African Slavery and the Zambi

Africans believed that the soul and body were connected, but also that death could be a moment of separation between the two. They lived with a hatred and fear of slavery because they no longer had control over their lives or dreams. Those who ended their own life wouldn't be taken back to africa at all. Instead, they would be punished by eternal imprisonment inside their own body. These bodies and trapped souls are known as zambi in haiti culture. The name has african roots - nzambi means spirit of dead person.