bokor yourself. Not only will you likely be brought up on charges of assault, the bokor can (and likely will) order the zombie to protect them. We also do not suggest you attempt to approach or attempt interaction with a Voodoo zombie. There is no way to tell how brain-damaged they may be, or how they will react to you.
Do NOT, we repeat, DO NOT terminate a Voodoo Zombie. A Voodoo Zombie is a human being, a live person. To terminate one would be committing murder.
Follow Up
There is little to follow up on with the Voodoo Zombie. With the spread of Christianity and Islam to areas that have historically practiced voudon the creation of Voodoo Zombies has fallen into increasing obscurity.
Just remember that a Voodoo Zombie is still a human being. One that has been intentionally brain damaged by and is in the control of a voudon bokor, yes, but a human being nonetheless.
Image Credit: elasticcamel
Related Posts
There seems to be a great deal of confusion on whether or not zombies will attack animals, and if they do, will those animals become infected, simply die, or go on with their lives. As this video shows, some types of zombies will indeed attack animals that enter their vicinity, but this is not always the case.
Some types of zombies will indeed attack an animal, though those same types will typically attack any warm or moving object. Some types of zombies will only attack certain types of animals (e.g., mammals but not lizards,) and some types of zombies will only go after a human being.
To make this a little more straightforward we have come up with the following lists to help you in knowing whether or not your family pets are safe.
Zombies that Will Attack Animals:
Zombies that Will Only Attack Humans
- Chemical Zombies
- Nano-Zombies
- Techno-Zombies
- Other Miscellaneous
To understand how to identify each type of zombie, please click on the links above and review the various articles. This will advise you on how to identify your zombies, and find out whether they are a threat to only you, or if you need to protect your pets as well.
One important item to note when reviewing the articles, not all zombie types can be spread to your animals. So while you may want to protect Spot from being eaten, if he does get bitten, you do not necessarily need to put him out of his misery.
If your pet/horse/cow/sheep does receive a bite, and you are unsure what type of zombie you have encountered, the safest option is to put the animal down. We understand that this is difficult (nigh on impossible for some.) We are pet owners and animal lovers ourselves, and to have to put down your own animal is one of the most difficult decisions one can make, even if it isn’t due to an infected bite from a zombie.
That said, the infected pet is no longer the loving, caring creature you have shared time and adventures with. If not now, then soon it will turn into a vicious, ravenous creature with only your death in mind.
If you cannot bring yourself to put your pet down, and you have not been able to identify the type of zombie bite it has received, you have two options.
- Have an acquaintance do the dirty work for you. Do NOT let a friend do it. It will ruin your relationship completely. You will always question your decision, and if a friend has to put down your beloved pet, you will forever look at them with that question, and that anger. Make sure the person you ask is someone you either don’t like, or don’t have a close connection with. It will change your relationship with them as well, but it’s less likely to ruin a friendship. Ironically, it may even lead to a stronger connection with that person.
- Lock the possibly infected animal up and monitor it over the course of several days. An infection that can spread to an animal will show its signs within 72-120 hours (three to five days.) If your pet is still its same old self after that time, you can consider yourself reasonably safe and release them.
NOTE: We cannot stress enough how dangerous, and frankly stupid this option is. Primarily, keeping a potentially infected animal locked up for up to a week can cause issues of its own. What if you have to move because of a coming horde? What about the animals natural biological processes and the necessary cleanup? Where can you keep a horse locked up that where you can guarantee it won’t escape, break free, etc.?
Additionally, there is no guarantee that even after five, ten, or even 100 days that your pet is guaranteed infection free. All creatures have different resistances to infections. Your chihuahua may be naturally immune to the zombie bacteria, but can still pass it on if he bites you. The only way to guarantee your safety from your pet is to put it down, no matter how difficult the decision.
To be blunt, it’s you or them. In a war against the zombification of all humanity your pet may become collateral damage. It’s sad, it’s difficult to come to terms with, it’s your only guarantee for safety.
In the war against zombies, animals are often caught in the middle. Many people are forced to abandon their pets when they go on the run. Even more are turned and have no recollection of their family and friends, much less their pets.
While some animals are trained to help humanity against the zombie threats, many are left to fend for themselves and have been known to become a danger in themselves. Feral packs of both dogs, cats, and even escaped zoo animals have been known to roam urban wastelands after an outbreak.
For these reasons, we recommend that if you are a pet owner and you realize that an outbreak is occurring, please do something about your pets. They will not likely be able to make it through the outbreak alive, and may even become a danger to you and your survival group. We know it’s difficult, but it may become necessary.
Video Credit: VideoSlave
[...] there are two zombie types that are not affected by any of these outside forces. The first is the Voodoo Zombie, and as mentioned in the article, they are actually still alive. Just brain damaged. Brain [...]
Posted on November 11th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
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