How Zombies Became Halloween’s Most Iconic Monsters

by Will DeFour, age 15

With Halloween just around the corner, many monsters can be seen around Madison, in neighborhoods, yards, and windows. One of these classic horrors is the zombie, a walking corpse whose bite turns the living undead. Where did this myth come from, and how has this beast changed over the years?

The zombie's origins can be traced to West Africa and the stories told by enslaved people brought to Haiti. According to Haitian folklore, a zombie is a soulless body reanimated by a sorcerer's spell, often controlled to serve the sorcerer without a will of its own. This myth later became associated with the Haitian Vodou religion, a syncretic blend of West African, indigenous, and Roman Catholic traditions. The zombie myth found its way to the United States, inspiring numerous books and movies.

In 1872, the zombie was defined in the U.S. as “a phantom or ghost, often heard about in the southern states and among servants.” Decades later, author Zora Neale Hurston researched Haitian customs and included the zombie myth in her 1938 book Tell My Horse. She defined a zombie as “the living dead, people who are resurrected but without their souls. They can take orders and are never supposed to be tired, doing whatever their master says.” This definition highlights the zombie’s connection to themes of slavery and control in Caribbean folklore.

As the zombie myth spread across America, it became a popular subject in horror films, the most famous of which is Night of the Living Dead, released in 1968. Directed by George A. Romero, the film made about $12 million in U.S. box offices, roughly 250 times more than its budget. Romero’s film sparked a wave of zombie movies, using the creatures as a vehicle for social commentary. “Audiences at the time drew connections between the action on the screen and the fight for civil rights,” one NPR article explained.

As it continues to plague the public with nail-biting stories, the tale of the zombie has a long and interesting history that may help shed light on the ghouls that walk the streets this time of year.

[Sources: National Public Radio, IMDB]