zombi

Zombi, or zombie, is a term used for two related concepts in folklore and modern culture. In Haitian Vodou and related Caribbean traditions, a zombi refers to a person who is believed to have been reanimated or kept in a state of servitude by magical means, often under the control of another person. In contemporary popular culture, the word primarily denotes undead beings that are revived after death or otherwise animated, typically depicted as lacking autonomy and driven by instinct.

The name and idea are tied to Haitian Creole zombi, with suggested linguistic connections to West African languages. Some scholars trace the root to the Kongo Nzambi or nzumbi, meaning spirit or god, but the exact etymology is debated. The Haitian zombi tradition arose within the context of slavery and colonialism, blending African spiritual concepts with local practices and later evolving under European influence. Anthropologists emphasize that the traditional zombie is a social symbol as well as a miraculous or terrifying figure, reflecting fears about control, coercion, and loss of personhood.

In modern media, zombies are ubiquitous across films, novels, video games, and television. Their portrayals range from slow, mindless corpses to fast, intelligent beings, and origins may be magical, viral, chemical, or purely fictional. While fictional zombies draw on historical motifs, real-world beliefs about actual zombification are not supported by scientific evidence, and most scholars treat the zombie as a cultural construct rather than a biological phenomenon.

Related topics include undead folklore, Vodou, and horror cinema.