Request

[sopapia]

Hello all, I apologize if this is against the rules. I'm not an anthropologist, but I'm researching zombies, and I'm trying to find information about a video that I saw a long time ago. It was (supposedly) real footage of a woman (in Haiti?) who had been beaten to death, and then turned up in her village after she was buried. She's shown wandering

Comments

[sopapia]

Thanks! I'll check the Nat'l Geo website. :)

[theh]

oops, sorry. (see slightly edited post)

[theh]

This probably isn't the most reliable resource, but I remember seeing a whole documentary on zombies in Haiti like a year ago I think on National Geographic (though it may have been Discovery...). So that's out there somewhere, don't know if that's the same video as what you're talking about.

[chilledglove]

this might be of interest: http://65.127.124.62/south_asia/4483241.stm.htm

[sopapia]

Jesus! How many horror films will that one spawn? Thanks for the link, fascinating.

[miss_geek]

that was an april fools joke, check the date ;)

[sopapia]

*facepalm*

That'll teach me. Thing is, Condy's comment? Didn't faze me in the least.

The violence and heart-starting did raise an eyebrow.

[sopapia]

Thanks for the rec! Will do!

[shera34]

Yes! That was what I was going to recommend if no one else had!

[planetsalign]

The people of Hati are well known for their usage of voodoo, particualarly certain tribes that utilize the poison of a blowfish to raise the dead for a short amount of time.

[sopapia]

Yeah, I knew a little about that (from the show I can't quite remember)- I was specifically interested in the woman. I was just chancing my luck here- wanted to see if it rang any bells. :D

[chiaroscuroman]

The poison of the blowfish - tetrodotoxin, isn't used to raised the dead. Rather, the way it creates zombies has to do with the fact that it is a potent neurotoxin that paralyzes victims. Thus, an individual begins to become paralyzed, their heartrate and breathing diminishes greatly and by the time the paralysis reaches the diaphram, the individual asphyxiates. If a person is able to survive the tetrodotoxin and not asphyxiate, the neurotoxin will eventually wear off and the individual will regain function of their bodies. However, tetrodotoxin does not cross the blood-brain barrier, meaning that the brain continues to work at full capacity and an individual that may seem paralyzed or even dead, is actually full conscious of their surroundings. If tetrodotoxin is what is used to "create" zombies, then its not actually the toxin itself that does it, but the ordeal the individual goes through while being buried and having to dig themselves out of their graves.

Tetrodotoxin

[yipeeskipp]

Also, check out this link, found at the bottom of the tetrodotoxin wiki page: Clairvius Narcisse