Zombies have been a pop culture sensation over the last century
Zombies have been a pop culture sensation over the last century . However, now many have heard of its origins, so let’s talk about it. The original zombies weren’t flesh-eating fiends. They were a projection of the experiences of Africans as slaves in the French colony of Saint Domingue, or Haiti. From 1625 until around 1800, Saint Domingue had inhumane and brutal practices of slavery. Slaves were brought in, and over half were worked to death. Instead of loosening up with the harsh treatment, the French imported more slaves. Haitian slaves believed that death would release them back to Africa in the afterlife. Although suicide was common amongst slaves, the belief was that those who committed suicide would be denied their bodies in the afterlife and live an eternity as undead slaves, or zombies. Overseers (usually other slaves) used this fear of zombification to discourage slaves from committing suicide. Zombies became Haitian folklore following the Haitian Revo...