The evolution of the literary monster is fascinating-- even more so when you understand the history of the different societies and their cultural hiccups, but old fears haven't withered away, and what goes bump in the night is still very much the same thing for us...
When I was studying the history of early English literature, I was taught that cannibalism is considered the ultimate evil among humans and it resurfaces over and over again in literature. Cannibalism was not unknown to the people of medieval times-- the eating of flesh to survive is recorded in the histories of the famine in England in 1005 and throughout other parts of Europe in 1016.
In Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Requim Britanniae ("History of the Kings of Britain"), Caldwallo was starving to death when he asked his nephew, Brian, to hunt for meat on the island (Guernsey). Brian failed to find anything, so he cut flesh from his own thigh, cooked it, and gave the meat to Cadwallo. Here, the King unknowingly consumes human flesh and the person responsible is also the victim. This somewhat 'accepted' instance of cannibalism for survival differs greatly from the way cannibals are depicted as misshapen freaks in Liber Monstrorum, Dante's Divina Commedia, and by Grendel in Beowulf. The atrocity continues in historical texts, documenting cannibalism found in Muslim geography during the Crusades-- more than likely to signify the 'giant' defeating a 'monster' in a way that champions Christianity and justifies the brutality of the quest. These are only a few examples of cannibalism in early English literature, as there are innumerable references.
Zombie books have remained notably popular over the past several years, being supported by numerous films and recently, the television show, The Walking Dead. Zombie fans have a die-hard following that's infiltrated every type of media, especially video games.
Is it no wonder that today, zombie movies and literature remain so popular? We've not exchanged our monsters for hundreds of years...we're still frightened of humans consuming humans.
For those people thinking zombies are a 'fad', I hesitate to agree until we find something new to be afraid of...that is, unless it finds us first.
--Hamilton Cromwell,
YOUR Historical Zombie
