Undead - Definition


Undead - Definition

Undead is a collective name for all types of corporeal and non-corporeal entities who were once alive in the normal sense, died, and then continued to exist in the world of the living, usually as a ghost or animated corpse. Undead of different varieties are featured in the legends of most cultures on earth and in many works of fiction, especially fantasy and horror fiction.

The term "undead" was invented by Bram Stoker, in his novel Dracula.

Contents

1 Examples of undead

1.1 Corporeal
1.2 Incorporeal
1.3 Undead Originating in Fiction

2 See also

Examples of undead

Corporeal

Corporeal undead have an animated physical body that is otherwise biologically deceased.

Zombies, from the Voodoo religion
Draugrs, from Norse mythology
Vampires, of various cultures
Mylings, of Scandinavian folklore
Hopping corpses, of Chinese folklore
Ghouls
Medieval revenants, stories of undead from medieval chroniclers.

Incorporeal

Incorporeal undead have no tangible form, but exist in the world of the living as spirit entities.

Ghosts, common in many cultures - all types of non-corporeal undead could be said to be variations of ghosts
Will o' the wisps are sometimes said to be undead spirits in parts of Europe and North America
Mylings, of Scandinavian folklore
Poltergeists, originally of German origin

Undead Originating in Fiction

Corporeal:
- Liches
- Skeletons
- Mohrg
- Death knights
- Mummies in modern popular culture
Non-Corporeal:
- Wights/Barrow-wights

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's novel Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus introduced another variant on the dead that walk again, the dead brought back to 'life' by science. Similar works include H.P. Lovecraft's short story Herbert West, Re-Animator and the Re-Animator film franchise that it inspired.

A vast number of films have been made concerning the undead.

In some stories and settings, such as the Lorien Trust LARP, the word "unliving" is used as a preferential synonym. In reference to the political correctness movement, the undead are sometimes jokingly referred to as the "living-impaired".

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). 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. This is derived from the traditional notion that vampires could be repelled by the cross. Clerics of evil gods can rebuke and control the undead in a similar fashion, by means of necromancy.