# Interview with a corpse cannibal - From Harpers Magazine **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 23, 2009, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interview-with-a-corpse-cannibal-from-harpers-magazine/482734 "2009-01-23T23:37:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interview-with-a-corpse-cannibal-from-harpers-magazine/482734/1 "2009-01-23T23:37:33Z")
[Odd little thing](http://lipbylipby.livejournal.com/355427.html) [A little more](http://sanfrancisco.tribe.net/template/pub,oc,Detail.vm?plugin=blog&inst=7494&r=10535&topicId=40caaac1-7e38-41d6-9329-9d17231a704b) ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interview-with-a-corpse-cannibal-from-harpers-magazine/482734/2 "2009-01-24T01:45:43Z")
Huh. Especially interesting because of this [SD column](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/655/is-there-really-such-a-thing-as-cannibalism) by Cecil claiming ritualized cannibalism basically doesn’t exist. (it’s from 1988 though, and may be due for an update) Some preliminary research on these Aghori folk seems to suggest they _do_ practice routine cannibalism. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interview-with-a-corpse-cannibal-from-harpers-magazine/482734/3 "2009-01-24T02:58:55Z")
Another confirmation on the ‘tastes like pork’. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interview-with-a-corpse-cannibal-from-harpers-magazine/482734/4 "2009-01-24T03:29:28Z")
Except for Papua New Guinea-and the only ones who remember it would be in the 80s-90s by now. (And they only practiced as a funeral ritual, IIRC-well, until they found out what was causing kuru) There’s a book I have-it’s called _A History of Cannibalism_. My copy is in the attic, but if you can find it at your local library, you might want to take a look-it’s fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interview-with-a-corpse-cannibal-from-harpers-magazine/482734/5 "2009-01-24T03:35:35Z")
The Yanomamo of the Amazon also practice funeral cannibalism. They mix the ashes of loved ones into a beverage and drink it. _vomit smiley_ ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interview-with-a-corpse-cannibal-from-harpers-magazine/482734/6 "2009-01-24T03:44:30Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Huh. Especially interesting because of this [SD column](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/655/is-there-really-such-a-thing-as-cannibalism) by Cecil claiming ritualized cannibalism basically doesn’t exist. (it’s from 1988 though, and may be due for an update) [It looks like Cecil, like me, took _The Man-Eating Myth_ far too seriously.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=480123&highlight=cultural+cannibalism) Arens is a clever kid, but he’s contradicted by the evidence (look in the thread I linked to for examples). ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interview-with-a-corpse-cannibal-from-harpers-magazine/482734/7 "2009-01-24T17:46:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Arens is a clever kid, but he’s contradicted by the evidence (look in the thread I linked to for examples). And look in the Harris book I cited for more. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interview-with-a-corpse-cannibal-from-harpers-magazine/482734/8 "2009-01-24T20:54:19Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > [It looks like Cecil, like me, took _The Man-Eating Myth_ far too seriously.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=480123&highlight=cultural+cannibalism) Arens is a clever kid, but he’s contradicted by the evidence (look in the thread I linked to for examples). I took a basic anthropology course with Arens at SUNY Stony Brook a while back. He was very laid back, and only mentioned the book on the last day. Could be mistaken, but I seem to recall that a part of his basic thesis was that there is no prohibitive taboo against cannibalism. Yet, despite that, there wasn’t much serious practice of cannibalism either. Am I remember that correctly?