The power to take on the abilities of a Voodoo Zombie. Variation of Zombie Physiology.
Also Called[]
- Haitian Zombie Physiology
Capabilities[]
Users of this ability have the ability to take on the traits of a Voodoo Zombie, also known as a Haitian Zombie. These are the origin of the more well-known zombie of popular culture but are very different entities. For one, they do not feed on the living to survive and do not gather in packs of ravenous hordes; instead they are the cursed remains of an individual brought back to life by a bokor to do their bidding.
Voodoo Zombies are thus servants who have been separated from their souls, becoming completely enthralled to the bokor as a result. However, eventually even zombies will be claimed by God and put to rest, making them temporary beings. A central theme of Voodoo zombies is a duality between body and soul, with the bokor often stealing the soul of a zombie and keeping it in a jar, thus a zombie is considered to be missing a vital part of itself.
While mostly the work of bokors, some zombies could also be created by loa, such as Baron Samedi, often as punishment for offending them. It is implied those who are zombified by beings such as Baron Samedi suffer a far worse fate than those reanimated by bokors, since loa hold much greater authority over the afterlife and thus could keep a zombie enslaved for far, far longer than a bokor.
It is also possible for Voodoo zombies to be forced into existence by a curse. In this scenario, they are not servants to the bokor but still lack a true existence, being miserable creatures that seek to end their curse. Often, in order to do so, the bokor must be killed or convinced to lift their curse, at which point the zombie may find rest.
Key Features[]
- Do not feed on the living, existing either to serve the master or as part of a cursed existence.
- Usually solitary beings.
- Slow-moving and strong, limited in intelligence but once given a task will stop at nothing to achieve it.
- Lack a soul or have had their soul captured by mystic means, thus are considered neither fully alive nor dead.
- Temporary beings that will cease to exist after their curse has been lifted, do not infect the living.
Applications[]
Variations[]
Associations[]
Limitations[]
- Vulnerable to certain rituals and prayers, especially those of the Voodoo faith.
- Exist to serve the bokor, without whom they cease to function.
- Feeding salt to a zombie will free them from their cursed existence and return them to proper death.
- Alternatively, they may exist as a curse from a bokor rather than just to serve, in which case they will earn their proper death once the bokor is killed or willingly lifts the curse.
Known Users[]
- Zombies (Haitian Folklore)
- Zombies (Scoooby Doo on Zombie Island)
- Zombies (Pirates of the Caribbean)