Cannibalism - Part 1: A Cannibalism Buffet

Eating other people is the ultimate taboo… or is it? We now know many different creatures eat their own, including humans–and it's not as rare as you’d think. Join anthropologist Robert Lemelson on a tour of “anthropophagy,” otherwise known as human cannibalism. You’ll learn about the different categories of cannibalism, such as survival cannibalism, pathological cannibalism, and institutional cannibalism. You’ll encounter both notorious historical instances of humans eating other humans, such as Jamestown Jane and Wendigo psychosis, and the way different cultures, such as the ancient Aztecs, Celts, and the Korowai, have rationalized such consumption in the context of religion, warfare, and self-defense.

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Resources:

Birx, H.J. (Ed.) (2006) Cults. In Encyclopedia of Anthropology(Vol. 5, pp. 624-625). New York: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Lalich, J.A. (2004) Bounded Choice: True Believes and Charismatic Cults. Oakland: UC Press.

Lindstrom, L. (2018) Cargo Cults. In The Open Encyclopedia of Anthropology.

Singer, M.T. (2003) Cults in Our Midst: The Continuing Fight Against Their Hidden Menace. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Malinowski, B. (1945) The Dynamics of Culture Change. New Haven: Yale University Press.