Early Cannibalism Tied to Territorial Defense?

Smithsonian 'blogs ^ | Wednesday, September 5, 2012 | Erin Wayman

[PUGACHEV]

Check out Cabeza de Vaca here Adventures in the Unknown Interior of America. He was shipwrecked in Florida in 1527 and wandered around the southwest for eight years, first as a captive slave, and eventually becoming a medicine man and primitive surgeon held in awe by the tribes he met.

[Verginius Rufus]

Cabeza de Vaca was a remarkable individual. His account is available in a Penguin edition. He was one of four survivors of the Narvaez expedition which went to Florida, then tried to get to Mexico on makeshift rafts. Most of them either died at sea or of disease or exposure after being cast up on the Texas coast. The survivors were slaves of the local Indians for several years.

Cabeza de Vaca is said to be the first European to mention the bison. He also mentions at one point of one group of Indians, "during the time I was among them I saw something very repulsive, namely, a man married to another. These are impotent and womanish beings who dress like and do the work of women." He would not be welcome in today's Democratic Party.

One of the four survivors was a Moroccan slave, Estevanico, whom he sometimes refers to as "the Negro." Not long ago I caught Henry Louis Gates talking about Estevanico's great explorations (greatly exaggering the number of miles he walked) but totally ignoring the others as if he either was alone or was the leader of the group.

[Cronos]

I wonder about this. There is a near world-wide revulsion to cannibalism and among primates and higher mammals it is not common.

[PUGACHEV]

Cannibalism was not uncommon in the new world. Bernal Diaz del Castillo wrote that the Aztec emperor Cuauhtemoc threatened to eat Cortez with mole, which was apparently the preferred sauce to accompany human flesh.

[SunkenCiv]

Or perhaps those kids just ate altogether too much.

[SunkenCiv]

:’D

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks!

[Verginius Rufus]

I believe Amerigo Vespucci mentioned cannibalism among the South American Indians.

Some years ago I saw a film called How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman, about a Frenchman who was shipwrecked on the coast of Brazil in the 16th century, kept for a year by the Indians of the area, who then had a feast where they killed him and ate him. Local custom.

They were quite friendly to him during the course of the year (he is aware of their plans for him). At one point one of the pretty young women of the tribe has sex with him. So at least he was laid before he was sauteed.

[xrmusn]

They were quite friendly to him during the course of the year
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Of course they were...just fattening him up and we all know that ‘nervous donors’ make for stringy meat while contented, massaged and overly happy donors make prime cuts..

[Pharmboy]

Not uncommon at all among chimpanzees. Jane Goodall was appalled when she first encountered it, but it is well-described.

[Tuanedge]

"Get out of my yard, punk."

"Eat me, Old Man."

***hours later***

"Daddy, are there more barbecue pork chops?"

" Sure, baby, all you want... no, not that one Honey, the pork chop with the tattoo on it is for Daddy..." :^O

[Cronos]

more information that I didn’t know earlier! thank you

[Cronos]

that’s the idea behind kobe beef :)

[xrmusn]

that’s the idea behind kobe beef :)
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I was more into taking a ‘shot’ at moochies favorite, Wagyu Beef....<: <:

Come to think of it someone that has earned a PERMANENT WIDE LOAD tatoo on her beam instructing the rest of us on diet/nutrition is tantamount to Jeffrey Dohmer publishing a cook book.
But, alas, in todays world it would probably be a best seller.

come

[Pharmboy]

You’re most welcome. Infanticide is even more common among a wide range of animals (hippopotamuses, many monkey species, lions, cheetahs, gorillas, and many many more). It is accomplished by males who—after chasing off or killing any adult males around the females and offspring—then proceed to kill the young. This allows the mothers to ovulate again and get pregnant by the new males. How often they actually eat the youngsters I do not know (hippos, as you likely know, are vegetarians, and do not eat the ones killed).