Did You Know Thursday: Halloween Legends and Lore, Part 2: Zombies & Ghosts

Last week on my Did You Know Thursday I covered vampires and werewolves, you can read that here. This week I am going to cover a few more “monsters” that are often associated with Halloween, zombies, and ghosts. I mean, what’s more Halloween than a ghost? Maybe witches? But I covered those here.

So I’ll ask again…

Did you know that each of the creepy beings that are associated with Halloween has an origin legend based in history?

So, let’s delve right into this week’s feature monsters:

Zombies –

Zombies are frequently portrayed as undead, decaying corpses. The undead have enjoyed a popularity surge in recent years. Just think about it, we’ve loved The Walking Dead, Zombieland (my favorite), World War Z, and I Am Legend. But why are we as a culture so interested in these walking corpses? I think part of it is that most of us view a zombie apocalypse as a very real possibility at some point in the future (or maybe not haha).

However, unlike many other monsters, that are mostly a product of superstition, religion and/or fear, zombies are based in fact. There have been several verified cases of zombies reported from within the Haitian voodoo culture.

But what do we know about zombies? A zombie is typically either a reawakened corpse with a ravenous appetite or someone bitten by another zombie infected with some sort of “zombie virus.”

Zombies are strong but robotic beings with rotting flesh. Their only mission is to feed. Some have super speed while others move very slowly. Generally speaking, the best way to “kill” an already undead zombie is to shoot it in the head or to remove the head from the body.

Zombies in History

The earliest civilization that was terrorized by fear of the undead were the Ancient Greeks. Evidence of this fear is provided by the fact that many ancient graves contained skeletons pinned down by rocks and other heavy objects. You’ve gotta assume this was to prevent the dead bodies from reawakening.

There is some mention of zombies in the Bible but in the same sense as pop culture zombies. There are many references to bodies being reawakened or resurrected which may have inspired zombie myths throughout history. Some of these can be found in the Book of Ezekiel, the Book of Isaiah,

Interestingly, there are tons of passages in both the Old and New Testaments about the resurrection of saints and sinners in the end times. This could be one reason why so many zombie stories are associated with an apocalypse.

However, the most prominent Zombie folklore has been around for centuries in Haiti. Feasibly originating in the 17th century when West African slaves were transported in to work on Haiti’s sugar cane plantations. Inhumane conditions left the slaves longing for freedom. Leading some to believe that, the life or rather the afterlife of a zombie represented the horrendous plight of slavery.

“Zombie”. A Zombie, at twilight, in a field of cane sugar of haïti. Wikimedia.

Zombies are also closely related to Voodoo from a historical standpoint. While many believe that zombies are simply a myth, some believe that zombies are people revived by a voodoo practitioner known as a bokor. These practitioners traditionally use herbs, shells, animal parts, bones, and other objects to create concoctions including “zombie powders.” When used carefully these “zombie powders” cause zombie like symptoms. Including difficulty walking, mental confusion and respiratory problems.

Whether you’re a zombie fanatic or the thought of the undead causes your skin to crawl, they’re a major part of modern pop culture. While the zombie myth may have a basis in fact, one things for sure, today’s obsession with zombies and the zombie apocalypse has taken on a life of its own.

Ghosts –

Since ancient times, ghost stories, tales of spirits who return from the dead to haunt the places they left behind, have been prominently featured in the folklore of cultures around the world. Many of these ghost stories feature 2 commonalities: the ghost died violently and many of the ghoulish tales include prominent figures such as queens, gangsters, and politicians.

But what do we know about ghosts? The whole idea of ghosts is based on the ancient notion that the spirit exists separately from the body, enabling the spirit to live on even after the body’s death. This is why funeral rituals began, to ensure that the spirit did not remain after the body was put to rest.

Generally speaking, places that are haunted by ghosts are believed to be linked with some occurrence or emotion in the ghost’s past. This often includes a former home or the place where the person died. Sometimes hauntings include ghoulish aspirations, but other traditional signs of haunting include strange noises, lights, odors or breezes to the displacement of objects, or bells that ring spontaneously.

Ghosts In History –

Ghosts stories go way back, to the first century A.D., the Roman author and statesman Pliny the Younger recorded the first notable ghost stories in his letters. These letters became famous for their vivid account of life during the heyday of the Roman Empire. Pliny recounted that the specter of an old man with a long beard, rattling chains, was haunting his house in Athens. The Greek writer Lucian and fellow Roman Plautus also wrote unforgettable ghost stories.

Attic funerary lekythos for Myrrhine, represented while she is taken by hand by Hermes psychopompos to be escorted to Hades. From Athens, circa 420/410 BC. On display in Room 10 of the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Wikimedia.

Historical Ghost Stories –

Perhaps one of my favorite historical ghost stories comes from England. You know I’m obsessed with the Tudor Dynasty so, of course; I LOVE a Tudor ghost story! This particular one dates back to the 16th century, Anne Boleyn, who was the second wife of King Henry VIII and mother of Queen Elizabeth I (another one of my favorites), was executed at the Tower of London in May 1536.

*King Henry and Anne Boleyn Deer shooting in Windsor Forest*. 1903. Wikimedia.

Anne was accused of witchcraft, treason, incest, and adultery. Sightings of Boleyn’s ghost have been reported at the tower as well as in various other locations, including her childhood home, Hever Castle, in Kent. I haven’t been to Hever Castle yet but I can’t wait to visit and hopefully run into Anne Boleyn’s ghost!

In the United States, we’ve got some pretty fantastic historical figures who haunt some pretty impressive places. For instance, Ben Franklin haunts the Philosophical Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The White House itself is a hotbed of ghoulish activity. The most prominent ghost here is Abraham Lincoln who has reportedly been seen by many foreign dignitaries. This was particularly true during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. While he may be the most prominent, he isn’t the only or oldest ghost to haunt the White House.

Let’s not forget the first President to live in the White House. John Adams and first lady Abigail. You see, the first lady used to hold elaborate receptions and dinner parties even while the White House was only half built. These were some highly coveted invitations but there were certainly problems. The most immediate being where to hang the family wash.

John and Abigail Adams. New England Historical Society.

The White House wasn’t very well heated back in those days, and several rooms were cold and damp. Mrs. Adams decided that the East Room was the warmest and driest place in her home, and that is where she had the clothesline strung. The first lady has never forgotten, and her ghost is often seen hurrying down the hall to the East Room. Most report seeing her arms outstretched as if carrying a load of laundry. She can be recognized by the cap and lace shawl she favored in life.

The interesting thing about ghosts is that it’s not just the ghost itself but the haunting that gets us. Some places just seem to lend themselves to hauntings, perhaps due to the dramatic or grisly events that occurred there in the past. Read about 3 haunted place/ghost stories in Salem, Massachusetts here. Or the Night Spirits Tour I took at the Stanley Hotel here.