from Sacrifice to Survival The Aztecs = The Donner Pass, 1846 : Leningrad, 1941 » The Andes Plane Crash — SPANTGheH NJSef frey DahmeCr2 C aCse » a nd morea..a.c ssv0 CANNIBALISM from Sacrifice to Survival Cannibalism (or anthropophagy), defined as “the eating of human flesh by human beings,” has often been called the last taboo. The very word “cannibalism” conjures up images of savages stewing missionaries in pots or of shipwrecked sailors doomed to devour the bodies of their dead mates. However, the true picture is not that extreme—or that simple. In Cannibalism: From Sacrifice to Survival, psychologist Hans Askenasy has put together the first comprehensive history of a subject combining violence, horror, and exotic customs. In Part One of his study, Dr. Askenasy gives a historical and geographic overview of human- kind’s practice of and attitudes toward canni- balism. Here he cites several examples of cultural anthropophagy—from Homo erectus, to the Aztecs, to possible cannibalistic prac- tices today among certain primitive tribes of New Guinea, East Africa, and Brazil—and also points to documented examples of simian cannibalism among East African chimpanzees. Part Two discusses motivational factors for cannibalism, including famines (natural and man-made), survival in extreme situations, magic, ritual, and madness. Among the peo- ple and events covered are the siege of Len- ingrad by the Nazis; the wreckage of the frigate Medusa; the Donner Party; the notorious nine- teenth-century “Colorado Man-Eater,” Alferd Packer; the Andes plane crash of 1972; Elizabeth Bathory (b. 1560), the “Vampire Lady of the Carpathians”; anc’ Georg Haarmann, continued on back flaj> Os aie ne fie on eee gee. OSE Ge o:ea a ork ea a o's = ‘ y 5 , ye ¥ | A ‘ a ” ry a vd bis ' roe i LD if j “Ge P2e@ CANNIBALISM from Sacrifice to Survival CANNIBALISM from Sacrifice to Survival The Aztecs = The Donner Pass, 1846 Leningrad, 1941= The Andes Plane Crash The Jeffrey Dahmer Case = and more... HANS ASKENASY, Ph.D. @) Prometheus Books 59 John Glenn Drive Amherst, NewYork 14228-2197 William F. Laman Public Library 2801 Orange Street North Little Rock, Arkansas 72114 Published 1994 by Prometheus Books Cannibalism: From Sacrifice to Survival. Copyright © 1994 by Hans Askenasy, Ph.D. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, record- ing, or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Inquiries should be addressed to Prometheus Books, 59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, New York 14228-2197, 716-691-0133. FAX: 716-691-0137. 98 979965 9 4 54321 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Askenasy, Hans, 1930- Cannibalism : from sacrifice to survival / Hans Askenasy. . gore. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-87975-906-2 (cloth : acid-free paper) 1. Cannibalism—History. I. Title. GN409.A75 1994 394’.9—dc20 94-22772 CIP Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper. Contents Preface and Acknowledgments Introduction Part One: A Historical and GeographOivecravilew 1, By the Dawn’s Early Light 17 2. Recorded History 27 3. Caveats 43 4. Summary 51 Part Two: MotivFaacttorsi foor Cnannaiballis m Introduction 57 5. Natural Famines 59 6. Manmade Famines 67 Ts Accidents 83 8. Magic 107 9. Ritual, Religion, and Sacrifice 117 10. Punishment, Indifference, and Unification 123 a1. The Gourmets 129 12. The Sadists and the Mad 135 Intermission 143 Cannibalism Part Three: Cannibalism in Culture and Society 149 13. Werewolves, Witches, and Vampires 165 14. Special Cases: Medical, Legal, and Psychological 185 15. Our Preoccupation with Cannibalism 213 Conclusion 235 Postscript Further Readings 239 "247 Endnotes Bibliography 255 Index 259