Cannibalism Amoung Humans?!?

Question

Does that still go on and is it even healthy?

I've seen some horror stories where the killer eats the victims raw flesh... is that even possible, couldn't you die from it?!

Just wondering...

Answer 1

the other white meat.

Answer 2

Yes, you can die from being a cannibal. Kuru is a disease like mad cow disease that effects people in the mountains of New Guinea because they practice ritual cannibalism.  The Fore people eat the bodies of their dead and by having eaten the bodies of those who died of kuru the people who eat it often become infected themselves.

There is also evidence that cannibalism has happened among humans as long as we've been around.  Genes that protect against disorders like kuru show up in human populations around the world, suggesting it was a widespread thing.  

It's not common now, but certainly happens.  Cannibalism often occurs with murders, some seriel killers are noted for it.  There is also a case going on about two German soldiers who were using their own blood to make black pudding or sausage- and hoping to be able to make enough to sell :P

Answer 3

It's much less healthy for the victims!

Answer 4

Except from Herbert Ward's A Voice From the Congo as found in Gary Hogg's book, Cannibalism and Human Sacrifice:

'Do you people eat human bodies?' I said one day, upon entering a native village, and pointed to a quantity of meat, spitted upon long skewers, being smoke-dried over numerous smouldering fires. 'Io; yo te?' was the instant reply - 'Yes; don't you?' And a few minutes later the chieftain of the village came forward with an offering, which consisted of large and generous portions of flesh, only too obviously of human origin. He seemed genuinely disappointed when I refused.

Historically shrouded in mystery, myth, symbolism, fear and speculation, cannibalism remains in most cultures one of the ultimate taboos. According to William Arens' book The Man-Eating Myth: Anthropology & Anthropophagy, the first known account of cannibalism came following an expedition to the West Indies, led by Christopher Columbus. Columbus and his crew supposedly discovered that the Carib West Indies tribe participated in a particularly gruesome practice of ritualistically eating the flesh of other humans.

The explorers mispronounced the name of the tribe and referred to them as "Canibs," which was overtime changed to "canibales," meaning thirsty and cruel in Spanish. The English translation of the Spanish word became cannibalism, which is the most widely used term to express human's consumption of other human beings. The Latin form of the word cannibalism is anthropophagy and is a term used mostly in anthropology and archeology.

The existence of cannibalism has been a widely disputed topic in academia. However, the evidence supporting its existence is abundant and is represented in every medium imaginable, including stories, symbols, legends, writings, archeological evidence and first hand accounts. Cannibalism is a practice that reaches across centuries and cultures. In many cultures, it is considered atrocious and sacrilegious, whereas in another culture it is a sacred and revered custom. Cannibalism is an undeniable occurrence rooted in antiquity and branching forth to the present-day.

LOTs more at web page ...

Answer 5

Yes. There are two types: ritualistic cannibalism and, 'eating the liver or heart of a killed enemy.' This last still goes on today....Papua New Guinea, if I'm not mistaken.

Answer 6

Yeap their is actually a tribe who eats their ancestors, friends and families deceased bodies out of respect for the person.

Hold on...getting anthropology book...and I can't find it. But yes their is still people or well a belief community system that still 'practices' and uses cannibalism.

Yes they can die because eating dead carcass does gives you diseases and sicknesses...c**p I wish I had my book, it tells you a lot about it...take anthropology in grade 11 (if your still able to), they have so much nasty information like that lol It's really interesting though...

Answer 7

The practice of the cannibalism has been detected in many parts of the world. Some indications already point their existence at the neolithic time. The Greek historian Herodoto and other writers of the antiquity described some cannibal towns. At the medieval time, the Italian traveller Marco Polo spoke of the existence of tribes, from the Tíbet to Sumatra, who practiced the anthropophagy. Also it was common between some American indigenous towns, like the iroqueses of North America, tupinambas of Brazil or the towns of the western coast of the gulf of Mexico. He thinks myself that until recently time the cannibalism in central and western Africa existed, Australia, New Zealand, Melanesia, Sumatra, New Guinea, Polynesia and some remote parts of South America. Reasons very varied for the practice of the cannibalism have been adduced. In some cultures the belief that existed mainly the person who consumed the body of another one acquired the qualities of this one, if were a brave enemy. In some cases, the cannibalism obeyed exclusively to revenge reasons. One even thought that the spirit of the enemy was destroyed totally if its body were devoured, because it would not have where to lodge. Sometimes the cannibalism comprised of the religious rituals. Binderwurs of central India ate to the old patients and in the belief that this act pleased to its Kali goddess. In Mexico, the Aztecs sacrificed every year thousands of human victims in honor to Tezcatlipoca. The sacrifice consisted of extracting the heart of the victim and offering it to the God. The ceremony included some times the offer of the blood of the sacrificed one, the desollamiento of the corpse and the consumption of its meat.

Answer 8

No way is it healthy. Look at how fat and out of shape you are- and chalked full of preservatives. If you are what you eat I for one am glad we don't do the whole cannibalism thing (wrap you head around that- I dare you).

Answer 9

Look up the Donner Party on Google. In the 1800's several hundred people in a wagon train got lost trying to get to California. Up in the Colorado mountains they unexpectedly got about a 10 or 12 foot snowfall. A few went for help on foot, but the main party ran out of food. There was no food, so as a person died he/she became dinner. Somehow, the group that went for help finally found their way back. Many persons were

no longer there. They had died and were eaten, so the others survived. TRUE STORY

Answer 10

I have seen in reality not in stories, people killing their fathers, mothers, sister or sons killing their parents. Even I used to record these crimes by my hand for the official authorities.

These types of crimes are more horrible than see cannibalism in stories.

Answer 11

I think everyone has come up with great explanations for you on how cannibalism absolutely is still around and is not necessarily health. What you should keep in mind if you are interested in Anthropology at all is that there are amazing rituals and traditions around it and it might not be as gross as it seems if you understand it. Someone else mentioned the Fore people and their cannibalism practices; These people do not go out hunting humans and eating them, but participate in beautiful ceremony with their dead. They believe eating small parts of the deceased's flesh with allow their spirt and energy to be carried on through them. And as gross as cannibalism may sound, isn't that a beautiful thought?

Answer 12

The Pygmy Tribe in Africa still practices cannibalism. It's not lawful ANYMORE but they still do it on the black market.

Answer 13

I hate to say it, but when it comes down to the basics, meat is meat.  A human eating raw human flesh is no more likely to be harmed by it than if he were to eat raw beef.