Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyndaran
That's why added the bit about how myths vary.
But what is the minimum traits for a zombie? When does it start to intrude into other monsters like vampires as many early vampire myths kind of resemble Romero zombies?
Mummies, liches, vampires, and zombies all have some cross over.
So what makes something the last but not the previous?
|
Well, they're not really created as a non-redundant systatization of undead, but...
a) Zombies frequently, but not always, operate on an extremely low level of self awareness, motivational complexity, and cognition. Like an insect or maybe a snake, not a mammal. This can be true even when they have significant tool use capability, usually explained as remembered behaior from life. Most other undead (except the mindless skeletons common in games, which are basically flesh-less zombies). Most undead are usually modeled in the moderately smart animal to human range. Note again, this is not absolute, zombies of higher animal or even human intelligence are somewhat common. (The difference between a smart zombie and a lich in the sense you're likely to see today tends to be in the details - lichdom is normally voluntary, usually has a respawn mechanic, and tends to be a bit less meaty.)
b) Zombies typically have a closer resemblance to a normal human corpse than many other undead types, like vampires. The major (and dramatic) exception to this is the mutant and/or amalgamated zombies that are somewhat common these days.
...Also, the difference between a mummy and a zombie is largely ethnic cool.