The ghost of Barbara Radziwiłł by Wojciech Gerson: ghosts are a common form of undead in folklore

Undead is a collective name for beings that the superstitious believe are deceased yet behave as if alive. Biography Barbara was the daughter of a powerful Magnate of the Radziwiłł family Castellan, Voivode and Hetman of the Superstition ( Latin superstitio, literally "standing over" derived perhaps from standing in awe used in Latin as a unreasonable or excessive belief Undead may be spiritual, such as ghosts, or corporeal, such as vampires and zombies. The term supernatural or supranatural ( Latin: super, supra "above" + natura "nature" pertains to entities events A ghost is said to be the apparition of a Deceased person frequently similar in appearance to that person and usually encountered in places she or he frequented With regard to living things, a body is the integral physical material of an individual Vampires are mythological or folkloric revenants who subsist by feeding on the blood of the living zombie is a reanimated human corpse Stories of zombies originated in the Afro-Caribbean spiritual belief system of Vodou, which told of the people being controlled Undead are featured in the legends of most cultures and in many works of fantasy and horror fiction. A legend ( Latin, legenda, "things to be read" is a Narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting Horror fiction is broadly Fiction in any medium intended to scare unsettle or horrify the audience

Bram Stoker considered the term "The Un-Dead" for the original title for his novel Dracula (1897),^[1] and its use in the novel is mostly responsible for the modern sense of the word. Abraham "Bram" Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912 was an Irish writer of novels and short stories who is best known today for his 1897 horror Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, featuring as its primary Antagonist the vampire Count Dracula. The word does appear in English before Stoker but with the more literal sense of "alive" or "not dead," for which citations can be found in the Oxford English Dictionary. The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED) published by the Oxford University Press (OUP is a comprehensive Dictionary of the English Stoker's use of the term refers only to vampires, and the extension to other types of supernatural beings arose later. Vampires are mythological or folkloric revenants who subsist by feeding on the blood of the living Most commonly, it is now taken to refer to supernatural beings which had at one time been alive and continue to display some aspects of life after death, but the usage is highly variable.

Creation

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's novel Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus introduced a new variant of undead, the dead brought back to "life" by science, though Frankenstein's creature bears some similarity to a golem. Mary Shelley ( Née Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin; 30 August Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus, generally known as Frankenstein, is a Novel written by the British author Mary Shelley Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding In Jewish folklore, a golem (גולם sometimes as in Yiddish, pronounced goilem) is an animated being created entirely from inanimate matter Similar works include H. P. Lovecraft's short story "Herbert West—Reanimator" and the Re-Animator film franchise inspired by the story. Howard Phillips Lovecraft ( August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author of horror, fantasy Herbert West is a Fictional character created by H P Lovecraft for his Short story " Herbert West&mdashReanimator " first published Re-Animator is a 1985 Horror film directed by Stuart Gordon and based on the H

Both legend and popular culture discuss various methods for creating undead creatures. Most involve the reanimation of a corpse, as with zombies, skeletons, and ghouls. Regarding ghosts, the spirit lives on after death, forming an intangible physical body that often mirrors the one the spirit had in life. Rituals propitiating the uneasy spirits of the dead were a feature of ancient Greek religion (keres) and ancient Roman religion (lemures). A ritual is a set of actions often thought to have Symbolic value the performance of which is usually prescribed by a Religion or by the Traditions Greek religion encompasses the collection of beliefs and rituals practiced in Ancient Greece in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices. Ancient Roman religion encompasses the collection of Beliefs and Rituals practised in Ancient Rome in the form of Cult practices In Roman mythology, the larvae or lemures (singular lemur) were the spectres or spirits of the dead they were the malignant version of the

In some cases, the undead, especially skeletons and zombies, are under the control of a necromancer. Necromancy ( Greek νεκρομαντία nekromantía) is a form of Divination in which the practitioner seeks to summon "operative spirits" In other cases, such as zombies as depicted in film and vampires, the undead existence is passed on like a curse or disease. With liches, the powers of undead are sought after by the participant of a magical ritual that turns them from a living being to a lich. Ghosts are said to be kept in their undead state by willpower, either from a keen desire to remain with the living or from a wish to see something completed that they could not do during their lifetime.

Creation of Zombies

Zombies were a part of Voodoo, a religion which originated in Haiti. The necromancer was known as a Bokor, and selected a victim. The Bokor placed a cocktail of poisonous substances, most notably pufferfish. Tetraodontidae is a family of primarily marine and estuarine fish Over a course of a couple weeks, the victim would assume a death-like state, and be buried, only to be dug up by the Bokor. The victim, suffering from brain damage, would seem to many to be a reanimated corpse. This process is assumed to work because of the brain damaging properties of the poison. However, a substantial specimen has yet to be found.

Forms of Undead

• Skeletons

See Skeleton (undead)

• Zombies

See Zombie

• Vampires

See Vampire

• Ghosts

See Ghost

• Wraiths

See Wraith

• Liches

See Lich

In many popular cultures (Mainly videogames) these forms of undead are also seen in a variety of subgroups, such as Ancient Vampires, Guardian Wraiths and Archliches. An animated skeleton is a type of physically manifested Undead often found in Fantasy, gothic and Horror fiction, and mythical zombie is a reanimated human corpse Stories of zombies originated in the Afro-Caribbean spiritual belief system of Vodou, which told of the people being controlled Vampires are mythological or folkloric revenants who subsist by feeding on the blood of the living A ghost is said to be the apparition of a Deceased person frequently similar in appearance to that person and usually encountered in places she or he frequented A wraith is an apparition of a person living or dead that may appear shortly before or after death In modern Fantasy fiction, a lich (ˈlɪtʃ (sometimes spelled liche, Cognate to German Leiche "corpse" is a type of

Vulnerabilities

In fiction and folklore, undead creatures are often hostile toward the living. Defending against the undead is often portrayed as difficult; most zombie movies, for example, usually depict zombies as being resistant to normal attacks. In such movies (e. g. Night of the Living Dead), only a direct shot to the head seems to stop them. Night of the Living Dead (1968 directed by George Romero, is an independent Black-and-white Horror film. Some times it is even required to destroy the whole body, such as burning it. They are often shown as vulnerable to sacred or blessed objects, such as crosses and holy water. Holy water can also refer to water that has been blessed, such as by a Priest, and is considered Holy. This is seen in Dracula, wherein a crucifix burns the vampire. Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, featuring as its primary Antagonist the vampire Count Dracula. In some games, undead are damaged by magic spells that normally heal a living being and by fire-based attacks. Additionally, a line of salt is sometimes shown as a suitable barrier to the undead. Salt is a Dietary mineral composed primarily of Sodium chloride that is essential for Animal life but toxic to most land plants

Vampires are traditionally depicted as being susceptible to a stake through the heart or decapitation, though various traditions have different means of dealing with them. ^[2] Zombies are often portrayed as able to attack when dismembered, although the zombie-like ghouls in Night of the Living Dead could be dispatched by a "shot in the head, or a heavy blow to the skull". Night of the Living Dead (1968 directed by George Romero, is an independent Black-and-white Horror film.

Incorporeal undead are frequently shown as being difficult to defend against, as in most depictions normal physical weapons pass harmlessly through their forms. In some games (such as Dungeons & Dragons) ghosts can only be dispatched by enchanted,silver or pure iron weapons. A game is a structured activity, usually undertaken for Enjoyment and sometimes also used as an Educational tool Dungeons & Dragons (abbreviated as D&D or DnD) is a Fantasy Role-playing game (RPG originally designed by ^[3] However, in other fiction the only way to get rid of them permanently is to discover what duty or task they failed to complete in life (such as in Chapter 4 of The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis). Ambrosio or the Monk is a Gothic novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis which first appeared in 1796. ( 9 July 1775 &ndash 14 May 1818) was an English Novelist and Dramatist, often referred to as "Monk" ^[4]

Undead are often depicted as vulnerable to sunlight and fire. They may also perish when their creator is likewise dispatched, and may be unable to cross certain symbolic boundaries or even natural barriers like running water as in Sabriel by Garth Nix. This article is about the book For the character Sabriel herself see Sabriel (character.

In fantasy games, mummies are often depicted as being exceptionally vulnerable to fire due to the presence of dry cloth filled with chemicals used to preserve their bodies. They have also been described as vulnerable to water as it dissolves the flesh and dampens the bandages, destroying them by using the damp bandages to crush its dusty core.

In some cultures, various plants are said to repel the undead. Examples include garlic and wolfsbane, as well as rosewood, rowan, hazel, willow, and holly. Allium sativum L, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the Onion family Alliaceae. Aconitum ( A-co-ní-tum) known as aconite, monkshood, wolfsbane, leopard's bane, women's bane The rowans or mountain-ashes are Plants in the family Rosaceae, in the Genus Sorbus, subgenus Sorbus The hazels ( Corylus) are a genus of Deciduous Trees and large Shrubs native to the temperate northern hemisphere Willows, sallows and osiers form the Genus Salix, around 400 species of Deciduous Trees and Shrubs found primarily Holly ( Ilex) is a Genus of about 600 Species of Flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only This modern tradition appears to be based on pre-Christian belief that some plants are sacred. ^[5] Wolfsbane, in fact, is a powerful poison, and should be handled with extreme care. Aconitum ( A-co-ní-tum) known as aconite, monkshood, wolfsbane, leopard's bane, women's bane

Fiction and films

See also: Vampire fiction and Zombies in popular culture

Many films have been made about the undead, usually vampires, zombies, and mummies, including such fiction as Dracula, The Crow, Night of the Living Dead, and The Mummy. Vampire literature covers the spectrum of literary work concerned principally with the subject of Vampires The literary vampire first appeared in eighteenth century poetry Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, featuring as its primary Antagonist the vampire Count Dracula. The Crow is a Comic book series created by James O'Barr. The series was originally written by O'Barr as a means of dealing with the death Night of the Living Dead (1968 directed by George Romero, is an independent Black-and-white Horror film.

Games and popular culture

Undead are a popular adversary in fantasy and horror settings. They feature prominently in many role-playing games, computer role-playing games, MMORPGs and strategy games. A role-playing game ( RPG; often roleplaying game) is a Game in which the participants assume the roles of Fictional characters. A computer role-playing game ( CRPG) is a broad Video game genre originally developed for personal computers and other home computers A massively multiplayer online role-playing game ( MMORPG) is a genre of Computer role-playing games (CRPGs in which a large number of players interact with A strategy game is a Game (eg computer, video or Board game) in which the players' decision-making skills have a high significance In such games, special rules are often given for the undead.

In Dungeons & Dragons and similar systems, clerics can attempt to "turn" undead by invoking their patron deities or channeling "positive energy" (other-dimensional life energy, which animates and heals living creatures, and is the antithesis of negative energy, which animates and heals undead creatures. Dungeons & Dragons (abbreviated as D&D or DnD) is a Fantasy Role-playing game (RPG originally designed by In the Dungeons & Dragons Role-playing game, the cleric is one of the base character classes. In the Dungeons & Dragons Fantasy Role-playing game, creature types are rough categories of creatures which determine the way game ) This forces the undead creature away from the cleric; powerful clerics are capable of completely destroying weaker undead creatures with this ability. Although the act of turning away the undead relies primarily on power of faith, a holy symbol is usually required as a focus for the divine power being invoked. Religious symbolism is the use of Symbols including Archetypes, acts artwork events or natural phenomena, by a religion This is derived from the traditional notion that vampires could be repelled by the cross. The Christian cross is the best-known Religious symbol of Christianity. Clerics of evil gods can rebuke and control the undead in a similar fashion, by means of necromancy. Necromancy ( Greek νεκρομαντία nekromantía) is a form of Divination in which the practitioner seeks to summon "operative spirits" ^[6]

In Dungeons & Dragons and other games such as Final Fantasy, undead can be damaged by using magical effects that heal normal living beings. ^[7]

In videogame settings such as Poxnora and World of Warcraft undead NPC's or players gain advantages that come with the undead state, such as immunity to Fear mechanics, Mind Control, Bleeding, Disease, Poison and a variaty of other effects, be it fysical or mental, that do not apply to creatures with no living flesh, blood or a conscience state of mind. PoxNora Battlefield of the Immortals is a multiplayer online game that combines a Collectible card game with a Turn-based strategy game. World of Warcraft (commonly acronymed as WoW) is a Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG In these gamesettings undead also gain advantages such as being Incorporeal, disease spreading or being some form of spellcaster who is further augmented by his undead state. (undead spellcasters tend to be conscience in these videogame settings, though the same rules of no Fear or Mind controll apply)

Undead characters appear in many roles, be it a mindless horde of opponents (such as zombies or skeletons) or a thoughtful, plotting villain (such as vampires). Some games feature undead playable characters, such as Vampire: The Masquerade and World of Warcraft. Created by Mark Rein·Hagen, Vampire The Masquerade was the first of White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness live-action World of Warcraft (commonly acronymed as WoW) is a Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG Others, such as Diablo 2, allow the player to take on the role of a Necromancer and raise undead from corpses. Diablo II, sequel to the game Diablo, is a Dark fantasy -themed Action role-playing game in a Hack and slash and " Necromancy ( Greek νεκρομαντία nekromantía) is a form of Divination in which the practitioner seeks to summon "operative spirits"

In some stories and settings, such as the Lorien Trust LARP, the word "unliving" is used as a preferential synonym. Lorien Trust (sometimes abbreviated to LT) is the trading name of Merlinroute ltd A live action role-playing game ( LARP) is a form of Role-playing game where the participants physically act out their characters' actions In reference to the political correctness movement, the undead are sometimes jokingly referred to as the "living-impaired". Political correctness (adjectivally politically correct; both forms commonly abbreviated to PC) is a term applied to Language, ideas policies or behavior Vampires were sometimes likewise referred to as "Undead Americans" by characters in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the spin-off Angel. Fictional narratives (and works of art exist beyond their completion e Angel is an American Television series, a Spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

In philosophy

Jacques Derrida used the myth of the undead as a means to deconstruct the binary opposition between life and death. Deconstruction is a term used in Philosophy, Literary criticism, and the Social sciences, popularised through its usage by Jacques Derrida in In Critical theory, a binary opposition (also binary system) is a pair of theoretical opposites

In science

Being a construct of mythology and superstition, the term "undead" is not used in science. In science and medicine, a person that is revived from clinical death is regarded as alive because biological functions associated with life have been restored. Clinical death is the popular term for cessation of blood circulation and breathing The capacity for dead matter to behave as though it were alive in fictional representations of the "undead" does not scientifically exist.

See also

• Monster
• Afterlife
• Maschalismos
• Philosophical zombie
• Death and Death (personification)
• Life extension
• List of species in folklore and mythology
• List of species in folklore and mythology by type
• List of species in fantasy fiction

Footnotes and references