A zombie is a reanimated corpse that feeds on human flesh with a special preference for the brains.

Zombies are created by a bokor, a special kind of sorcerer with a great knowledge of herbs, he can create and administer a potion that causes a person to fall into a state so closely resembling death that the person will be put into a coffin and buried.

Later the bokor digs up the "corpse," administers the antidote and the person wakes up as a zombie. The zombie can work and perform simple tasks but brain function is significantly reduced. Some bokors claim to be able to fully restore the brain.

References

Morgan, Carol McAfee. Rim of the Caribbean. New York: Friendship Press, 1942.