There was a recent item on the news which said that in The Congo there was evidence of cannibalism between rival tribes with some people killing and eating their ememies.:gag

I thought that cannibalism in Africa was a thing of the past. I'm sure we can all imagian soem poor English Vicar who went to 19th Century Africa to do missionary work ending up in a stewpot with a group of hungry natives dancing around him, tossing in the odd carrot for flavour. It seems though that eating human flesh is still occuring to some extent in Africa.

Does anyone know how widespread it is today (I' m guessing not very) and where about in Africa it still happens?

These tribes have been doing it for centuries i guess- I know its gross but i don't see why it should be stopped?

As long as its only the indiginous tribes that are doing it though!!!! I would say that its only still done in the DEEP jungle- where modern day man hasn't had a chance the spoil there way of life YET!!!

As long as it's only each other that there eating, let them have a good go at it !

Surley it's murder who ever they are eating. Just to say it's their way of life so let them do it is to ignor the victims.

BTW, I wonder if they have any cookery programmes on their TV. I guess Ready steady cook or whatever would certainly be different:D

Originally posted by slimsid2000
Surley it's murder who ever they are eating. Just to say it's their way of life so let them do it is to ignor the victims.

BTW, I wonder if they have any cookery programmes on their TV. I guess Ready steady cook or whatever would certainly be different:D

Not really if they are at war i guess!!!

And im really praying ainsley harriot goes on that show :D :D

I think Jamie Oliver would be a good presenter/main course.:hihi:

Are these people victims of inter-tribal war or people who have been killed just for a bite to eat?

If the stiffs are the byproduct of war then some might say it's a shame to see them go to waste!

Wonder if they suffer from Khuru?

A lot of this is hearsay, and actually stems from tribes starting the rumours themselves to scare the other tribes away from their territory. Nobody really knows the true extent of cannibalism in the world today (if it is in fact still practiced anywhere at all) as most studies done by anthropologists are fatally flawed. These indiginous tribes are as scared of the Western world as we are of them, and apparently many of them think WE in fact eat people.

Originally posted by Twiglet
and apparently many of them think WE in fact eat people.

You mean we don't?


*runs home to hide evidence*

Originally posted by Twiglet
and actually stems from tribes starting the rumours themselves

I suppose it gets passed down the grape VINE


Geddit- vine!!

Tarzan . . . jungle . . vine!!



Taxi!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by Carmine

Wonder if they suffer from Khuru?

There was a very interesting book I read a while ago which documented the links between how Khuru, CJD and BSE develop - It's name and author escape me at the moment but I'll have a root about at home for it. It drew some very scary and factual conclusions.

I seen a channel 4 news special on this a wee while ago. It was talking to victims of rebels that had been kidnapped in villages in the Congo then forced into killing and fighting. They were also forced to eat the flesh of their "enemies". Some of those kidnapped were as young as 12 and 14.

It is absolutely horrifying the atrocites that continue over there. I read about some of it on the MONUC website. Not for the faint hearted -

http://www.monuc.org/Story.aspx?storyID=432

Originally posted by slimsid2000
Surley it's murder who ever they are eating. Just to say it's their way of life so let them do it is to ignor the victims.

BTW, I wonder if they have any cookery programmes on their TV. I guess Ready steady cook or whatever would certainly be different:D

who gave us the right to apply our laws to their society?

Amongst cultures where eating the brains and nervous systems of people who've died is common, prion based diseases do get passed on through this channel.

Some of the cannibalism is ased on old tribal superstitions, but a lot of the modern stuff that's taken place is basically psychological warfare - force people to violate what is probably even to them a taboo and you can then start manipulating them by threats to reveal what they've done to sign up for your cause.

As for the morality of whether eating people is wrong, well, I have to say that I believe it is. If that's me being a boring, imperialist Westerner than so be it. :)

Originally posted by slimsid2000
I thought that cannibalism in Africa was a thing of the past. I'm sure we can all imagian soem poor English Vicar who went to 19th Century Africa to do missionary work ending up in a stewpot with a group of hungry natives dancing around him, tossing in the odd carrot for flavour. It seems though that eating human flesh is still occuring to some extent in Africa.

This is just plain silly...

...they don't flavour their stews with carrots!

;)

Prion diseases are not necessarily contracted from eating the dead and cannot be used as evidence of cannibalism. The infection rate from eating infected material is low compared to the rate from handling the material if there is a cut/open wound on the hand. As dismembering the dead is a common mortuary ritual in many countries, this is a more likely explanation for the presence of Kuru.

Originally posted by Twiglet
Prion diseases are not necessarily contracted from eating the dead and cannot be used as evidence of cannibalism. The infection rate from eating infected material is low compared to the rate from handling the material if there is a cut/open wound on the hand. As dismembering the dead is a common mortuary ritual in many countries, this is a more likely explanation for the presence of Kuru.

I guess that when the handlke the brains to make that nutritious and delicious brain stew, that's when it happens!

I stand corrected, then.

Joe

Africa and parts of the Amazon are not the only places where cannibalism has been recorded. According to Lord Russell of Liverpool's 'The Knights of Bushido', an account of Japanese war crimes in World War Two, Japanese troops engaged in cannibalism with the bodies of Allied dead in the Pacific. These were instances discussed at the Tokyo trials, and there is evidence that the practice was authorised and ritualistic.

One compelling chapter details a captured document which contains a request to a senior officer, in which it is expressed that, 'the battalion wish to eat the flesh of' a most unfortunate, captured American Flight Officer named Hall. The troops were not in a starvation state. There are those who claim to have seen Japanese soldiery cutting great pieces of flesh from the bodies of Allied dead, to cook them over fires.

Accusations of cannibalism haunt the Japanese army over their conduct in the infamous 'Rape of Nanking', and in the little known Lake Hasan incident, in which they were defeated by the Russians pre World War Two.

Interestingly, no such allegations of atrocities and cannibalism have been made against Japanese troops who defeated the Russians in the Russo-Japanese War at the turn of the century. In this incident, Japanese soldiery won praise throughout the world for the kindness and consideration they showed to Russian prisoners. Arguably, the behaviour changed when a cabal of Officers overtook the Army, and perverted the Samarai code to allow barbarism where there had been chivalry.

According to last nights proggy on Genghis Khan, when the Mongol Army blockaded Beijing, the residents resorted to eating each other (presumably after they had run out of livestock)

Let's not forget the cannibalistic ritual of the transubstantiation where adherents literally eat the body and blood of Christ....

Anyone for theophagy?

Originally posted by Phanerothyme
According to last nights proggy on Genghis Khan, when the Mongol Army blockaded Beijing, the residents resorted to eating each other (presumably after they had run out of livestock)

Let's not forget the cannibalistic ritual of the transubstantiation where adherents literally eat the body and blood of Christ....

Anyone for theophagy?

Ah, now catastrophic cannibalism is another matter compared to ritualistic cannibalism. It has occurred on numerous occasions including the infamous Andean plane crash and is better documented.

P.S. Soon Sheffield Forum will probably come up as number 1 on a Google for 'Cannibalism' and 'Dismember'!. I also like the proximity of this thread to the 'Stooodent Food' one! :hihi:

I would not hang around in Hoyland, Jump or any other remote enclaves of 'Black Barnsley' either. Many a well-fed Sheffield lad has gone missing in those parts. Their bleached bones are scattered where the curlews cry.

Curlews don't cry in Barnsley, they cough.

In fact thinking about it, curlews give Barnsley a wide berth.

Don't forget the recent court trial in Germany of the guy who was found guilty of cannabilism. His victim had advertised for someone to kill and eat him.

the laws we live buy are made by our society. We can't just go around the world imposing them on any other culture we feel like.

Originally posted by JoePritchard
Amongst cultures where eating the brains and nervous systems of people who've died is common, prion based diseases do get passed on through this channel.

Some of the cannibalism is ased on old tribal superstitions, but a lot of the modern stuff that's taken place is basically psychological warfare - force people to violate what is probably even to them a taboo and you can then start manipulating them by threats to reveal what they've done to sign up for your cause.

As for the morality of whether eating people is wrong, well, I have to say that I believe it is. If that's me being a boring, imperialist Westerner than so be it. :)

Well, theres two things isnt there - is it wrong, well yes, probably. Are we going to do anything about it? Well, no, that'd probably be a bit silly.

You know what they say...if you can't stand being eaten, get out of the...cannibals way?

Originally posted by kathythebean
Well, theres two things isnt there - is it wrong, well yes, probably. Are we going to do anything about it? Well, no, that'd probably be a bit silly.

You know what they say...if you can't stand being eaten, get out of the...cannibals way?

wrong is not an absolute, it's a moral judgement.

Cyclone,
I have to agree here. Morality is relative to the norms and values of particular cultures. Cultures themselves are really the sum total of values and norms in any given society. In some cultures a certain practice may be seen as 'wrong' and 'immoral', yet in others it may be seen as intrinsically 'right' and 'good'. I am sure we could find some 'cultural universals' if we tried, but frankly, I haven't the time!

If condeming cannibalism is no longer acceptable (at least for some people) then PC has certainly gone too far. You can bet your bottom dollor that if it was white, hetrosexual middle class English men doing it the same people would condem it alright.:rant:

Originally posted by slimsid2000
You can bet your bottom dollor that if it was white, hetrosexual middle class English men doing it the same people would condem it alright.:rant:

Hmmmmmm.... I have always wondered what goes on behind the closed doors of Masonic Halls :suspect:

Cannabalism is horrible. Tribes and areas have done it for hundreds of years.

Its quite easy for "civilised" westerners to criticise these "barbarians".

end of the day its none of our business what they do. Its hardly effecting us is it?

p.s. you should watch Cannabal Hollocaust the Musical

Originally posted by Abdul
Hmmmmmm.... I have always wondered what goes on behind the closed doors of Masonic Halls :suspect:

Some very sinister things indeed. All that baring of knees and funny handshakes. Who knows what is on the menu at a Masonic dinner.:gag:

Originally posted by slimsid2000
If condeming cannibalism is no longer acceptable (at least for some people) then PC has certainly gone too far. You can bet your bottom dollor that if it was white, hetrosexual middle class English men doing it the same people would condem it alright.:rant:


that's the point. If it were anyone (black, white, day glo orange) living in OUR society then we would be perfectly right to condemn it and apply whatever sanctions are appropriate.
When it's not our society and it's another culture, who the hell made us the law maker and police of the entire world?
Right and wrong, good and evil, they are not absolutes, we make them up, if another society has different values they are just as valid as ours.

Of course. I wasn't saying it was wrong for them to do it, more I think, in an abstract sense, its wrong. I don't agree with them eating people, but I would defend to the death their right to eat them. Or something like that...

Those who know me would know you could hardly accuse me of being a western imperialist type :) more a bean...

I heard of a cannibal who dumped his girlfriend! It wasn't a nice story!!!:gag:

Originally posted by miniminch
I heard of a cannibal who dumped his girlfriend! It wasn't a nice story!!!:gag:

did she get her pound of flesh?