The Other White Meat: A History of Cannibalism
Ever since the time of the neanderthals, cannibalism has been a dark part of the human experience. From "civilized" folk munching on mummies to Aztecs serving their sacrifices as supper, "long pig" has been a part of the human diet all over the globe. This surprising volume describes the shocking true story of cannibalism all over the world throughout the years. The Donner Party, the Caribs in the New World...it's all here in gruesome detail. Don't miss out on this surprising culinary history!
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Excerpt
Introduction
The eating of human flesh, popularly known as cannibalism, but also called anthropophagy, is as old as humanity itself. Archeological evidence indicates that Neanderthal man, the species that preceded Homo sapiens, engaged in cannibalism. There have been recorded instances of cannibalism in almost every human society.
Broadly speaking, there are three kinds of cannibalism; survival cannibalism (the consumption of human flesh for food or subsistence), mystical or magical cannibalism (the consumption of human flesh to absorb spiritual power or energy from the dead), and symbolic cannibalism (the eating of human flesh to establish power over someone). There have also been cases in which cannibals pursued all of these purposes at once.
Chapter 1: Early History of Cannibalism
The origin of cannibalism is obvious and fairly straightforward. Early humans in their struggle to survive had extremely limited sources of food. Prehistoric hunters probably turned to cannibalism for the simple reason that they didn’t have enough meat. A good source of meat, especially in times of drought or the winter, was competing tribes.
Neanderthal Cannibalism
Recent archeological evidence indicates that the Neanderthals were among the most prolific cannibals in history. An archeological dig in France in 1999 uncovered a scene much like the hideout of a modern serial killer. Scientists discovered that the residents of a cave may have stripped the flesh off as many as seven people and eaten them. The Neanderthals even used hammers to break open the skulls of their victims so they could eat their brains. They also broke open human bones so that they could suck out the marrow.
The widespread practice of cannibalism might have led to the Neanderthals’ downfall around 30,000 years ago. The prehistoric predators might have caught a deadly disease (similar to Mad Cow Disease) from their victims; this contagion might have weakened the Neanderthals and left them vulnerable to Homo sapiens. Brain tissue is known to spread deadly diseases.
Since they knew nothing of medicine, the prehistoric cannibals would not have connected the disease to their diet. Memories of the fate of the Neanderthals might be the true origins of the prohibition against cannibalism in almost every human society.
A similar situation developed among the Fore tribe in Papua New Guinea, who ate their own relatives as part of traditional funeral practices. The Fore actually held elaborate feasts in which they cooked dead relatives and ate them with vegetables. Even bones were hammered into powder and served over vegetables like modern spices.
During the 20th century, the Fore tribe was devastated by the Kuru, or shivering disease. They apparently caught this contagion from the brains and nervous systems of their loved ones. The Kuru was a brain disease similar to Mad Cow, which at its height killed 200 Fore people a year. That was devastating because there were only around 15,000 in the tribe.
The example of the Fore shows why survival cannibalism is a very bad idea; unfortunately, the use of human flesh as food was widespread in many primitive tribes. Historical accounts indicate that several people regarded human bodies as a source of food in their early history.
Ancient Cannibalism
During the age of exploration between the 16th and 19th centuries when European explorers were traveling around the globe, they discovered many tribes that practiced cannibalism. Explorers discovered the practice in New Guinea, the Caribbean, Mexico, North America, and many other places. Since cannibalism was widespread among tribal people, it is safe to assume that the ancestors of modern civilized peoples, including the Chinese, Europeans, Indians, and Muslims, practiced cannibalism.
Iron Age Cannibalism
Archeologists from England’s Bristol University discovered a cave in South Gloucestershire, England that contained human bones that had apparently been broken open. This is a sign that the bones were cracked open so somebody could eat the marrow. The bones were dumped along with dog, cattle and bones of other animals the cave’s ancient inhabitants used for food.
The cave was inhabited by the Celts, the ancestors of today’s Irish and Scottish people, who inhabited Britain at the time the Romans conquered it. The Bristol archeologists believe the cave was a temple to the Hound god, Cunomaglus, and that the eating of flesh might have been part of religious rituals.
Roman historians reported that Celtic priests, or Druids, regularly conducted human sacrifice. Modern archeology indicates that the Druids also practiced cannibalism. A cave in Alveston, England was found to contain around 150 people who were sacrificed and eaten by Druids in an effort to stop the Roman conquest of their lands in the first century AD.
The evidence indicates that the Celts may have eaten human bone marrow in an attempt to overcome the Romans’ superior tactics and military technology. The Celtic cannibalism is an example of magic or mystical cannibalism – the attempt to get magical power by consuming human remains.
Cannibalism may have persisted until as late as 400 AD in Roman Britain. Attacotti, an ancient history, writes that marauders who invaded and devastated the island between 364-368 may have practiced cannibalism. The invaders apparently included the Scotti and Picts, who were descendants of the Celts. The invaders were eventually defeated and driven out by a Roman General named Thedosius.
Another example of ancient Cannibalism was the Scythians, a nomadic warrior people. According to the Greek Herodotus, the inventor of history, the Scythians regularly drank from cups made from the skulls of their enemies. Such cups were actually found by archeologists in Gough’s Cave in England. Archeologists believe they were made about 14,700 years ago.
The cups may have been used in ceremonies, some of which might have inspired religious ceremonies that millions of peace-loving people take part in every week. This includes the Christian Mass or Eucharist, which is conducted to honor the prince of peace, even though it has some disturbing connections to cannibalism.
Evidence of ancient cannibalism was also discovered by archeologists in Germany. There experts excavated what might be the largest example of ancient cannibalism. A 7,000-year old site near the village of Herxheim contained nearly 500 skeletons which had been deliberately mutilated. The scientists think that the victims, including women, children and unborn babies, were deliberately cooked and eaten.
Patterns on the bodies indicate that they were possibly spit roasted, much like pigs at a Hawaiian luau. This site indicates that cannibalism was widespread and well-organized in Germany at the time. It also indicates that large scale cannibalism is a part of Europe’s heritage.
Cannibalism and Ancient Religions and Magic
The idea that people could somehow imbue power by consuming parts of the human body or blood was widespread in the ancient world. It even made its way into religions, including Christianity. In the traditional sacraments called the mass or Eucharist, the worshippers are told they are consuming the blood and body of Jesus Christ.
Fortunately, the blood and body of Jesus in modern church services is symbolic or spiritual. The frightening thing is that this practice might have its roots in ancient rituals in which the blood and flesh of real people were consumed. Some scholars believe that the Christian Eucharist was copied from the sacred Eucharist of the Egyptian god Osiris.
Ancient worshippers believed that Osiris was torn into 14 pieces by his arch enemy Set, the god of death. Like Jesus, Osiris rose from the grave and was considered a god of resurrection. The Eucharist of Osiris was a ceremony in which worshippers ate bread that was supposed to be pieces of Osiris’s body. The idea was that they would become immortal by eating the body of the god.
It isn’t known if Osiris’s worshippers engaged in cannibalism or not, but there was also an ancient sect called the Nilotics who believed that humans were whatever they ate. Therefore, people that ate the body of a person who was smarter, richer, or more beautiful would become like that person. A variant of this was seen in cultures where warriors ate pieces of dead enemies in an attempt to harness their valor or ability in battle.
It isn’t known if the ancient Egyptians practiced cannibalism or not; however, there is something called the cannibal hymn, which is part of the Egyptian book of the dead. The words of the hymn seem to tell the listener that eating the remains of a pharaoh will make a person powerful. Here they are:
· For Pharaoh is the great power that overpowers the powers.
· Pharaoh is a sacred image, the most sacred image of the sacred images of the great one.
· Whom he finds in his way, he devours bit by bit.
The words of this hymn are chilling and the implication is obvious – persons that ate the pharaoh’s body got his power. Since the Egyptians regarded their pharaohs as gods, a person that ate a pharaoh’s body would become a god. This belief might have led to the ancient Roman practice of eating mummies. The idea was that those who ate the mummies would receive the power and knowledge of the ancient Egyptians. The mummies were burned, ground up into powder, and sold as a medicine.
Ground mummy was used as a cure for a wide variety of ailments, including couching, ulcers, epilepsy, and even headaches. There are reports that mummies were on sale as medicine in Germany as late as the 19th century. The use of mummies as medicine probably led to the destruction of many ancient Egyptian tombs.
The eating of human flesh, popularly known as cannibalism, but also called anthropophagy, is as old as humanity itself. Archeological evidence indicates that Neanderthal man, the species that preceded Homo sapiens, engaged in cannibalism. There have been recorded instances of cannibalism in almost every human society.
Broadly speaking, there are three kinds of cannibalism; survival cannibalism (the consumption of human flesh for food or subsistence), mystical or magical cannibalism (the consumption of human flesh to absorb spiritual power or energy from the dead), and symbolic cannibalism (the eating of human flesh to establish power over someone). There have also been cases in which cannibals pursued all of these purposes at once.
Chapter 1: Early History of Cannibalism
The origin of cannibalism is obvious and fairly straightforward. Early humans in their struggle to survive had extremely limited sources of food. Prehistoric hunters probably turned to cannibalism for the simple reason that they didn’t have enough meat. A good source of meat, especially in times of drought or the winter, was competing tribes.
Neanderthal Cannibalism
Recent archeological evidence indicates that the Neanderthals were among the most prolific cannibals in history. An archeological dig in France in 1999 uncovered a scene much like the hideout of a modern serial killer. Scientists discovered that the residents of a cave may have stripped the flesh off as many as seven people and eaten them. The Neanderthals even used hammers to break open the skulls of their victims so they could eat their brains. They also broke open human bones so that they could suck out the marrow.
The widespread practice of cannibalism might have led to the Neanderthals’ downfall around 30,000 years ago. The prehistoric predators might have caught a deadly disease (similar to Mad Cow Disease) from their victims; this contagion might have weakened the Neanderthals and left them vulnerable to Homo sapiens. Brain tissue is known to spread deadly diseases.
Since they knew nothing of medicine, the prehistoric cannibals would not have connected the disease to their diet. Memories of the fate of the Neanderthals might be the true origins of the prohibition against cannibalism in almost every human society.
A similar situation developed among the Fore tribe in Papua New Guinea, who ate their own relatives as part of traditional funeral practices. The Fore actually held elaborate feasts in which they cooked dead relatives and ate them with vegetables. Even bones were hammered into powder and served over vegetables like modern spices.
During the 20th century, the Fore tribe was devastated by the Kuru, or shivering disease. They apparently caught this contagion from the brains and nervous systems of their loved ones. The Kuru was a brain disease similar to Mad Cow, which at its height killed 200 Fore people a year. That was devastating because there were only around 15,000 in the tribe.
The example of the Fore shows why survival cannibalism is a very bad idea; unfortunately, the use of human flesh as food was widespread in many primitive tribes. Historical accounts indicate that several people regarded human bodies as a source of food in their early history.
Ancient Cannibalism
During the age of exploration between the 16th and 19th centuries when European explorers were traveling around the globe, they discovered many tribes that practiced cannibalism. Explorers discovered the practice in New Guinea, the Caribbean, Mexico, North America, and many other places. Since cannibalism was widespread among tribal people, it is safe to assume that the ancestors of modern civilized peoples, including the Chinese, Europeans, Indians, and Muslims, practiced cannibalism.
Iron Age Cannibalism
Archeologists from England’s Bristol University discovered a cave in South Gloucestershire, England that contained human bones that had apparently been broken open. This is a sign that the bones were cracked open so somebody could eat the marrow. The bones were dumped along with dog, cattle and bones of other animals the cave’s ancient inhabitants used for food.
The cave was inhabited by the Celts, the ancestors of today’s Irish and Scottish people, who inhabited Britain at the time the Romans conquered it. The Bristol archeologists believe the cave was a temple to the Hound god, Cunomaglus, and that the eating of flesh might have been part of religious rituals.
Roman historians reported that Celtic priests, or Druids, regularly conducted human sacrifice. Modern archeology indicates that the Druids also practiced cannibalism. A cave in Alveston, England was found to contain around 150 people who were sacrificed and eaten by Druids in an effort to stop the Roman conquest of their lands in the first century AD.
The evidence indicates that the Celts may have eaten human bone marrow in an attempt to overcome the Romans’ superior tactics and military technology. The Celtic cannibalism is an example of magic or mystical cannibalism – the attempt to get magical power by consuming human remains.
Cannibalism may have persisted until as late as 400 AD in Roman Britain. Attacotti, an ancient history, writes that marauders who invaded and devastated the island between 364-368 may have practiced cannibalism. The invaders apparently included the Scotti and Picts, who were descendants of the Celts. The invaders were eventually defeated and driven out by a Roman General named Thedosius.
Another example of ancient Cannibalism was the Scythians, a nomadic warrior people. According to the Greek Herodotus, the inventor of history, the Scythians regularly drank from cups made from the skulls of their enemies. Such cups were actually found by archeologists in Gough’s Cave in England. Archeologists believe they were made about 14,700 years ago.
The cups may have been used in ceremonies, some of which might have inspired religious ceremonies that millions of peace-loving people take part in every week. This includes the Christian Mass or Eucharist, which is conducted to honor the prince of peace, even though it has some disturbing connections to cannibalism.
Evidence of ancient cannibalism was also discovered by archeologists in Germany. There experts excavated what might be the largest example of ancient cannibalism. A 7,000-year old site near the village of Herxheim contained nearly 500 skeletons which had been deliberately mutilated. The scientists think that the victims, including women, children and unborn babies, were deliberately cooked and eaten.
Patterns on the bodies indicate that they were possibly spit roasted, much like pigs at a Hawaiian luau. This site indicates that cannibalism was widespread and well-organized in Germany at the time. It also indicates that large scale cannibalism is a part of Europe’s heritage.
Cannibalism and Ancient Religions and Magic
The idea that people could somehow imbue power by consuming parts of the human body or blood was widespread in the ancient world. It even made its way into religions, including Christianity. In the traditional sacraments called the mass or Eucharist, the worshippers are told they are consuming the blood and body of Jesus Christ.
Fortunately, the blood and body of Jesus in modern church services is symbolic or spiritual. The frightening thing is that this practice might have its roots in ancient rituals in which the blood and flesh of real people were consumed. Some scholars believe that the Christian Eucharist was copied from the sacred Eucharist of the Egyptian god Osiris.
Ancient worshippers believed that Osiris was torn into 14 pieces by his arch enemy Set, the god of death. Like Jesus, Osiris rose from the grave and was considered a god of resurrection. The Eucharist of Osiris was a ceremony in which worshippers ate bread that was supposed to be pieces of Osiris’s body. The idea was that they would become immortal by eating the body of the god.
It isn’t known if Osiris’s worshippers engaged in cannibalism or not, but there was also an ancient sect called the Nilotics who believed that humans were whatever they ate. Therefore, people that ate the body of a person who was smarter, richer, or more beautiful would become like that person. A variant of this was seen in cultures where warriors ate pieces of dead enemies in an attempt to harness their valor or ability in battle.
It isn’t known if the ancient Egyptians practiced cannibalism or not; however, there is something called the cannibal hymn, which is part of the Egyptian book of the dead. The words of the hymn seem to tell the listener that eating the remains of a pharaoh will make a person powerful. Here they are:
· For Pharaoh is the great power that overpowers the powers.
· Pharaoh is a sacred image, the most sacred image of the sacred images of the great one.
· Whom he finds in his way, he devours bit by bit.
The words of this hymn are chilling and the implication is obvious – persons that ate the pharaoh’s body got his power. Since the Egyptians regarded their pharaohs as gods, a person that ate a pharaoh’s body would become a god. This belief might have led to the ancient Roman practice of eating mummies. The idea was that those who ate the mummies would receive the power and knowledge of the ancient Egyptians. The mummies were burned, ground up into powder, and sold as a medicine.
Ground mummy was used as a cure for a wide variety of ailments, including couching, ulcers, epilepsy, and even headaches. There are reports that mummies were on sale as medicine in Germany as late as the 19th century. The use of mummies as medicine probably led to the destruction of many ancient Egyptian tombs.
