Nowadays,
in Occident, cannibalism is considered as a barbaric thing that sickens any
sensibility and does not belong but from savage people or a psychokiller. But in
reality, little is known about this interesting practice. First of all, we can
define cannibalism as the practice or action of eating the flesh of one’s
species; this concept could be applied for any kind of species all around the
world. On the other hand, anthropophagy means eating human flesh specifically,
and this concept could be applied for animals when eating human flesh. Now, to
follow with the topic, we can find several types of cannibalism according to
its purpose and cause.
According to its cause, we can mention the “survival cannibalism”. This type of cannibalism is permitted in Occident when it is your last resort in an extreme situation where your life is in danger. You have to eat the another`s flesh to survive, otherwise you die. One phrase that explains this is “when the stomach speaks, the moral hush.”
Also in line with its cause, we have the “pathological cannibalism”. This type is practiced by the worst kind of cannibals. Persons, if we really can call them like that, that have normal lives, have family, friends and normal jobs but actually have no empathy for others and live among us. They do not know the moral meaning of good and bad. The good is their own and the bad, the incapacity of getting what they want. They kill for pure pleasure and feel as though they were a superior species and consider their congeners as prey. They kill and eat human flesh because of their own feeling of superiority, and egocentricity. Its cause is supposed to be several things such as traumatic events in their past, sexual abuse in childhood, brain injury, and sociocultural factors but all of those are conjectures.
In agreement with its purpose we can find “ritual cannibalism”, same that is practiced in indigenous communities and, at once, can be split into “exocannibalism” which means to devour the flesh of the enemy or a person that does not belong to the same tribe. This kind of cannibalism is motivated, in many cases, for evenge against the enemy. On the other hand, “endocanibalism,” which is to devour the flesh of a member of the same tribe or community, represents an act of love before the relatives are already dead. Also ritual cannibalism has the purpose to obtain vital properties from the person that is supposed to be eaten or to get supernatural skills from it.
The Forensic Psychiatrist José Cabrera Forneiro has established for Excelsior newspaper: “Cannibalism is not a decease but a compulsive behavior that sinks its roots in the beginning of time and now it is still appearing beyond the normal psyche.”
Personally, I find this topic quite interesting because of the peculiar connotations this practice can be attributed to in many cultures, also its different causes and motivations. From the first to the last type of cannibalism, we can get contrasting meanings. How it can be defined evenly as love, revenge, punishment, or survival.
I think it is more horrifying that humans are the enemies of the own human being. There is no bigger living thing that can stop us from doing the worst things in the world. Only humans can be destroyed by their own similar ones. For me, that is the most loyal meaning of cannibalism: the decay of humans by the same humans.
According to its cause, we can mention the “survival cannibalism”. This type of cannibalism is permitted in Occident when it is your last resort in an extreme situation where your life is in danger. You have to eat the another`s flesh to survive, otherwise you die. One phrase that explains this is “when the stomach speaks, the moral hush.”
Also in line with its cause, we have the “pathological cannibalism”. This type is practiced by the worst kind of cannibals. Persons, if we really can call them like that, that have normal lives, have family, friends and normal jobs but actually have no empathy for others and live among us. They do not know the moral meaning of good and bad. The good is their own and the bad, the incapacity of getting what they want. They kill for pure pleasure and feel as though they were a superior species and consider their congeners as prey. They kill and eat human flesh because of their own feeling of superiority, and egocentricity. Its cause is supposed to be several things such as traumatic events in their past, sexual abuse in childhood, brain injury, and sociocultural factors but all of those are conjectures.
In agreement with its purpose we can find “ritual cannibalism”, same that is practiced in indigenous communities and, at once, can be split into “exocannibalism” which means to devour the flesh of the enemy or a person that does not belong to the same tribe. This kind of cannibalism is motivated, in many cases, for evenge against the enemy. On the other hand, “endocanibalism,” which is to devour the flesh of a member of the same tribe or community, represents an act of love before the relatives are already dead. Also ritual cannibalism has the purpose to obtain vital properties from the person that is supposed to be eaten or to get supernatural skills from it.
The Forensic Psychiatrist José Cabrera Forneiro has established for Excelsior newspaper: “Cannibalism is not a decease but a compulsive behavior that sinks its roots in the beginning of time and now it is still appearing beyond the normal psyche.”
Personally, I find this topic quite interesting because of the peculiar connotations this practice can be attributed to in many cultures, also its different causes and motivations. From the first to the last type of cannibalism, we can get contrasting meanings. How it can be defined evenly as love, revenge, punishment, or survival.
I think it is more horrifying that humans are the enemies of the own human being. There is no bigger living thing that can stop us from doing the worst things in the world. Only humans can be destroyed by their own similar ones. For me, that is the most loyal meaning of cannibalism: the decay of humans by the same humans.
I
am not sure what posture I would take before this theme. I just get startled by
the great significance it has in our cultures around the world, and how it has
presence subliminally in our lives when we pronounce phrases such as “you are
so sweet that I would devour you with kisses” or when at mass the priest claims
the Jesus Crist’s words “eat from my body and drink from my blood,” that is the
most cannibal thing I have ever heard.
To
conclude, although we want to hide this cannibal instinct which is beating inside
our cells, we always are going to supreme that and turn it into another taboo.
We are not concerned of how much we are able to, how bad we can be, or how
starved to think in eating another person’s body. Anyway, we will always be the
worst thing we can: humans.
References
http://www.excelsior.com.mx/global/2015/02/01/1005869
Historia Natural del Canibalismo por Manuel Moros Peña
References
http://www.excelsior.com.mx/global/2015/02/01/1005869
Historia Natural del Canibalismo por Manuel Moros Peña
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