Exocannibalism (from Greek exo-, "from outside" and cannibalism, "to eat humans"), as opposed to endocannibalism, is the consumption of flesh from humans that do not belong to one's close social group—for example, eating one's enemies. It has been interpreted as an attempt to acquire desired qualities of the victim and as "ultimate form of humiliation and domination" of a vanquished enemy in warfare.[1][2][3] Such practices have been documented in various cultures, including the Aztecs in Mexico and the Caribs and Tupinambá in South America.
Historically, it has also been used as a practical expediency in especially desperate attritional or guerrilla warfare when the extreme hunger and the abundance of humans being killed coincide to create conditions ripe for cannibalism.[4] Some have interpreted the practice as a form of predation rather than a ritual act, seeing perpetrator and victim in the roles of predator versus prey.[5]
- ^ Davis, Roger (2008). "You Are What You Eat: Cannibalism, Autophagy and the Case of Armin Meiwes". Territories of Evil. p. 151. doi:10.1163/9789401205603_011. ISBN 978-90-420-2369-7.
- ^ "Cannibalism". Encyclopedia of Death and Dying.
- ^ Dow, James W. "Cannibalism". In Tenenbaum, Barbara A. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 535–537. Archived from the original on 7 August 2007.
- ^ Tanaka, Yuki. Hidden Horrors: Japanese War Crimes in World War II, Westview Press, 1996, p. 127.
- ^ Menget, Patrik (1985): "Guerre, Sociétés et Vision du Monde dans le basses Terres de L'Amerique du Sud. Jalons pour une étude comparative." In: Journal de la Société des Américanistes 71: 129–141.