Nutrition news from National Geographic

Dave W · April 08, 2017, 02:27:00 PM

Cannibalism Study Finds People Are Not That Nutritious

Jeffrey Dahmer might disagree but he's no longer around.

Highlander · April 09, 2017, 04:15:17 PM

Long pork...

uwe · April 11, 2017, 12:51:59 PM

What else is new?

It was always my understanding that eating humans was motivated by religion, rites and rituals, symbolism (celebrating victory), sex or - in extreme cases - sheer need to survive (starvation), but never actually a "regular diet" of any human civilisation. There was a notorious sex crime cannibal case in Germany some 15 years ago and the criminal court went via various anthropological experts deep into the question whether cannibalism had a connotation to it of humiliating the victim (who had volunteered for being killed and eaten in the case at hand) which would have raised the sentence - they found nothing to support that theory, but much against it. Historically, cannibalism is in most cases a sacred act in which the devouring party wishes to sacrifice the victim for some higher power or hopes to gain some of his powers via the act.

As an eyewitness to an autopsy (it's part of your practical criminal law education in Germany to witness one though you can ask for a dispensation), I can attest to the fact that freshly dead human and freshly butchered pig smell alike. Nothing disgusting or nauseating about it, just very akin to entering a butcher store. That, however, applies to fresh dead only, the pathologist at the time remarked how "water corpses are the worst".

TBird1958 · April 11, 2017, 01:57:16 PM

You know how some of you guys get all Hee-Bee-Gee-Bee about "the love that dare not speak it's name" well, cannibalism does that to me

Highlander · April 11, 2017, 02:38:02 PM

Sorry in advance Mark...
For my dad's theatre of War, to some of his opposing forces, it was considered acceptable to eat the flesh of your enemy (liver, buttocks, thighs being the preferred) than that of your own, but as noted and to be specific, officer level, to eat the flesh of your enemy enabled you to be imbued with his strength and spirit, robbing them of theirs... Had too much of this to study as parts of my research, most unfortunately... The Australian War Crimes Tribunal went into this in some considerable detail, but the detailing of the demise of one Australian Officer is quite horrific...

uwe · April 11, 2017, 02:50:30 PM

I wasn't advocating it!

Much like sex with animals, devouring your sex partner is overrated. Unless you are a spider and don't know better ... at 6:40 ...

Wow, Alice still looked like a fresh-faced kid back then, the alcohol hadn't wreaked havoc yet.

TBird1958 · April 11, 2017, 05:04:37 PM

Quote from: Highlander on April 11, 2017, 02:38:02 PM
Sorry in advance Mark...
For my dad's theatre of War, to some of his opposing forces, it was considered acceptable to eat the flesh of your enemy (liver, buttocks, thighs being the preferred) than that of your own, but as noted and to be specific, officer level, to eat the flesh of your enemy enabled you to be imbued with his strength and spirit, robbing them of theirs... Had too much of this to study as parts of my research, most unfortunately... The Australian War Crimes Tribunal went into this in some considerable detail, but the detailing of the demise of one Australian Officer is quite horrific...

I just finished reading "Taste of War" by Lizzy Collingham, very well written and researched, it's quite interesting to read about the role food really played in the war. The typical Japanese soldier was almost left to his own devices in the Pacific and cannibalism amongst the their own ranks as well POWs is mentioned.