With the so-called zombie apocalypse
approaching, one must be educated about the different kinds of
zombies before prepping for defense. First, there is the most common
and believable-the human that turns into a zombie because of mental
collapse, disease, infection, and/or radiation. They stagger around
dazed and confused and cause panic to others. Then there is the
man-made monster kind or the kind Hollywood and horror authors like
me tend to capitalize on.
Zombie interest continues to fascinate
the world. Jeffrey Dahmer drilled holes then poured acid down his
victim’s heads in hopes of creating his own zombie. His madness
didn’t work. Can man make his own zombie? Are these monsters
real?
According to Wade Davis, author of The
Serpent of the Rainbow, zombies are real. They are a product of
the Voodoo religion. He was originally hired by a pharmaceutical
company to find out about the drugs Voduists used in their death
rituals. He believed that datura also known as zombie’s cucumber
was a plant that could medically make one who ingested it appear to
be dead for a certain length of time. Sounds like the stuff Juliet
used to fake her death. Could Shakespeare known about the magical
zombie-making plant?
Datura or sometimes Cimora, a close
relative of Datura’s, eventually wears off but leaves the victim in
a state of confusion, highly susceptible to the art of persuasion.
Presto! A zombie slave is at the captor’s disposal. Mr. Davis
didn’t just find his datura flower, but witnessed zombie phenomena
as he immersed himself within the Haitian culture.
Bad Juju is a unique blend of
horror, romance, and fantasy. Besides The Serpent and the
Rainbow, I read volumes of other Voodoo material and watched
hours of TV specials. Some of the terms I learned can be found
below:
Bokor: A wizard who practices black
magic, a zombie maker.
Loa: deity/spirit
Ghede Family: A family of loas known as
the spirits of the dead. Three barons rule the family. Baron Samedi
is the loa of resurrection. Baron Kriminel is the most feared loa
associated with cannibalism and souls. He’s honored on The Day of
the Dead. Baron LaCroix is the loa of the dead and sexuality.
Poppet: Voodoo doll
Ti-bon-ange: “little good angel”
The part of the soul that represents a person’s individuality.
Gros-bon-ange: “great good angel”
Part of the soul that is collected into a reservoir of the Cosmos or
spirit world.
Baka: Voodoo spirits in animal form.
Loup Garou: werewolf
Djab: a devil
Dessounin: Death ritual that separates
the gros-bon-ange from the body.
Bizango Society: Secret society of
Vodouists. They have Freemason-like qualities such as aprons, secret
handshakes, oaths, hierarchy, and symbols. Legend states they change
into animals at will. They are known for stealing black cats and
boiling them to death for Voodoo services. They drink each other’s
blood from a human skull chalice.
Bad Juju is available on Amazon for
1.99
1 comment:
Happy Halloween to you too! Bad JuJu is one of the best books I've ever read. Totally Wicked! I do believe man kind can make their own Zombies with medicines and brainwashing - LOL
Have an awesome Halloween!
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