Cannibalism may sound like a far-fetched concept to most, but cannibalism has always been around. Let's start with defining what cannibalism is. Cannibalism is the practice of eating the flesh of one's own species, which is the eating of the flesh of an animal by another animal of the same kind. Talking about humans, it is the eating of human flesh by another human being.
1. Endocannibalism is one of the forms of cannibalism. It is the ritual of eating a family member or friend after their death. Endocannibalism is performed as a ritual. The flesh is eaten out of respect, with the belief being that the dead person's wisdom can be absorbed by eating their remains. The Yanomamo tribes of Venezuela and Brazil reportedly practiced endocannibalism by mixing the ashes of dead relatives with a plantain soup and eating.
In Papua New Guinea, the Fore people practiced endocannibalism as part of funerary rites. Women and children played the most important role in endocannibalism rites in the consumption of the deceased males. A woman was to eat her dead brother's brain and was to eat the hands of her deceased brother-in-law, and eat the vulva, buttocks, and intestines of her dead sister-in-law. Nigerian Rubuka chiefs of the Benue-Plateau State reportedly draw strength from the consumption of the flesh of a new born of their tribe.
2. During the Holodomor - a man-made famine in the Soviet Union in 1932 and 1933 that killed millions of Ukranians - many instances of cannibalism were recorded, with more than 2,500 people being convicted of cannibalism. Cannibalism was so random that the Soviet regime printed posters declaring: "To eat your own children is a barbarian act."
3. Cannibalism is a taboo among humans, but is relatively common in the animal kingdom. Black widow spiders normally eat the males after mating. Some mothers eat their young ad some young eat their mothers.
4. Exocannibalism is the killing and eating of a foreigner. The Mianmin of Papua New Guinea practiced exocannibalism during their village raids. Former US president George Bush Senior was almost killed and eaten by Japanese cannibals during World War II. He was shot down during a bombing raid over Chichi Jima. He was lucky enough to have escaped on a liferaft. His fellow airmen were murdered and eaten during a feast thrown by Major Sueo Matoba.
5. According to cannibals, humans taste more like pork. However, factors such as method of cooking, gender, age, and the part of the body can alter the taste of human flesh.
6. Survival cannibalism is the eating of human beings for survival. Our survival instincts kick in when we become severely hungry and we break our moral obligations and do whatever it takes to survive, ultimately eating human flesh as last resort. For example, in 1972, Uruguayan Flight 571 crashed in the Andes Mountains. The survivors were trapped there for weeks and had to resolve to eat their deceased friends. Those who survived were rescued 72 days later.
Comments
Post a Comment