The Zombie Rumors and Their Meaning

One of the most arresting elements of the Essie Dunbar story — and one that has received perhaps insufficient attention in the popular retellings — is the account of the zombie rumors that followed her alleged return from the grave.

For years after the 1915 funeral, the accounts say, people believed Essie Dunbar was a zombie.

They crossed the street to avoid her.

They believed she had been raised from the dead.