Paper 89 - Square Circles Publishing

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SOURCE OR PARALLEL URANTIA PAPER 89Instances of cannibalism due to utterdestitution, as where the Eskimo arecannibals only in times of famine, are notmarvellous or even significant; stories ofshipwrecks in relatively recent timesshow the breakdown of any food-taboounder stress (S&K 1231).[Compare S&K 1227 and S&K IV 662-63.]The Eskimos and early Andonites,however, seldom were cannibalisticexcept in times of famine.The red men, especially in CentralAmerica, were cannibals.§292.* Animistic Cannibalism. (Sumner &Keller 1235)In Queensland women kill and eattheir children in order to recover theirstrength (S&K 1238).“Children are eaten when they die, but thecrime of infanticide is not very common,unless in the case of a first child” (S&K1238).Thus cannibalism was a sort of warmeasureand a means of infusing terror(S&K 1241). [See also S&K 1240.]Cannibalism might then be retained by anindividual or group as a measure of“frightfulness”; cases of modern“outbreaks of savagery” are familiar(S&K 1241).It was once a general practice forprimitive mothers to kill and eat their ownchildren in order to renew the strengthlost in childbearing,and in Queensland the first child is stillfrequently thus killed and devoured.In recent times cannibalism has beendeliberately resorted to by many Africantribes as a war measure,a sort of frightfulness with which toterrorize their neighbors.§290.* Cannibalism. (Sumner & Keller 1225)Further, we are not disturbed in our use ofethnography by the objection, on the partof those who revolt at facing truthsunpalatable to their taste, that all cases ofcannibalism represent mere degeneration.Some of them do; but there is nothingbehind the general challenge toethnographic evidence except sentimentality(S&K 1226).89:5.5 Some cannibalism resulted fromthe degeneration of once superior stocks,28
SOURCE OR PARALLEL URANTIA PAPER 89but it was mostly prevalent among theevolutionary races.In the northern New Hebrides, “after abitter fight they would take a slain enemyand eat him, as a sign of rage andindignation; they would cook him in anoven, and each would eat a bit of him,women and children too. When there wasa less bitter feeling, the flesh of a deadenemy was taken away by the conquerorsto be cooked and given to their friends”(S&K 1228).Man-eating came on at a time when menexperienced intense and bitter emotionsregarding their enemies.§292.* Animalistic Cannibalism (Sumner &Keller 1235)“The most acceptable explanation is thatmen, driven by a far-reaching desire forrevenge, ate the war-prisoners or theslain, to the end of annihilating themutterly and in the most shameful manner”(S&K 1240).Eating human flesh became part of asolemn ceremony of revenge; it wasbelieved that an enemy’s ghost could, inthis way, be destroyedor fused with that of the eater.Sorcerers [in Central Australia] allegethat they must eat human flesh to keep uptheir supernatural powers (S&K IV 664).It is to be noted in passing that manycannibals will devour only their fellowtribesmen;there is a so-called “endocannibalism,”by which is preserved inthe tribe the whole body of soul-strengthbelonging to it. In such case the eating ofthe deceased is an honor to them.Here is a sort of exclusive spiritual inbreeding,of interest chiefly in itsaccentuation of familial and tribalsolidarity (S&K 1237).It was once a widespread belief thatwizards attained their powers by eatinghuman flesh.89:5.6 Certain groups of man-eaterswould consume only members of theirown tribes,a pseudospiritual inbreeding which wassupposed to accentuate tribal solidarity.29
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Paper 89 - Square Circles Publishing

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