Cannibalism

[Fraser]

CASTAWAYS ATE DEAD SHIPMATES
Associated Press

November 5, 2008

Five starving castaways turned to cannibalism to survive a horrifying ordeal in the Caribbean.

After being adrift for two weeks, they began eating the remains of the 28 other migrants who died onboard a fishing boat bound from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico.

"We cut from his leg and chest," Gregorio Maria Marizan said of the last shipmate who stopped breathing. "We cut little pieces and swallowed them like pills.

"It's like beef, almost the same," he said. "At the skin, there is like half an inch of yellow fat, then the fibers."

He and four others, including a woman, were the only survivors of the 33 Dominican migrants trying to make the short, treacherous passage to Puerto Rico aboard a tiny wooden fishing boat. Because the 160-mile trip was supposed to take just a few hours, they didn't bring any food.

____________

Would they be called 'die-hard' survivalists?

 

[Ravaillac]

Would they be called 'die-hard' survivalists?

I'd just call them survivors.

 

[Rockywolf]

2 weeks without food isn't going to kill anyone. They must have despaired.

 

[Don Rearic]

After having read about cannibalism in everything from The Donner Party to "Alive!" to accounts of prisoners from French Guiana, well, if you're hungry enough humanz iz tasty I guess!

For example, I achieved my modest level of intelligence by eating the brains of humans that were smarter...and...yes...slower, than myself. (I love that sig quote!)

(just kidding)

 

[wildmike]

Sounds like they panicked more than anything else, but they are survivors. Their description of the taste of human flesh is different. According to several other accounts written by folks who have resorted to cannibalism hunas taste about like pork. Survival cannibalism wasn't all that unusual less than 100 years ago, and it raised it's head severely in soviet p.o.w camps in WW2.

 

[PB Wilson]

Pick up a copy of In The Heart Of The Sea. It's about the whaleship Essex which was rammed by a whale and the crew had to hit the lifeboats to survive. The thing was that being stuck so long without fresh water and food the crew had to resort to cannibalism. Great story with sections of real-life, modern examples of starvation and dehydration. Fascinating.

 

[Don Rearic]

PB,

What year did that incident occur?

 

[Ravaillac]

2 weeks without food isn't going to kill anyone.

the remains of the 28 other migrants who died onboard a fishing boat bound from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico.

Apparently not, unless they murdered the 28 other guys.
The 3-4 weeks figure is meant for us, well fed people, plus you don't know what amount of effort it took to keep their boat afloat.

 

[HolyRoller]

I've heard about a tofu-based analog for human, called "Hu-fu", supposedly having the texture and flavor of human meat. It was designed from an anthropoligical standpoint, to study the mindset and experience of cannabilistic survivors and cultures, without actually having to dine on anybody.



"Why's is making all that noise?"
"Maybe it ate somebody that didn't agree with it..."
-Tremors 2

 

[PB Wilson]

PB,

What year did that incident occur?

Can't remember the years, but it was during the heyday of whaling. Herman Melville got some of his ideas from the Essex for Moby Dick. Mid 1800's?

 

[akennedy73]

don't eat the brains

From Wiki:

"Kuru is a disease which affects the brain. It was endemic among the Fore tribe of Papua New Guinea and was universally fatal.

It is believed by some that the disease spread easily in the Fore people due to their cannibalistic funeral practices. The dysmorphism evident in the infection rates—it was more prevalent in women and children—is because while the men of the village ate the flesh of the deceased, the women and children ate the brain, where the disease particles are concentrated."

 

[Diomedes Industries]

We talk about them being desperate based on a book knowledge of how long you will live without food - how long have YOU gone without food.

For me - about three days - and I don't want to repeat it often.

TF

 

[Rick Marchand]

Two weeks doesn't seem like much even with high activity (as I sit here eating a salami sandwich) I'm thinking most died from dehydration.... It'll make you think you're hungry at certain stages.... REAL HUNGRY.... they were not thinking straight... who could blame them?.... sad.

Rick

We talk about them being desperate based on a book knowledge of how long you will live without food - how long have YOU gone without food.

For me - about three days - and I don't want to repeat it often.

TF

The 3 day mark is the worst.... after 3-4 days your body switches strategies and the hunger pangs diminish.... I've done 9 days (with lots of water) Wasn't there a post where one of the members went 3months or something crazy like that?

 

[ejes]

I disagree with the article. It actually sounds like they brought a lot of food. They just didn't know who it would be at the start of their little "three hour tour".

 

[savagesicslayer]

I heard that you have to eat people (if that's your option) earlier on instead if when they're as weak and malnourished as you.Then it's just empty protein.It's a sick thought but it makes sense.How would you broach that subject earlier in a situation like that?

 

[lvbuckeye27]

don't eat the brains

From Wiki:

"Kuru is a disease which affects the brain. It was endemic among the Fore tribe of Papua New Guinea and was universally fatal.

It is believed by some that the disease spread easily in the Fore people due to their cannibalistic funeral practices. The dysmorphism evident in the infection rates—it was more prevalent in women and children—is because while the men of the village ate the flesh of the deceased, the women and children ate the brain, where the disease particles are concentrated."

Mad Cow Disease is another term for it. and it's ugly.

 

[ICEAGE]

You gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[hannibal lecter spyderco]

CASTAWAYS ATE DEAD SHIPMATES
Associated Press

November 5, 2008

Five starving castaways turned to cannibalism to survive a horrifying ordeal in the Caribbean.

After being adrift for two weeks, they began eating the remains of the 28 other migrants who died onboard a fishing boat bound from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico.

"We cut from his leg and chest," Gregorio Maria Marizan said of the last shipmate who stopped breathing. "We cut little pieces and swallowed them like pills.

"It's like beef, almost the same," he said. "At the skin, there is like half an inch of yellow fat, then the fibers."

He and four others, including a woman, were the only survivors of the 33 Dominican migrants trying to make the short, treacherous passage to Puerto Rico aboard a tiny wooden fishing boat. Because the 160-mile trip was supposed to take just a few hours, they didn't bring any food.

____________

Would they be called 'die-hard' survivalists?

A few interesting observation, how did the other 33 people die? It would take you around 3 months to die without food as long as you had plenty of water, well that is for the average person. The other curious thing was they were in a fishing shift weren't they? You through a few of those dead bodies overboard sharks will becoming as well as other fish to take a bite, one would figure you can catch something.

 

[hannibal lecter spyderco]

Two weeks doesn't seem like much even with high activity (as I sit here eating a salami sandwich) I'm thinking most died from dehydration.... It'll make you think you're hungry at certain stages.... REAL HUNGRY.... they were not thinking straight... who could blame them?.... sad.

Rick





The 3 day mark is the worst.... after 3-4 days your body switches strategies and the hunger pangs diminish.... I've done 9 days (with lots of water) Wasn't there a post where one of the members went 3months or something crazy like that?

why did you go 9 days without food? Medical procedure?

 

[kgd]

Well if you knew you would be rescued in two weeks that might make a difference. But those folks didn't know how long they were going to be afloat and that sets up a real psychological interaction with will-power.

Then again, all that meat is going to start degrade and if you don't eat it now, it might not be available when you really ned it. Maybe you could just make some sun-dried jerky and wait it out until you absolutely need to eat. Even then, as soon as one person starts partaking in the jerky, others will too. Hey - I don't want that dude eating all the jerky....

Provided you didn't murder the dead guy - I don't really see the moral dilemma of cannibalism. Its just flesh. There are risks to disease vectors being transferred from eating any type of raw meat.