Despite its taboo status in nearly every culture, cannibalism is very much alive today. In fact, the evidence for cannibalistic practices has been found in almost every corner of the globe, from South America to the Pacific islands.
Some of the most common motivations for eating human flesh among cultures include starvation, tribal conflicts and ritualistic behavior.
Outside issues of ethics and legality, the fact remains that cannibalism has been a more common practice throughout human history than many people are led to believe. Many cultures still practice cannibalism today. Here are 10 examples of real-life cannibals that aren't the bloodthirsty killers portrayed in books and movies:
Editor's note: We're covering this to show you how demonism, Satanism and human sacrifice continues to flourish across our world in various forms, including cannibalism, abortion and child trafficking. These practices are pure evil, yet they continue because evil has not yet been defeated on our planet... not yet, but soon...
Prehistoric humans
Roughly 900,000 years ago, the ancient relative of today's humans, Homo antecessor, hunted and ate others of their kind. These ancient humans did not lack prey, but studies suggest that humans provided the most calories for the least amount of effort.
Neanderthals
Neanderthals, the more recent ancestors of modern humans, also practiced cannibalism, on occasion. Experts were inclined to believe so after archaeologists found human remains belonging to the Neanderthal lineage that had evidence of Neanderthal cannibalism. They also found primitive tools made of Neanderthal bones.
Biami people of Papua New Guinea
The Biami people are an isolated group who killed and ate other humans until the last few decades. In 2011, English television and radio presenter Piers Gibbon lived with the tribe for a television show. Gibbons detailed how members of the tribe once roasted a fellow member over the fire like a pig and ate her flesh.
Fore people of Papua New Guinea
People of the Fore tribe, another small, isolated group in Papua New Guinea, once practiced cannibalism but stopped in the 1950s after it led to the spread of a fatal brain disease called kuru. While some tribe members died from the disease, others developed a gene that protected them from it.
Xixime people of Mexico
The Xiximes were an ancient group of people who used to inhabit Mexico. The Xiximes believed that eating the bodies of their enemies guaranteed a bountiful harvest.
Aztec people of Mexico
The Aztecs of ancient Mexico were notorious for performing human sacrifices. However, there is also evidence that the Aztecs performed ritual cannibalism to commune with their gods. Experts also suggest that the Aztecs turned to cannibalism in times of famine.
Wari' people of Brazil
The Wari' are an indigenous people living in Brazil who practiced cannibalism on their war enemies to express their hatred and anger. The Wari' also ate their own dead up until the 1960s to mourn and honor them.
Europeans in the 16th and 17th centuries
Cannibalism was not exclusive to ancient humans and isolated tribes. During the 16th and 17th centuries, Europeans also practiced a milder form of cannibalism for medicinal purposes: drinking human blood.
Back then, drinking fresh human blood was believed to be beneficial. People would even line up at executions to purchase a cup of fresh blood from the executed prisoners. (Related: Human blood sausage promoted as VEGAN since it's human blood, so no animals are harmed to create it.)
Arctic explorers in the 19th century
There are several stories of stranded explorers eating their own crew members in a desperate bid for survival. One of the most popular stories is of the 19th century Franklin expedition to the Canadian Arctic. There were rumors that the crew members of two ships belonging to the expedition ate the flesh of their deceased compatriots to survive.
Later investigations would reveal new evidence suggesting that the crew members also ate their comrades' bone marrow for sustenance while stranded at sea.
Aghori people of India
The Aghori monks of Varanasi are feared across India for their practice of eating human flesh and living near cremation sites. The Aghori are nomads that have been exiled as a group for their ascetic practices, which are borne of the belief that there is no difference between the pure and the impure. For this reason, Aghori monks engage in obscure practices, such as meditating on top of corpses and drinking from bowls made of human skulls. There are also reports that they practice ritual cannibalism.
Learn more about cannibalism and other survival practices to combat starvation at Starvation.news.
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