The earth is inhabited by hundreds of different peoples. Some of them are adherents of European tolerance, others refuse to recognize such values, others are distinguished by their own, sometimes original values. But there are also those with whom it is better not to deal with anything. Why? Just because for some tribes living in remote corners, a stranger is not just an uninvited guest, but a special dinner. There are tribes of cannibals in South Seas, in the West and East Indies, in Africa, in South America ...

African tribe Mambila and its traditions

Let's start with Africa. More precisely, from its western part. This is the country of Nigeria. The Mambila tribe lives compactly on its territory. The leadership of Nigeria, as well as a significant part of its public, strive to ensure that this state looks no worse than others. There is an army here, and the police, and various laws exist. One of them forbids cannibalism. For such a case in Nigeria, even a rather severe punishment is due. However, not everything is so simple in Africa.

Until charitable missions came to the country in the middle of the twentieth century, everything was fine. In European and other countries adhering to universal values, citizens were in the dark about the events on the "dark continent". But already from the first missionaries there were reports that mass eating of people was practiced in Nigeria. As it turned out, cannibalism was something of a mandatory ritual for the local population. Moreover, everyone was obliged to eat, from young to old. The Mambila tribe fought with their neighbors, and there were also intra-tribal skirmishes. According to established traditions, the winners had to eat the killed enemies right on the battlefield. This was done so that the enemy's power passed to the winner along with his flesh.

Literally until recent years, all the people of the Mambila tribe remained cannibals. Even now they would not refuse such a feature, but it’s scary before the authorities. Punishments are now in Nigeria for such a pretty serious.

As for the tradition itself, the inhabitants of a neighboring village were often killed by enemies. In peacetime, marriages were made between such neighbors. But the war began, and sometimes it turned out that the winner ate some of his relatives. It happened that some hero killed and ate the brothers of his own wives. The only exception for the winner was his own father-in-law. It was forbidden to eat it. The winner could become seriously ill or even die.

Note! Most often, cannibalism is associated with certain rituals. People not only believe that the power of the eaten enemy passes to them, but they are also sure that by doing so they secure help from some gods or spirits. That is, we are talking about the custom provided by religion. The Mambil tribe has practically no religious component in cannibalism.

The corpse of a killed enemy for the people of this tribe, as they specified to the missionaries, is just ordinary meat. The victors simply cut the killed enemy into pieces. Part of the prey was eaten raw on the spot. However, there were no formalities. The victors did not turn to spirits or gods. They just satisfied their hunger. The rest of the booty was carried home by the warriors. There they gave the extracted to the old people. After all, they needed to satisfy their hunger.

Waste from such a feast was minimal. The people of the Mambila tribe even ate the insides. They were removed from the corpse, gently washed. They were used as food in boiled form.

Particular attention was paid to the skulls. They were kept. When young warriors first went to fight the enemy, they first had to drink some special infusion from these skulls. If possible, they drank beer. Due to this, courage was instilled in young soldiers.

The customs of the Mamblyla tribe are quite thoroughly described in the book by K. Mika. This anthropologist spent quite a lot of time in Africa, including in the tribe of cannibals. He managed to get acquainted with such customs that researchers could not see either before him or after.

For example, K. Meek reported that women had no right to eat human flesh. As for the restrictions on men, married women could not eat the meat of women who were killed during a raid on an enemy village. But if the old man did not have wives, but he could eat the meat of women in any case and in any quantity.

The cruel customs of the Angu tribe

Now a few words about the traditions of the tribe that lived in another corner of the globe. Why "inhabited"? The fact is that in a few decades it has almost disappeared among the other inhabitants of a large island in the Pacific Ocean. The tribe was called Angu, and it lived in the southwestern part of New Guinea. Until now, the people of the Angu tribe are considered the most warlike and bloodthirsty.

These people ate not only the killed enemies. It often happened that they used their parents as a dish. With this they tried to hurry. The main condition is that the old people should not have had time to lose their memory or fall into senile dementia. The murder of parents took place as a ritual. We couldn't do it ourselves. A man from another family was invited to perform the ritual. For this murder, he received a certain reward. After his body was washed, he was skinned and eaten. They left only the head. It was installed in a certain place. Then followed magical rituals. They prayed to the head, asked her for advice, asked her for help and protection.

In contrast to the customs of the previously described tribe, the inhabitants of New Guinea hardly ate human meat in its raw form. It was boiled, sometimes stewed. The penis was considered a special dish. Cut in half, it was fried on coals.

The category of "delicacies" among the Angu included hands, feet, tongue, and mammary glands. The brain was recognized as a delicacy. They cooked it without taking it out of their heads. Then, through the “big hole” (unfortunately, the sources do not specify what it is), the boiled brain was pulled out, cut into small pieces and served to the most significant tribesmen.

The uninvited guests of the Angu were treated as the most fierce enemies. For them, there could only be one ending. These cannibals also acted with captives. At the same time, they always tried to make the victims accept as much torment as possible. And it wasn't just physical pain.

In the event that it was possible to deliver at least two captives to the village, they did not kill everyone at once. The murder was committed in front of the living captives. At the same time, everything was done so that the living could see the death agony of a fellow tribesman.

Of course, such barbaric rituals could be considered as manifestations of sadism. That is, the Angu, while delivering torment to those who were going to be killed and eaten, received pleasure by watching them. However, as established by the researchers, cannibals did not suffer from such a massive mental disorder. All this for them was an ordinary event, without which it is impossible to do. That is, we are talking about a tradition passed down from generation to generation.

Humane cannibals

The customs of the Bachesu tribe living in Uganda, as well as the Tukano, Kobene, Zhumano tribes living in the Amazon, can be attributed to more humane. These cannibals eat not only people who have been killed with their own hands, but the corpses of dead relatives. They do this with good intentions. People are sure that by doing so, they show signs of true reverence for the deceased.

The meal begins about a month after a person's death. By this time, the corpse was already half decomposed. But this is the custom, for the named tribes - this is a normal, familiar thing. The process is as follows. The corpse is placed in a large metal container. Usually it resembles a huge cauldron. A fire is lit under the cauldron. The brewing process continues until the “brew” begins to stink so terribly that the smell spreads over many tens of meters.

A half-decomposed corpse is boiled without water. For this reason, it gradually turns into just coals. When there is nothing left in the boiler except these coals, cooking ends. The tribesmen wait until the cauldron and its contents have cooled down to such an extent that the cooking process of what is needed can be continued. This continuation consists in grinding the coals into powder. Later, it is mixed into food, used as a spice. It is also added to some local drinks. As the members of the tribes are sure, such drinks are "drinks of courage." All the warriors of the tribe drink it. It is believed that such a drink makes a person more courageous, resourceful, wise.

The last cannibals are known to live in Papua New Guinea. Here they still live according to the rules adopted 5 thousand years ago: men go naked, and women cut off their fingers. There are only three tribes still engaged in cannibalism, these are Yali, Vanuatu and Carafai. The Carafai (or tree people) are the most cruel tribe. They eat not only warriors of foreign tribes, lost locals or tourists, but also all their dead relatives. The name "tree people" got from their houses, which are incredibly high (see the last 3 pictures). The Vanuatu tribe is peaceful enough that the photographer is not eaten, a few pigs are brought to the leader. Yali are formidable warriors (Yali's photos start at photo 9). The phalanxes of the fingers of a woman of the Yali tribe are cut off with an ax as a sign of grief for a dead or dead relative.

The most important holiday of Yali is the festival of death. Women and men paint their bodies in the form of a skeleton. On the feast of death earlier, perhaps they do it now, they killed the shaman and the leader of the tribe ate his warm brain. This was done in order to satisfy Death and imbibe the knowledge of the shaman to the leader. Now Yali people are killed less often than usual, mainly if there was a crop failure or for some other “important” reasons.

Hungry cannibalism, which is preceded by murder, is regarded in psychiatry as a manifestation of the so-called hungry insanity.

Also known is domestic cannibalism, not dictated by the need for survival and not provoked by hungry insanity. In judicial practice, such cases are not qualified as premeditated murder with particular cruelty.

With the exception of these not too common cases, the word "cannibalism" often comes to mind nevertheless insane ritual feasts, during which the victorious tribes devour the body parts of their enemies in order to gain their strength; or another well-known useful "application" of this phenomenon: the heirs thus deal with the bodies of their fathers in the pious hope that they will be reborn in the body of eaters of their flesh.

The most "cannibalistic" strange modern world is Indonesia. In this state there are two famous centers of mass cannibalism - the Indonesian part of the island of New Guinea and the island of Kalimantan (Borneo). The jungles of Kalimantan are inhabited by 7-8 million Dayaks, famous skull hunters and cannibals.

The most delicious parts of the body they consider the head - tongue, cheeks, skin from the chin, extracted through the nasal cavity or ear hole, the brain, meat from the thighs and calves, heart, palms. The initiators of the crowded campaigns for skulls among the Dayaks are women.

The latest surge in cannibalism in Borneo occurred at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, when the Indonesian government tried to organize the colonization of the interior of the island by the forces of civilized immigrants from Java and Madura. The unfortunate peasant settlers and the soldiers who accompanied them were mostly slaughtered and eaten. Until recently, cannibalism persisted on the island of Sumatra, where the Batak tribes ate criminals sentenced to death and incapacitated old people.

An important role in the almost complete elimination of cannibalism in Sumatra and some other islands was played by the activities of the "father of Indonesian independence" Sukarno and the military dictator Suharto. But even they could not improve the situation in Irian Jaya, Indonesian New Guinea, one iota. The Papuan ethnic groups living there, according to missionaries, are obsessed with a passion for human meat and are distinguished by unprecedented cruelty.

They especially prefer the human liver with medicinal herbs, penises, noses, tongues, meat from the thighs, feet, breasts. In the eastern part of the island of New Guinea, in the independent state of Papua New Guinea, much less evidence of cannibalism is recorded.

Vrochem, and here in some places in the jungle they still live according to the rules adopted five thousand years ago - men go naked, and women cut off their fingers.

There are only three tribes still engaged in cannibalism, these are Yali, Vanuatu and Carafai. The Carafai are the most cruel tribe. They eat not only warriors of foreign tribes, lost locals or tourists, but also all their dead relatives…..

Found an African tribe of cannibals speaking the purest Russian!

A cruel tribe of cannibals that communicates in the purest Russian language was discovered by the International Research Expedition "African Ring". This was announced by the scientific leader of the expedition, head of the Department of African Studies at St Petersburg University Alexander Zheltov.

According to the interlocutor of the agency, the tribe was found in East Africa, near the border with Tanzania. “These people are quite dangerous, since all people are perceived as food,” said A. Zheltov. - During the contact of the expedition with them, we kept weapons ready for self-defense.

However, the leader of the tribe understood that the conflict with us was not beneficial to him. The tribe is armed with nothing but sticks and stones, and we had hunting rifles - almost every member of the expedition. It is very dangerous to travel unarmed in wild Africa, - the source of the agency explained.

“The biggest surprise for us was that the native language of the tribe is Russian,” said A. Zheltov. - Moreover, with us on the expedition was an academician, head. Chair of the Institute of the Russian Language Vera Ilyinichna Borisoglebskaya, so she claims that the tribe speaks the purest, beautiful Russian language of the nobles of the 19th century, which was spoken by Pushkin and Tolstoy.

When a tribe of cannibals offered guests to try their signature dish "Enemy's Grilled Meat at the Fire", they asked "Would you like to eat, dear guests?" And when the expedition members refused, the cannibals lamented: "Oh, how sorry we are, right." “We spent half a day visiting a tribe of Russian cannibals,” said A. Zheltov. “But we never figured out why they speak Russian.” This question remains to be elucidated by scientists.

“From time immemorial, our tribe speaks this powerful, beautiful and great language,” A. Zheltov conveys the words of the leader of the tribe. According to the interlocutor of the agency, the number of the tribe is declining. This unique tribe of Russian-speaking cannibals maintains its Chronicle.

According to records made there, five years ago there were about a thousand of them, last year a little less than two hundred, and now there are only 72 people left.

Indonesia

Perhaps the most cannibal-dangerous place on Earth is the jungle of the Indonesian part of the island of New Guinea (Irian Jaya) and the island of Kalimantan (Borneo). The jungle of the latter is inhabited by 7-8 million Dayaks, famous skull hunters and cannibals. Their most delicious parts of the body are the head (tongue, cheeks, skin from the chin, the brain extracted through the nasal cavity or ear hole), meat from the thighs and calves, heart, palms. The initiators of the crowded campaigns for skulls among the Dayaks are women.

At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, the Indonesian government tried to organize the colonization of the interior of the island by civilized immigrants from Java and Madura. The unfortunate peasant settlers and the soldiers guarding them were massacred and eaten. This is the last significant outbreak of cannibalism in Borneo.

The initiators of campaigns for skulls among the Dayaks are women

A great contribution to the elimination of cannibalism on the islands of Southeast Asia was made by Sukarno, the "father of Indonesian independence", and the military dictator Suharto. But they also failed to greatly improve the situation in Irian Jaya (western part of New Guinea). The Papuan ethnic groups living there (dugum-dani, kapauku, marind-anim, asmat and others), according to the missionaries, are not averse to eating people and are distinguished by unprecedented cruelty. They especially like liver with herbs. However, penises, noses, tongues, meat from the thighs will also come off.

But this is all on the western part of the island. What about in the east? In the independent state of Papua New Guinea, there are far fewer cases of cannibalism than in Irian Jaya. Cannibals in this region can still be found on the islands of New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands. If you are tired of taking risks, then Australia and New Zealand are safe places (even though they have Cannibal Bay). There, cannibalism had become obsolete by the end of the 19th century.

Africa

Cases of cannibalism in Africa are associated mainly with the activities of organizations such as "Leopards" and "Alligators". Until the 80s, human remains were found in the vicinity of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire. Leopards are usually dressed in leopard skins and armed with their fangs. Both Leopards and Alligators believe that eating people makes them faster and stronger.

"Leopards" believe that human flesh makes them stronger and faster

Movements are still common in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Benin, Togo, South Africa, local tribes sometimes practice eating human flesh for ritual purposes. The Mau Mau movement in Kenya (1950-60s) stands apart, covering its sectarian, frankly cannibalistic essence with ultranationalist, anti-European political slogans.

India

The history of human sacrifice is very long in India. What is most curious, the culture of religious sacrifice reached its heyday under the British Raj. At the same time, eating victims was common only in the northeast and south of India. Until the beginning of the 20th century, residents of the northeastern state of Assam made annual sacrifices to the mother goddess Kali: the boiled lungs of the victims were eaten by yogis, and the aristocracy was content with rice boiled in human blood. Ritual cannibalism in honor of the god of the Earth, Tari Pennu, was developed among the Gonds, a large South Indian people.

Aghori do not disdain corpses from the Ganges

Even in the south of India, there is still a sect of Aghori, spun off from Virashivism. Several thousand people for ritual purposes eat the decomposed corpses of people from the Ganges, as well as the corpses of domestic animals, the remains of burnt corpses. Do not disdain and alive - some specifically want to be eaten.

At the end of such a “positive” article, one has only to quote Andrei Malakhov: “Take care of yourself and your loved ones.” And choose carefully where you are going to travel.

Cannibalism (from French cannibale, Spanish canibal) is the eating of human flesh by people (the term anthropophagy is also used). In a broader sense, animals eat individuals of their own species. The name "cannibals" comes from "caniba" - the name that the inhabitants of the Bahamas called the inhabitants of Haiti, terrible cannibals, before Columbus. Subsequently, the name "cannibal" became equivalent to an anthropophagus.

There is domestic and religious cannibalism.
Household practice was practiced during the primitive communal system, due to lack of food, it was preserved as an exception during general famine. In contrast to religious cannibalism, which includes a variety of sacrifices, eating enemies or various parts of the body, dead relatives. Such eating is justified by convictions, they say, strength and all skills, abilities and character traits will pass to the eater. In part, the cannibalism of maniacs can be attributed to the religious.

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Congo

In the Congo, cannibalism peaked during the Congolese civil war of 1999-2003. The last case was recorded in 2012. They eat people to scare off enemies, believing that a source of great power is hidden in the human heart, and by eating it, the cannibal receives this power.

West Africa

In western Africa there was a group of cannibals called "Leopards". So they were called appearance, as they dressed in leopard skins and armed with the fangs of these animals. Here and in the 80s of the last century, the remains of people were found. They explain their passion for human flesh by the fact that this action gives them energy, making them stronger.

Brazil

In Brazil, the Huari tribe lives, which is distinguished by its sophistication of taste. Until 1960, their diet included only religious figures, all kinds of enlighteners. Only recently, the need has forced them to eat not only the righteous and God's chosen ones, but also ordinary sinners. To this day, outbreaks of cannibalism often occur here.

It is officially recognized that cannibalism flourishes among them in view of their needs and high level poverty. But the locals claim that they hear the inner voice of whom to kill and eat.

Papua New Guinea

The last nation that constantly uses human flesh in the 21st century is the Korowai tribe living in this area. There is such a scenario that it was here that they ate Michael Rockefeller, the son of a well-known family name and the then Governor of New York, Nepson Rockefeller. In fact, Michael Rockefeller went on an expedition to Papua New Guinea in 1961 to study the life of this tribe, but never returned, and a number of search expeditions did not yield results.

They eat people after the death of a tribesman who died in the absence of any cause or disease, and in order to avoid future deaths, they eat the deceased. Since death without a cause, in their worldview, is black magic.

Cambodia

Cannibalism in this area reached its largest scale during the wars in South-East Asia throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Their warriors had a ritual to eat the liver of the enemy. The reasons why local residents use human meat are religious beliefs and the Khmer Rouge famine.

India

In the Indian sect, the Aghori eat volunteers who bequeathed their bodies to the sect after death. After being eaten, various ornaments are made from the bones and skull. In 2005, according to media investigations conducted here, it became known that this religious group was eating corpses from the Ganges River. "Aghori" believe that human flesh is the best elixir of youth.