Meet The Living Dead !

From Indian-Guyanese folklore come the tales of the Living Dead.  This is a relatively little-known folk-being, or better described as a FOLK-SPIRIT, amongst the other more popular folk-figures in the Guyanese folkloric heritage.

The Living Dead is a person who dies and in the tradition of old-time rural-you might say “primitive” – temporary preservation of corpses – whose body is made ready for burial by being wrapped up completely in a bandage-like, body-fitting shroud; Except for the face.  The white-linened body is left in a coffin in a room of the house where the funeral service will be held next day.

On the final WAKE-NIGHT, the usual activities which Indo-Guyanese mourners and bereaved engage in, are held.  Alcohol, food, indoor games and eulogies are in full flow.  The only challenge is, that among the wake house – mourners AT LEAST ONE MUST BE AWAKE AT ALL TIMES.  If at any time, during the entire night, all mourners are found to be asleep, the deceased becomes alive. AND INCENSED!

The deceased, mostly male, then relives his discontentment and frustrations, his disappointment with his living friends and relatives.  So he then turns his dead-alive wrath on the mourners, harming even killing them.

A writer-researcher, Guyanese businessman TONY KISSOON TELLS of one such wake he attended.  The sudden death of a family member; the shocking grief, mourning, funeral arrangements and wake-night tiredness made everyone drowsy and sleepy.  Only HE did not drift off.  He claims to have seen the dead rip off his body –shroud, tear it into shreds and strips.

Out of the coffin, the “dead man” then berated the sleeping friends, tying the strips around their necks, then tightening them until some of, the drunkened sleeping folks were dead!  How dare they sleep after merriment when they should have been sad?

Whether you believe Tony Kissoon and those Indian Guyanese who believe in the Living Dead might not be relevant here.  Just find out more about this little – known Guyanese FOLK SPIRIT.