Why Do Zombies Eat Humans?
Zombies are one of the most common characters in horror films. It is known to eat human flesh until the heart stops beating. The big question is that, why do zombies eats human flesh while they are living dead and don’t even feel anything which includes feeling hungry?
Zombies eat human flesh because for them, it hurts to be dead. It causes them to feel their body decomposing. This is the main reason why they eat human flesh.
On the other hand, zombies eat human flesh in the movies which makes it more scary and interesting. They are usually eating human flesh particularly the brain so this human can also be a zombie. Meaning, reproduction can also be one of the reasons why zombies are eating human flesh.
These horror characters have been a character in horror films for all time. In fact it has become one of the most common horror films character which no one wouldn’t knew about. Nonetheless, zombies’ characteristics and preferences can also vary depending on its type.
Juju zombies are one of the types of zombies which usually eat brains as it is told to do so. These types of zombies are believed to e created through magic. Hence, another type of zombie is called the infection zombies which are created through science in most horror movies.
Infection zombies are possibly not literally dead compared to Juju zombies. But, it can be more powerful that Juju zombies. It is because they are dried and they eat at all. This can also be the best explanation why zombies are easy to throw and break apart compared to living and normal human.
Actually zombies eating brains makes sense compared to eating human flesh alone as it gives them more energy that they need as a living dead. This could also explain why any type of zombies is always eating brain and less of human body.
March 12, 2012 8:19 pm
Eating and digestion involve complex chemical changes regardless of the matter you are consuming. Eating a human to get ‘human’ protein does not exactly work that way.
There are still too many questions to establish a protocol of rules for zombies as there are with vampires & werewolves. They have had a longer and richer history.
Zombies used to also be known as ghouls, or flesh eating ghouls. The older stories and movies before Romero’s revamp in 1968 did not involve eating human flesh. Someone could mention the magik & sorcery used in earlier sources versus the infected by unknown, usually unexplained sources. They usually killed other living humans by command of their master.
See White Zombie (1932) for instance. In the 1930s to 1960s, it was a generally accepted that salt (sea) water would destroy the undead.
Zombies do not have reasoning intelligence. They do not have enhanced senses. Where such examples may exist, it is usually a stretch and used for humor rather than a logically expansion of the myth. They can see, that is a given. In the third Romero film, he began looking into some of these issues having scientist experiment on their capacity for intelligence and training.
Why shouldn’t they attack larger animal (dogs, horses, cattle, pigs) that are captive or approachable? Even more importantly, why not attack other zombies? They are generally exposed, slow and plentiful. That would take care of the problem too quickly so film-makers have not injected such a possibility. However, there has not been anything to stop them other than imagination. It is hard to garner sympathy for undead monsters devouring their own… Often, a dying person becomes a zombie within seconds of dying. Are you going to believe or accept that in these instances the human of a few seconds before has had its internal chemistry changed in such a brief elapse to longer be desirable to be eaten by another human. There should still be very vital ‘vitals’! This brings up the general question of how a zombie can tell a living person from a walking dead one? This is especially true when the person has just transformed as mentioned above.
One more curious question that no writer or director has confronted, at least to any satisfaction. What is the lifespan of a zombie, say in the current series, The Walking Dead. How many days/weeks/months before the angry is null? Most of the zombie hoards have scarfed the human population at this point, very few humans to be found that are not defended or living amongst fortifications. Yet what is in the blood or air that can cause a living person to become a zombie because of a scratch? No bodily fluid have been exchanged. What is this infection and from where has it originated? Black Ops experiments, chem-trails (after the mid-90s), cosmic origins, Satan at play, a plague from God are all strong possibilities. The most likely would be the first reason or ‘alien’ sources.
Film-makers and writers are still inventing and adding to the rules and characteristics. They can do whatever at this point since all traditions have not been set. There is such popularity now that there will be many revisions or changes to the mythology. It is up to the viewers and readers to accept them as tradition.