Ritual Cannibalism: Past and Present-Day

Most anthropologists today believe the practice of cannibalism has been part of human behavior since long before recorded history.  Oral traditions and world literature are brimming with fascinating accounts of headhunting cannibals of the African jungles, heart-devouring tribes of the Amazonian rainforest, highly elaborate ceremonies surrounding the consumption of human flesh among Papua New Guinea aborigine, and dining on the dead among the Anasazi of Chaco Canyon in the U. S. Southwest.  Cannibalism is, in fact, deeply embedded in the romantic lore of mankind’s evolution–tied to mythology, religion, witchcraft, vampirism, and strangely perhaps, to heroism.  Still, the very thought of one human eating another–regardless of the circumstances–sends cold chills up and down the spines of most “civilized” people today.  Read more . . .