Forbidden Words: Taboo and the Censoring of Language

178 Forbidden Words
In those days, rifle cartridges had a protective coating of grease, and soldiers
were required to bite the cartridge open before loading; the grease was
rumoured to be beef and pork fat which are respectively intolerable to Hindus
and Muslims.
So where do we derive our notions of what is good to eat and what is bad?
How is the line drawn between a delicacy and an abomination? Most of the
things that humans find disgusting to eat are, in fact, comestible; so recoiling
from them is not instinctive, but something learned. Do these taboos have a
logical explanation or are they irrational? There are those who believe it is not
possible to seek sensible explanations for food preferences and avoidances
because they are totally arbitrary, illogical and beyond reason. It seems to us,
however, that most of the gastronomic habits of humans do in fact have a
rational basis. Anthropologist Marvin Harris is convincing when he attributes
the significant differences in world cuisines to ecological restrictions and
opportunities. 10 Cultural anthropologist Mary Douglas’ analysis of pollution
and taboo also goes some way to offering a rational account of certain food
taboos. As Douglas sees it, the distinction between cleanliness and filth is the
‘by-product of the creation of order’, 11 which stems from the basic human
need for categorization. That which is despised does not fit nicely into a
society’s classification of the world.
Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the
beasts, that shall ye eat. (Leviticus 11: 3)
Prohibited creatures are those which do not meet the criteria of a ‘normal’
animal. The pig, being a cloven-hoofed non-cud-chewing animal, is anomalous
and is therefore despised. Of course, the question remains – why Leviticus
classifies edible animals in this manner in the first place. But whatever
rationale we may posit for these food habits, today’s consumers are clearly
following ancient routines here, and for the most part are oblivious to any
original reasoning that might underpin their food preferences. Cultural values
dictate what is good to eat and what is not. Food preferences are in all senses a
matter of taste. Some foodstuffs are tabooed for reasons that are lost in the
mists of time; observation of the taboo has become unthinking ritual. Food
habits obey our need for ritual, but also fall to gastro-chauvinism: in other
words, they are an expression of group belongingness and otherness. Like all
taboos, food prohibitions help to maintain a cohesive society. They derive
from, and also support, the collective beliefs and behaviour of particular
groups; group members are identified and unified by what they do and do
not eat.
Because eating and drinking are so connected with the body, food
habits are also deeply entwined with the way we think and feel about our