Anthropology of Cannibalism
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Cannibalism, the eating of human flesh by humans (referred to as anthropophagy in this book), has been practiced in a wide variety of cultural settings, some dating from Paleolithic times. The term is derived from the Spanish word cannibal, referring to the Carib Indians of the West Indies.
Cannibalism, the eating of human flesh by humans, has been practiced in a wide variety of cultural settings, some dating from Paleolithic times. Where cannibalism has been socially sanctioned, the reasons for its practice have ranged from a belief in its magico-ritual significance to its necessity as a means of survival. In the cannibalism traditionally practiced in Sierra Leone, Africa, by the leopard society, members of this secret society claimed they turned into leopards, after which they disemboweled their enemies and ate portions of the corpses. In certain religious festivals of the Aztec people of Mesoamerica, the meat of sacrificial victims was distributed among the crowds congregated around the temples. In North America in the past, among the Kwakiutl Indians of western Canada, human flesh was eaten ritually by secret-society members. The Shoshoni Indians of the Great Basin and the Eskimo of the Far North ate human flesh in cases of near starvation, although both of these peoples feared and hated cannibals. In Fiji in the early 19th century, the introduction of firearms and European interference resulted in expanded war making, including cannibalism on a larger scale than was customary.
"The Anthropology of Cannibalism" edited by Laurence R...