Wild tribes of cannibals. Cannibalism in tropical Africa

Indonesia

Perhaps the most cannibal-dangerous place on Earth is the jungle of the Indonesian part of the island. New Guinea(Irian Jaya) and the island of Kalimantan (Borneo). The jungles of the latter are inhabited by 7-8 million Dayaks, famous skull hunters and cannibals. The most delicious parts of their body are considered to be the head (tongue, cheeks, skin from the chin, brain removed through the nasal cavity or ear hole), meat from the thighs and calves, heart, palms. The initiators of 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 people from Java and Madura. The unfortunate peasant settlers and the soldiers guarding them were slaughtered and eaten. This is the last significant outbreak of cannibalism in Borneo.

Dayak skull hunts are initiated by women

Sukarno, the “father of Indonesian independence,” and military dictator Suharto made a great contribution to the elimination of cannibalism on the islands of Southeast Asia. But they also failed to greatly improve the situation in Irian Jaya ( West Side New Guinea). The Papuan ethnic groups living there (Dugum-Dani, Kapauku, Marind-Anim, Asmat and others), according to missionaries, are not averse to eating people and are characterized by unprecedented cruelty. They especially like liver with herbs. However, penises, noses, tongues, meat from thighs will also come off.

But this is all on the western part of the island. What's in the eastern part? 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, and the Solomon Islands. If you're tired of taking risks, then safe places are Australia and New Zealand(even though there is Cannibal Bay there). Cannibalism will be eliminated there end of the 19th century century.

Africa

Cases of cannibalism in Africa are mainly associated 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 Cote 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 Eating human flesh for ritual purposes is sometimes practiced. The Mau Mau movement in Kenya (1950–60s) stands apart, covering its sectarian, openly cannibalistic essence with ultranationalist, anti-European political slogans.

India

Story human sacrifices very long in India. What is most curious is that the culture of religious sacrifices reached its peak under the British rule. However, 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 Earth god Tari Pennu was developed among the Gonds, a large South Indian people.

Aghoris do not disdain corpses from the Ganges

Even in the south of India, there still exists the Aghori sect, which spun off from Virashaivism. For ritual purposes, several thousand people eat raw decomposed corpses of people from the Ganges, as well as the corpses of domestic animals and the remains of burnt corpses. They do not disdain living ones - some specifically want to be eaten.

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

The last cannibals are known to live in Papua New Guinea. People still live here according to the rules adopted 5 thousand years ago: men go naked, and women cut off their fingers. There are only three tribes that still engage in cannibalism, these are the Yali, Vanuatu and Karafai. The Karafai (or tree people) are the most brutal tribe. They eat not only warriors of foreign tribes, lost locals or tourists, but also all their dead relatives. The name “tree people” came from their houses, which stand incredibly high (see the last 3 photos). The Vanuatu tribe is peaceful enough that the photographer is not eaten; several pigs are brought to the leader. Yali are formidable warriors (photos of Yali begin with photo 9). The phalanges of the fingers of a woman of the Yali tribe are cut off with a hatchet as a sign of grief for a deceased or deceased relative.

Most main holiday Yali is a holiday of death. Women and men paint their bodies in the form of a skeleton. On the holiday of death before, perhaps they still do it now, they killed a shaman and the leader of the tribe ate his warm brain. This was done in order to satisfy Death and absorb 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 hunger insanity.

Domestic cannibalism is also known, not dictated by the need for survival and not provoked by hunger insanity. In judicial practice, such cases are not classified as intentional murder with particular cruelty.

Apart from these not very common cases, the word “cannibalism” often brings to mind crazy ritual feasts, during which victorious tribes devour parts of the bodies of their enemies in order to gain their strength; or another well-known useful "application" of this phenomenon: the heirs treat the bodies of their fathers in this way in the pious hope that they will be reborn in the body of their flesh eaters.

The most “cannibalistic” strange modern world is Indonesia. This state has 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 their body are considered to be the head - the tongue, cheeks, skin from the chin, the brain removed through the nasal cavity or ear hole, meat from the thighs and calves, heart, palms. The initiators of 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 civilized immigrants from Java and Madura. The unfortunate peasant settlers and the soldiers accompanying 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.

The activities of the “father of Indonesian independence” Sukarno and the military dictator Suharto played a major role in the almost complete elimination of cannibalism in Sumatra and some other islands. 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 characterized by unprecedented cruelty.

They especially prefer human liver with medicinal herbs, penises, noses, tongues, meat from thighs, feet, mammary glands. 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.

In fact, here and there 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 that still engage in cannibalism, these are the Yali, Vanuatu and Karafai. The Karafai are the most cruel tribe. They eat not only warriors of foreign tribes, lost locals or tourists, but also all their dead relatives.....

Cannibalism (from French cannibale, Spanish canibal) is the eating of human flesh by people (the term anthropophagy is also used). In more in a broad sense- animals eating members of their own species. The name “cannibals” comes from “canib” - the name that before Columbus the inhabitants of the Bahamas called the inhabitants of Haiti, terrible cannibals. Subsequently, the name “cannibal” became equivalent to anthropophagus.

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

SO...

Congo

In the Congo, cannibalism has reached the largest number during the Congolese civil war of 1999-2003. The last case was recorded in 2012. They eat people to scare away enemies, believing that in human heart hidden source enormous power and by eating it the cannibal gains this power.

West Africa

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

Brazil

Brazil is home to the Huari tribe, which is distinguished by its refined taste. Until 1960, their diet included only religious personalities and all kinds of educators. Only in Lately the need 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 due to their needs and high level poverty. But local residents claim to hear inner voice someone to kill and eat.

Papua New Guinea

The last nationality that constantly consumes human flesh in the 21st century is the Korowai tribe that lives in this area. There is such a scenario that it was here that Michael Rockefeller, the son of a well-known family and the then governor of New York, Nepeson Rockefeller, was eaten. In fact, Michael Rockefeller went on an expedition to Papua New Guinea in 1961 to study the life of this tribe, but he never returned and a number of search expeditions did not produce results.

People eat after the death of a fellow 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 reason, in their worldview, is black magic.

Cambodia

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

India

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

Yali tribe: the most cruel cannibals of our time February 25th, 2013

The Yali are the wildest and most dangerous tribe of cannibals in the 21st century, numbering more than 20,000 people. In their opinion, cannibalism is a common thing and there is nothing special about it; eating an enemy for them is valor, and not the most cruel way of reprisal. Their leader says that it is the same as a fish eats a fish, the one who is stronger wins. For the Yali, this is to some extent a ritual, during which the power of the enemy he eats is transferred to the winner.

The government of New Guinea is trying to combat the inhumane addictions of its wild citizens. And their adoption of Christianity influenced their psychological perception - the number of cannibal feasts decreased significantly.
The most experienced warriors remember recipes for cooking dishes from their enemies. With imperturbable calm, one might even say with pleasure, they tell that the enemy’s buttocks are the most delicious part of a person, for them it is a true delicacy!
Even today, Yali residents believe that pieces of human flesh enrich them spiritually; eating the victim while pronouncing the name of the enemy gives them special power. Therefore, when visiting the most terrible place on the planet, it is better not to tell the savages your name, so as not to provoke them into the ritual of eating you.

Recently, the Yali tribe believes in the existence of the savior of all mankind - Christ, so they do not eat people with white skin. The reason for this is that White color Residents associate it with the color of death. However, recently an incident occurred - a Japanese correspondent disappeared in Irian Jaya as a result of strange events. They probably don’t consider people with yellow and black skin to be the servants of the old woman with the scythe.
Since colonization, the life of the tribe has remained virtually unchanged, as has the attire of these coal-black citizens of New Guinea. Yali women are almost completely naked, their daytime clothing consists only of a skirt with plant fibers. Men, in turn, walk naked, covering their genital organs with a cover (halim), which is made from dried bottle gourd. According to them, the process of making clothes for men requires a lot of skill.

As the pumpkin grows, a weight in the form of a stone is tied to it, which is strengthened with threads of vines to give it interesting shape. At the final stage of preparation, the pumpkin is decorated with feathers and shells. It is worth noting that the Halim also serves as a “wallet” in which men store roots and tobacco. The tribesmen also love jewelry made from shells and beads. But their perception of beauty is unique. For example, they knock out the front two teeth of local beauties in order to make them even more attractive.
The noble, favorite and only occupation of men is hunting. And yet in the villages of the tribe you can find livestock - chickens, pigs and possums, which are looked after by women. It also happens that several clans hold large-scale meals at once, where everyone has their place and is taken into account social status every savage in terms of food distribution. Alcoholic drinks they do not take, but do consume the bright red pulp of the batel nut - for them it is a local drug, so tourists can often see them with a red mouth and blurred eyes...

During joint meals, clans exchange gifts. Although Yali cannot be called very hospitable people, they will accept gifts from guests with great pleasure. They especially appreciate bright shirts and shorts. The peculiarity is that they put the shorts on the head, and use the shirt as a skirt. This is because they do not contain soap, the result of which is that unwashed clothes can cause skin diseases over time.
Even taking into account the fact that the Yali have officially stopped fighting with neighboring tribes and eating victims, only the most “frostbitten” adventurers can go to these inhuman parts of the world. According to stories from this area, savages still sometimes allow themselves to carry out barbaric acts of eating the flesh of their enemies. But in order to justify their actions, they come up with different stories that the victim either drowned or fell to his death from a cliff.

The government of New Guinea has developed a powerful program for bodybuilding and improving the standard of living of the inhabitants of the island, including this tribe. According to the plan, the hill tribes would move to the valley, while officials promised to give the settlers an adequate supply of rice and building materials, as well as a free television in every home.
The citizens of the valley were forced to wear Western clothes in government buildings and schools. The government even took such measures as declaring the territory of the savages a national park where hunting is prohibited. Naturally, the Yali began to oppose the resettlement, since out of the first 300 people, 18 died, and this in the first month (from malaria).
More big disappointment to the surviving migrants was what they saw - they were allocated barren land, the houses are rotten. As a result, the government’s strategy collapsed and the settlers returned back to their beloved mountainous regions, where they still live, rejoicing in the “protection of the spirits of their ancestors.”

At an altitude of 5000 meters in the jungle Papua New Guinea The Yali tribe lives there, numbering about 20 thousand people. This tribe became notorious for its persistent commitment to cannibalism and its savagery. True, recently the yalis seem to have taken the path of improvement, but they have stopped eating only white people; a person with a different skin color can also very well become a holiday snack...

They don't eat white people anymore

In this tribe, biting the flesh of an enemy was always considered a great valor: the Yali believed that by eating his enemy, a warrior gains his strength, dexterity, cunning and intelligence. The process of transferring the enemy’s virtues was especially successful if the killer knew his name. That is why travelers and tourists are strongly advised not to give their name when visiting the Yali territory. The one who names the name becomes doubly attractive to the cannibal.

Of course, now manifestations of cannibalism have become rare, missionaries and government officials have made a lot of efforts to eradicate this terrible custom. The Yali decided not to eat white anymore: not only do they associate the color white with death, but they also took the teaching about Christ seriously. But it seems they did not spare the Japanese journalist, who recently disappeared in the jungle on the Yali lands. Veterans from the tribe's cannibalistic past still recall with nostalgia the recipes for cooking a slain enemy.

According to them, the real delicacy is human buttocks. Let's hope that they will never come across a beauty with a silicone butt, because the heart of savages simply cannot stand this... However, this is already in the realm of black humor.

Until now, only real extreme travelers dare to visit the territory where this tribe lives, because there are rumors that the Yali periodically recall their cannibalistic habits. The yalis justify their “offences” by the fact that they did not kill anyone, but ate the already dead. They explain the disappearance of people in their areas by accidents - drowning in stormy rivers, falling into abyss, and the like.

Many believe that such explanations should not be particularly trusted, and in a matter of decades it is very difficult to eradicate habits that are thousands of years old.

The Indonesian authorities, of course, are not only trying to completely eradicate manifestations of cannibalism among the Yali, but also to introduce them to civilization. For this purpose, the government at one time invited everyone to move to the valley, they were promised Construction Materials, a plot of land, a supply of rice and even a free TV in every home. The Yali accepted this idea without enthusiasm, and when 18 of the first 300 settlers died of malaria, they began to refuse to leave their native jungle. In addition, they complained about rotten houses and the barrenness of the allocated plots.

The end result was that the program was cancelled, and the Yali remained to live on the land of their ancestors.

Case for manhood

Now, as in past decades, main force Missionaries who introduce the Yali to civilization remain. They bring medicine to the savages, teach and treat their children, build bridges and even small hydroelectric power stations, and prepare landing sites for helicopters. All this greatly facilitates the life of the tribe, which, while maintaining its originality, nevertheless becomes more and more civilized every day. However, those who nevertheless risked visiting the yali and observing the Papuans in all their primeval glory are unlikely to remain disappointed.

The Yalis still flaunt their traditional attire. The women are almost naked, wearing only small skirts made from plant fibers. The “outfit” of men is much more curious; they do not have loincloths, only a special cover called halim, which they make from dried bottle gourd. Interestingly, the process of making halims is quite complex and was clearly developed in ancient times.

While the pumpkin is growing, stones are tied to it, it is tied with thin vines, all this is done to obtain the most elongated and bizarre shape. The dried pumpkin is decorated with shells and feathers; local fashionistas have several of these cases. On holidays and especially special days, the stronger half of the tribe uses longer halimas, in which the warriors even manage to store tobacco.

The main thing in the house is the pig

Various types of jewelry are very popular among both women and men, mainly beads and shells. The Yali tribe has quite curious ideas about beauty; there are numerous references to the fact that local beauties have their two front teeth knocked out to make them as attractive as possible. Yali men are real fashionistas: in addition to intricate halims, they decorate themselves with other bells and whistles.

Here's what our traveler Valery Kemenov writes about this: “Men wear yali much more various decorations than women. They insert boar tusks into their noses and wear various medallions and wicker hats. Previously they were made from natural fibers, but with the advent of civilization, the Papuans began to buy nylon threads at the market.”

Do not think that the Yali have always obtained food only by hunting and gathering; their households include pigs, chickens and even possums. In addition, they are quite successful in farming, growing yams (sweet potatoes), bananas, taro rhizomes, corn and tobacco. Like many neighboring tribes, pigs are of particular value on the farm. Here you can buy a wife for a good fat boar, and because of a stolen pig, an armed conflict may well break out between the tribes, even with a cannibal component.

Cooking takes place right on the ground, on several hot stones. If it happens sharing a meal friendly clans, the most tasty morsels are distributed according to the status of the guests present. In such cases, it is customary to exchange gifts; all this strengthens inter-tribal relations, both economically and militarily.

Hooked on dry vermicelli

The Yali remained largely indifferent to modern products; however, we became thoroughly addicted to the dry vermicelli “Mivina”. They purchase it in the town of Wamena, closest to their lands. Some yawls, alas, have become addicted to the “fire water” and gradually become drunkards. It takes three days to walk to Wamena, but this does not stop the Papuans, who are hungry for the benefits of civilization. In addition to noodles, at the city market they buy knives, shovels, machetes, mugs, pots, pots and pans. To get money for the tools and things they need, the Yali sell the sweet potatoes and corn they grow, as well as their various crafts, which are popular with tourists.

Although civilization is getting closer and closer to the isolated world of the Yali, the tribe still manages to preserve its originality. All Papuans go to the local shaman for amulets and healing infusions; dead warriors are smoked, and their mummies are placed in the men's house, where access to outsiders is strictly prohibited. Women work in gardens from early morning until late evening, look after children and pets, and prepare food. Men go hunting, clear areas from the jungle for new vegetable gardens, make pens for livestock and fences around the vegetable gardens. In the evening, fed by the women, they sit around the fire, smoke and exchange impressions about the past day. Yali believe that the spirits of their ancestors will definitely protect them from all future misfortunes and adversities; maybe it will be like this?