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7 SCRIPTed 351 (2010)
The Zombie from Myth to Reality: Wade Davis, Academic Scandal and the Limits of the Real

handle is hein.journals/scripted7 and id is 351 raw text is: Volume 7, Issue 2, August 2010 THE ZOMBIE FROM MYTH TO REALITY: WADE DAVIS, ACADEMIC SCANDAL AND THE LIMITS OF THE REAL David Inglis* Abstract The figure of the zombie is one of the most ubiquitous in contemporary popular culture. They are also beginning to be more at the centre of academic attention in a range of areas, beyond specialists in ethnology and folkloric beliefs. The image of the zombie seems to symbolise and embody a diverse range of phenomena. But the figure of the zombie was not always so intellectually respectable, especially if it was claimed that zombies were not just symbols but were in fact real. In the mid-1980s the ethnobotanist Wade Davis claimed that far from being only folkloric images, zombies were in fact made in Haiti. Actual cases of zombification could be demonstrated, and proven to result from the particular religious, social, moral and legal codes of Haitian peasant society. Davis's publication of the claims caused a storm of controversy that in some ways has still not subsided. This paper traces out the nature both of Davis's claims, and the scandal they gave rise to. Reasons are offered as to why the zombie subject matter seemed at the time to be so scandalous. The implications of Davis's unintended contribution to the development of taking zombies seriously within the academy are presented and reflected upon. DOI: 10.2966/scrip.070210.351 © David Inglis 2010. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. Please click on the link to read the terms and conditions. Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Aberdeen.

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