>>> Item number 21568 from WRITERS LOG9311D --- (77 records) ----- <<<
Date:         Fri, 26 Nov 1993 18:00:04 JST
Reply-To:     WRITERS <WRITERS@NDSUVM1.BITNET>
Sender:       WRITERS <WRITERS@NDSUVM1.BITNET>
From:         Mike Barker <barker@AEGIS.OR.JP>
Subject:      BACKGROUND: Zombies

A recent T.V. program here in Japan provided an interesting look at the
phenomenon of zombies in Haiti.  The president (I think that's what he
said) of the zombie-master's was the guest, and he had escorted a
Japanese film crew to meetings in Haiti with zombie-masters and several
zombies.  He had also enabled them to film and take samples of the
zombie powder, the rituals creating a zombie, feeding zombies, and other
"secrets" of the zombie society.

The president was an impressive man, speaking very clear English.  I
would guess he has attended college or read widely somewhere.  He said
he has over 600 zombie-masters under him.

Two samples of zombie powder (from different zombie masters) were
analyzed here in Japan.  One contained something the organic chemist
recognized, and he said it would cause a deep sleep, but not kill.  The
other contained something, but I think the organic chemist said he did
not recognize it.  Samples given to mice caused sleep in one case and no
apparent effect in the other case.

The president commented that the powder is one part, but the spirit and
rituals also make a difference in the effect.  He said the spirit and
rituals are what "kill" the zombie, making a slave for the master.  He
said you can't really separate the zombie from the society, that trying
to understand the chemistry apart from the society would not work.

Videotapes of several "interviews" with zombies (they don't talk much,
but... actually, one did talk some, others didn't.) were reviewed by
Japanese psychiatrists.  They indicated that several people displayed
symptoms they recognized, although they said the symptoms could be the
result of drugs or of mental problems (physically based brain problems,
I think?).  They thought these people would be given medical treatment
in Japan.

The president said, in effect, that that is what the zombie-master
provides.  They feed the zombies, tell them what to do, and run their
lives.

An interesting part was the preparation of food for the zombies - rice,
bananas, and goat meat, steamed.  No salt is used, and the zombie master
making the food explained that salt is very dangerous to zombies.

The president said that the belief is that salt can turn a zombie to
stone.  He said he is sure that there is really some small amount of
salt in the food, but that zombie masters are careful to keep their
zombies away from salt as much as possible.

[my gloss - One of the psychiatrists had suggested some kind of mineral
deficiencies might be involved.  Wonder if salt "cures" some zombies?]

My impression was that while using flashy language ("killed" instead of
committed; "zombie" instead of "mentally ill"; "zombie master" instead
of "caseworker"; etc.), what the president (and the videos, etc.) were
pointing to was a kind of socially functional mental care system.

One of the highlights of the program, for me, came near the end of the
program when the Japanese stars interviewing the president asked if he
had ever seen zombies outside of Haiti.

He smiled and said, "Oh, yes."

Where?

"I have ridden the trains here in Japan, and there are many, many
zombies here.  I see their spirits, and they are zombie spirits."

OUCH!

The stars didn't so much comment on this as simply smile and quickly go
on to other subjects:-)

tink