Voodoo is still a common practice in Haiti with their witch doctors performing miracle cures or tragic accidental deaths. The art of zombie making or witch doctoring was brought to cinema life with the release of 'Serpent and the Rainbow 1988' which brings you through a journey in this mystical art and it's so called victims. Voodoo with its ties to Africa when Haiti was massively populated by the slave trade took on a life of its own. Witch Doctors would bring people "back from the dead" with ceremonies and witch craft. Some research was found that different type of native pharmaceutical compounds were used to put people into a coma type sleep, being dead and then resurrected by the witch doctor who then would seemingly be in control of the zombie who was indebted for returning them to a conscience state of zombieism.
From 1957 to 1971 the Haiti dictator Papa Doc Duvallier rumored to the population that he had an army of zombies under his control to tighten his hold of the uneducated population ruling by fear. Since Duvallier was a devoted voodooist he was never challenged or questioned on this. People who were questioned always knew someone, a friend, someone's father, a mother's cousin, ect. who swore they had seen one of these zombies but no had person to person of face to face.
Most cases of people turning into zombies were results of high fevers that lasted days causing mild brain damage, so even when the person would recover from the fever, they were never quite right their speech would return to a degree but not their mind. So it was even more perceived they had died and turned into another form of human or turned into a creature or zombie. Rabies also wildly untreated because the lack of medication in the poor country would also create a state of someone suffering brain damage and never returning to a healthy state of mind.
Some more elaborate zombification used venom from a pufferfish would be used. This concentrated nerve poison would put a victim into a state where they are aware of their surroundings, but unable to move or obviously even communicate. If the dose is given in an improper amount, permanent paralysis can result. But those surviving the ordeal, would actual be brought to a hospital, clinically diagnosis as being dead even though just unresponsive. The voodoo practitioner would claim the body and have it buried while the whole time the victim is aware of what is happening and is fully perceived as being dead and buried. After a time the voodoo practitioner would dig up the victim and have them revived and perceived as rising from the dead as a zombie. The victim was then enslaved to do the zombie practitioners bidding for fear of returning to the "death state "Most would actually suffer nerve damage and have various symptoms of paralysis making them even more convince they had been changed.
With this tragedy of the earthquake, with people being presumed dead and rising from near death, it will been seen by the Haitian masses as their loved ones being dead, buried and rising again.
Horror, Religion & Voodoo
With Haiti's devastating events still in the news and as you may of guessed I am a historian and love to build the relationship between my love of horror, history, religion and of course politics, but I like to forgo the latter in this forum.
Horror historically always seems to hover around the aspect of religion, good defeating evil for that matter all early wars evolved around religion until the true discovery of using petroleum as a fuel, now we fight about religion and oil but I am almost crossing the line about politics!
The 1791 Slave Rebellion in Haiti is a classic example of good defeating evil sort of? People of the day held religion as their highest priority. Although owning slaves was viewed as a simple business decision with no thought of human life except on how to breed slaves to make bigger stronger workers.
Quick history of Haiti, Haiti was originally Hispanola named by Christopher Columbus Dec 5th, 1492. Its native people were small in numbers but soon over ran by ships carrying loads of slaves to work the fields growing sugar cane. Originally a Spanish colony, it was taken over by French buccaneers who used the island of Tortuga (1625, an actual place not only in The Pirates of The Caribbean), as a launching ground for raids on Spanish ships. France quickly made claim to the island but the Spanish held on in the areas that became The Dominican Republic in later years. Sugar expanded to indigo and cotton. This flourishing business gave great wealth to France and the slave owners drove their slaves hard in darkened misery of endless days of work. Voodoo was the chosen religious practice chosen by the slaves something that the so called Christian slave owners would try to beat out of them.
By 1791 the slave population reached a staggering 790,000! With only 32,000 being white. Some slaves tried planning revolts, but were slaughtered, gutted and hung around the cities and plantations to warn the other slaves to 'stay in line' others were so savagely beaten by their Christian owners that they would remain crippled for the rest of their lives.
Voodoo was a pagan ritual seen as a type of demonic practice or 'pact with the devil' as the recent Pat Robertson so affectionately yet irresponsibly reminded us of and caused our wonderful Dai Green to send that nice email to the 700 Club, Pat Robertson's launching ground for his cult like practice of evangelism. Voodoo in fact is a blending of African religious beliefs and Christianity which was forced upon the slaves as they became the property of their Christian owners. As the generations of slaves progressed so did the blending which eventually became known as voodoo.
1791 led to the breaking point, Boukman Dutty a self educated slave and voodoo high priest (witch doctor) led the successful slaughter of the white dominance on the island. Boukman was large in stature with a rage unlike anything the Christian's had seen, leading them to believe even more that voodoo had made his rage so intense to lead the hundreds of thousands of his people into revolt. He was viewed as being invincible by his followers and many French as well.
Such a rising could only be seen as a 'pact with the devil' in the eyes of the French Christians. The Christian slave owners could not fathom their God would let such a uprising against his Christian followers, they only knew this had to be the devils work.
Boukman on the eve of the first organized attack slaughtered a pig in sacrifice and 'cast aside the image of the God of the whites.' Being interpreted wrongly as a revolt against God but in fact a revolt against the white God who was seen by the Boukman's followers as letting it be ok for a human to be slaved to another human. Simply put, practice what you preach. Saint Domingue saw some 1800 plantations burned to the ground and 1000 slave owners savagely killed ripped to pieces, burned alive or dragged to their death in one of the bloodiest horrific uprisings to date. Rumors of slave owners were reported to be used in human sacrifices with various body parts being consumed by Boukman's followers adding to the intense state of horror felt by the French colony. It was viewed as Boukman was demonically possessed by the devil himself.
The uprising ceremony is remembered as 'The event of the Bwa Kayiman ceromony' it forms the important part of the identify of the genesis of the Hatian people. Still viewed as a 'pact with the devil' by many Christians who do not understand its meaning or heritage.
Boukman a few months later was caught by the French, brutality tortured in public until his death and dismemberment where his head was put on display to show his disciples that he was indeed defeated and he was not invincible as previously thought.
August 29, 1793 slavery was abolished in the Northern territories of Haiti and eventually completely by 1794. The United States took nearly 71 years (1865) to follow France.
Torture from Limb to Limb
I am not talking about Sadism and Masochism or affectionately abbreviated S&M a favorite past time of? well that is a whole other story?
Torture can be perceived as one of the earliest forms of entertainment. Very popular during the Medieval ages and still popular today with the popularity of the Saw Series of movies whose total budget for all 6 films was $47Million but has taken in a cool $731million+ or close to a Billion dollars worldwide! Oh yes, one cannot find enough ways to torture ourselves
for the pure entertainment of others.
Anyhow, the long history can be dated back as far as recorded human history and far into the future as we crave to watch the pain of others as it shows how vulnerable we actual are. Be enjoy our safety in our society but the rush of pain, the power of inflicting pain to someone else, is to be craved by all.
Number 1 on our list probably the most easily recognized and probably one of the simplest is 'the Rack', not to be confused with a slang term for a part of the female body!
This large device was simple to use, yet inflicted enormous amounts of pain and suffering.
Either end of the device had a crank that was turned, attached to each limb. One's joints would make that horrifying "POP" as the joints would nearly explode under the strain. Often used in Witch hunting (Another favorite pastime ;) if the victim would survive, they would be freed. Though I do not understand what would be left?? Various other forms of this are used and for variety sack people would be burned, skinned, boiled just short of deep fried and otherwise stabbed while left in these compromising positions.
2. The Guided Cradle AKA The Judas Chair
Un-clear how long a subject was made to sit on this handy piece of workman ship, but I am sure it was not very long and if you survived, I am sure constipation was never a problem again.
3. The Spanish Donkey
Usually the victim was naked with various amounts of weights attached, the lighter you are, the more weight was added, an interesting way to cure obesity back in the day I guess? as you can imagine the victim would soon be split in half be their own weight or with the added help. I guess if you could clench your ass long enough you would survive a bit longer, no Stairmasters back then to help!
4. The Saw
Probably the most gruesome and blood spattering. This would require two men on either side to just do what looks natural when you have a saw in one's hand. It wasn't until the chain saw came out that you could save some money on the labor and use one guy.
5. Revolving Drum AKA Cheese Grater.
This device had variable speed. The slower the more torture, the faster the more fun? Funny as I was searching for this one, I came across the hand held version? so cute!
6. The Chastity Belt
Well not really a torture device, but after looking at it, no sexual contact or self-pleasureing could be done apprently, so torture in itself, women my heart goes out to you. Something I always questioned on this little device? Number 1, ok it just leaks out, Number 2?? Again not a torture device per say but damn! Though if you want a little web searching fun, just type in Chastity Belt in Google for some intresting laughs! Maybe also an early way to practice weight control?
What trully made me classify this as a torture device is when the men would go off to fit in a war or the crusades, they would be gone for months if not years! Can you imagine!?
7. The Chair of Torture
About as comfortable as a church pew I would say, but just short of the endless amounts of fun this one is, it would always be cut short on the amount of blood the guest was able to hold in until complete blooding.
8. The Head Crusher
Plain, simple what a show! I am sure this one had a lot of bets on where the blood would come from first, the eyes sockets or the ears, maybe even the mouth as the brain was pushed into the sinuses.
9. Iron Maiden
No, not the heavy metal rock group, though one or two songs they have were torturous?
One version was seemingly to encase the victim in the coffin and let them scream to death from starvaion. Though less fun than the versions with sharp objects strategically place to gouge the eyes, limbs and various parts of the body, while inflicting great pain, but causing the victim to stay very much alive to eventually bleed out.
10. The Crusifiction
Thank you Roman's for this one. Every one who has gone to Christian/Catholic church sees this one right in front of them.
Your heart has to go out to Jesus on this one. If you want an idea of the true agony, rent Passions of The Christ by Mel Gibson, I gurantee you will be shouting at the screen "For the love of God stop! No more!" if you can bear to watch. This will give you an idea what anyone would of gone through at the early times of Christ and the Roman Empire.
Victims were always beaten, sometimes made to carry their device and then hung to die. If they did not have their hands and feet tied to the cross they were nailed into place. Which has struck a lot of contrevesy. If you actually nailed through the hands, the weight of the individual would be enough to rip through the hand's delicate bones. A much more placement of the nail would have to go through the wrist right before the hand joint. Feet placement was not that critical but all the same painful. Though it sounds like I speak from expereince, never the less there is an aweful lot of research done on this process.
Victims would die in agony, slowly bleeding to death or just die from exposure. Vitims were sometimes feed and watered to prolong the pain and suffering. But it all depends on the crime and mood of the Roman soliders at the time. This was a favorite for centuries.
Written by: Brian E. Niskala, Author of Rhinehoth, a Dark Gothic Horror Novel available on Amazon.com, Fan page on Facebook: Rhinehoth
Rhinehoth Copyright ? 2009, Brian E. Niskala
Rhinehoth
Centuries ago a great castle was built in the mountains of Germany's Black Forest. It's ancient guardians still thrive in its walls forever protecting it's dark secrets, holding captive an enemy that threatens their very existence. Foretold is a story of an ancient warrior that is to return to the castle to free the captive Vampire Prince.
Simon Roberts was a petty thief who fled England to escape Scotland Yard after a series of unsuccessful jewelry store heists. He was recruited to do a job in Germany where he was to simply drive the get away car while providing a look out. He thought this was going to be an easy job and a way to break into the German crime scene. But things go terribly wrong and he ended up being the only survivor of the botched heist. Simon is quickly sentenced to a prison called Rhinehoth. This is where Germany sent the worst of the worst, surely not a place for a petty thief such as himself.
Rhinehoth is a great German castle that was converted in the late 1930's to a Stalag for war criminals of World War II. The converted prison's modern day inhabitants are relentlessly tortured, starved and sleep deprived. This contributes to the prisoners' delusional visions that help hide the truth and keeps Rhinehoth's secrets. Their captors are the army of Werewolves who have survived the centuries off the very flesh and blood of Germany's worst forgotten criminals.
Simon, imprisoned becomes plagued with visions from his subconscious ancient past with confusion of his modern day consciousness. He discoveries through his visions that he is the ancient warrior, Guthrie who has come to free the Vampire Prince and all the captives while saving the world from a dark plan of biblical proportions that has been orchestrated over the centuries!
A Special Thank you to the following:
Cover Artist:
Michael McAlick
Cover Design:
Prabhu Dorairag
Layout Artist:
Srinivasa Raja Iyengar
The following especially helped in my research for Literary Agents, Publishers and everything else I needed help with during the process of my insanity/writing.
Research Assistants:
Jacquelene Sena Thelma Nuguid Neelu Sree Archana Ravindran
Thank you to my family who has supported every crazy book idea, invention or idea.
To my Wife, Cynthia, for being my partner in everything, mother of our 4 children, Kyle, Brandon, Emily and Olivia and supporting me no matter how crazy she thinks I am.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Court
Chapter 2: Welcome to Stalag Rhinehoth
Chapter 3: Wash Those Floors
Chapter 4: Discovery
&nbs
p; Chapter 5: Kitchen Duty
Chapter 6: The Visitor
Chapter 7: Back in the Infirmary
Chapter 8: Lost my Hat, Manchester United
Chapter 9: Identity Told
Chapter 10: Dreams of the Past
Chapter 11: Asmirelda
Chapter 12: The Journey Begins
Chapter 13: Crucifixion
Chapter 14: Castle Rhinehoth
Chapter 15: Down Into The Bowls of Hell
Chapter 16: Time for a Drink
Chapter 17: Back to Hell
Chapter 18: Dawn of a New Moon
Chapter 1: Court
"The defendant is found guilty!" as the gavel fell with a load BANG, filling the court room, the defendant flinched at the sound of the gavel as he tried to hold his heart felt sorrow back, he slouched in his chair as the curve of his back met the chair as the gavel seemingly in slow motion hit the judges desk one more time.
Simon Roberts of Manchester England was just found guilty by association of murder. He drove the get away car for a band of hoods that tried knocking off a jeweler on the East side of Berlin.
But what Simon was not aware of was that his small band of brothers picked the wrong jeweler to rob from. The jeweler was well armed with a ferocious temper a seemingly small detail that was left out of the planning.