Russian folkloric references to reanimated corpses

[Mark Yoffe]

Leigh,
Such references exist, though they are not numerous. Russian world for the
reanimated corpse is: vurdalak.
In Russian skazki there are encoutered Vampires, also known as vurdalaki.
See Jan Perkovskii book on the subject of Slavic Vampires The Darkling.
Mark Yoffe
On Dec 25, 2010 9:44 AM, "Leigh Kimmel" <leighkimmel at yahoo.com> wrote:
> I'm looking for terms a Russian in the middle of the 20th century might
use to refer to a reanimated corpse. I'm writing a story set in besieged
Leningrad for a horror anthology, and I'm trying to avoid the term "zombie,"
which is specifically Afro-Caribbean in etymology and cultural association.
>
> It doesn't necessarily have to be traditional or "high" folklore -- even
the sort of stories kids use to scare each other spitless on a dark night
would do just as well. The biggest thing is to try to get a term that
doesn't jar the reader with associations of voodoo and the like.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> --
> Leigh Kimmel -- writer, artist, historian and bookseller
> leighkimmel at yahoo.com http://www.leighkimmel.com/
> http://www.billionlightyearbookshelf.com/
> http://www.amazon.com/shops/starshipcat/
>
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>
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