ANTHROP 1AB3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Ancient Mesopotamian Religion, Forensic Pathology, Exsanguination
15 Jul 2016
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Prey upon humans: vampires: human blood, zombies: human flesh. Vampiric entities appear in a variety of cultures. Romania women accused if they failed to perform traditional women"s roles . Vampire-like entities in roman, greek, mesopotamian mythology. Example: ekkimu spirits that wandered the earth stealing the aura of plants, animals and other animate beings, could materialize as gusts of wind. Female demon that consumed humans as night: usually babies and small children. Entities that subsist by feeding off of humans (usually human blood) Stories (folklore) about undead beings (vampires) prolific in 17th century. Forensic pathology: how could people believe the dead could be resurrected, body changes after death, could the body be alive or inscribed with a kind of life . Decomposition ideas/misconceptions about decomposition of the body after death. Proof : lack of decomposition, hair, tooth, and nail growth, exsanguination of corpse after death, reports of corpse groaning when touched or moved.
