Happy Birthday, Terry, hope you have great day :)
In other news, I thought I would related this little except from an early eighteenth-century travel journal for the zombie curious on my list, as well as those generally interested in death rituals:
This Father further tells us, that is is customary in the Kingdom of Congo for the natives to change their Wives with their Neighbours for a Time, alledging, that they are not always able to live upon the same Diet: And that at the Death of a Person, it is customary for them to kill Hens, and sprinkle the Blood both without and within-side the House, and then throw the Carcasses of the Fowls upon the top thereof, affirming, that thereby they prevent the Spirit of the dead person from coming to give Zumbi to any of the future Inhabitants; the Word Zumbi Signifies the Apparition of the dead Person, they being of Opinion to whomever it shall appear the Person shall presently die. The Ceremony of the hen being ended, they proceed to lament over the dead Corpse; and when they have howled and wept for some time, they all of a sudden pass from Sorrow to the Mirth and feasting, at the Expense of the Person who is nearest related to him unburied. When they have satisfied their Appetites, they soon forget their deceased Friend; then the Drum beats, and they all go to Dancing; and when they are tired with Dancing, they retire promiscuously, Men and Women, into dark Places or Rooms, and practice al manner of abominable Pleasures. When any Master of a Family dies, his principal Wife exposes herself to all that have a mind to enjoy her, on this Condition, that none offer to speak the least Word in her Chamber. They build Huts over their Graves. Thus much for Father Francis de Pavia.
-Natahaniel Uring, A History of the Voyages and travels of capt. Nathaniel Uring, London, 1749.
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