It’s a common moral in tales of folklore and fantasy: Do not disturb the dead. No matter how powerful of magic you possess, it is always inadvisable to go against the laws of both nature and the divine by attempting to reverse the irreversible. Even if you do manage to bring someone back from those Plutonian shores, they are never quite the same. Yet, as humans with a complicated relationship to mortality, it is natural for us to grieve the absence of those we love and to long to bring them back to life. Countless tales of Gothic and horror literature are here to remind us exactly why those thoughts should remain just a fantasy and not be acted upon. Here are just a few of my favorite examples of stories that warn against raising the dead:
1) “Wake Not the Dead” (“Laßt die Todten ruhen”) by Ernst Raupach (1823)
This short story, originally published in German in 1823 and translated into English the same year, is a relatively early work of vampire literature, following in the wake of other German works, such as the poems “Der Vampyr” by Heinrich August Ossenfelder (1748) and “Die Braut von Korinth” (“The Bride of Corinth”) by Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1797). What is unique about the depiction of a vampire in “Wake Not the Dead,” however, is that she does not rise from the grave due to her own sinful nature or infection from another vampire. Instead, the vampire in this story is the result of a man’s attempt to resurrect his wife through sorcery. The story begins with a powerful lord named Walter mourning the death of his beloved Brunhilda. Though he remarries, Walter still obsesses over the dead Brunhilda, spending most nights beside her grave instead of beside his new wife. When a passing sorcerer offers to restore Brunhilda to him, Walter jumps at the chance, despite the sorcerer giving an abundance of warnings about the dangers of disturbing the dead. Brunhilda is resurrected, and at first nothing seems amiss. Walter sends his new wife away and experiences a blissful honeymoon period with Brunhilda, even more obsessed with her than ever. The servants, however, are unnerved by the presence of a woman who so closely resembles their dead mistress and whispered rumors spread as children and youths throughout the estate and surrounding village begin to sicken and die. When she runs out of other victims, Brunhilda drains the blood of Walter’s own two children from his second marriage, and then finally turns on Walter, himself. Walter ultimately seeks out the sorcerer who raised Brunhilda and begs him to return her to her endless sleep. By that time, though, the damage has already been done….
You can read “Wake Not the Dead” in English here.
2) “The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs (1902)
This is perhaps one of the most famous examples of resurrection cautionary tales. It is commonly included in English class curricula, and the idea of a “monkey’s paw wish” has made its way into popular discourse. I’ve discussed “The Monkey’s Paw” a few times already on this blog, including in my posts on “The Evil, Exotic East” and “Monkeys in Gothic Literature.” In the story, the titular monkey’s paw is an allegedly magical artifact that an old British soldier has brought back from India. The mummified specimen is said to have been cursed by a fakir to “show that fate ruled people’s lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow.” As in “Wake Not the Dead” discussed above, however, people are not very good at listening to verbal warnings. Mr. and Mrs. White certainly come to sorrow when their wishes upon the monkey’s paw have unintended consequences. The first ill-fated wish that the couple makes is a fairly modest request for £200. Their wish is granted, but in the most horrible way—they receive £200 in compensation when their son is killed in an accident at work. Too addled by grief to have learned her lesson, Mrs. White demands that her husband make another wish on the paw for their son to be alive again. The reader never quite gets to learn in what horrible way this wish would be fulfilled, but instead is left to imagine as something unseen knocks insistently at the front door. Mr. White is overcome by dread as his wife rushes to open the door and wisely puts an end to the resurrection with his third and final wish.
Read “The Monkey’s Paw” for yourself here.
3) “Lazarus” by Leonid Andreyev (1906)
Russia has a unique literary tradition in which Gothic themes tend to weave and overlap with other literary movements. One such movement is Russian Expressionism, of which turn-of-the-century author Leonid Andreyev is considered a founding father. His stories often focus on the psychology and inner emotional experiences of his characters. One of his best known stories is “Lazarus,” originally published in 1906 and reprinted in Weird Tales magazine in 1927, which puts a macabre twist on the biblical tale. In the Gospel of John, the raising of Lazarus from the dead is considered one of Jesus’s great miracles. Adreyev’s story, however, suggests that perhaps even the divine should not meddle with mortality. The story picks up just after Lazarus is resurrected. At first, his friends and family are ecstatic, showering Lazarus with attention and riches. But Lazarus has been changed by his three days in the underworld—he is cold and quiet, with an unnerving stare. Those who spend too long under that icy gaze tend to go mad or even drop dead. There is something of cosmic horror in this Lazarus and his post-resurrection existence feels soulless and bleak. By the end of the story, everyone from Lazarus’s friends and neighbors to the Roman Emperor wishes that he had not been resurrected.
You can read “Lazarus” online here.
4) Pet Sematary by Stephen King (1983)
Stephen King’s famous novel, which has now twice been adapted for film, was in fact inspired by W. W. Jacobs’s “The Monkey’s Paw.” Stephen King wanted to go beyond the final pages of the story and explore what actually happens after the dead return. Instead of a magical monkey hand from India, King employs the questionable “Indian burial ground” trope. The power to resurrect the dead in this story comes from an ancient burial plot that is said to have been used by the Mi’kmaq tribe. Anything buried there will rise again—but different. Those who return from the dead (whether animal or human) become violent and malevolent; it is even suggested that, rather than being truly resurrected, their corpses are instead possessed by demons. This change in behavior is clear in the cat, Church, which Louis Creed buries in the legendary cemetery after the beloved family pet is run over. Yet, despite this worrying precedent, Louis can’t resist trying to bring his toddler back in the same way after young Gage is hit by a truck. The resurrected Gage goes on a spree of violence, killing their two neighbors, and Louis ultimately has to kill both Church and Gage for the second time. The moral of the story, as one character puts it, is: “sometimes, dead is better.”
What do you think of these tales of regrettable resurrections? Have you read any of the stories above? Got any others to add to the list? Let me know in the comments!