Religious studies of cannibalism
Journal Title: Схід - Year 2017, Vol 150, Issue 4
Abstract
The article provides a comprehensive review of latest religious studies research into the phenomenon of cannibalism. All materials are supported with real-world modern examples, based on media reports and findings of primatology and anthropology. In attempt of revealing religious aspect of cannibalism the article presents interesting findings from the author's own anthropological experience in Western Africa. Using classification schemes of the subject, mainly developed and represented in the field of anthropology, the author compares similar aspects in both approaches of anthropology and religious studies. Having applied a variety of classification schemes and methods, the author demonstrates a number of interesting findings. Study analyzes religious meaning of cannibalism that overlaps with social and political significance of consuming enemies to mark one's dominance and superiority or consuming a dead relative to express love, or in attempt to distance the spirit of the deceased from the world of the living, or to acquire physical or spiritual qualities contained in the corpse. Thus sacrifice, the aggressive destruction of enemies, and the devoted incorporation of anxious destruction of a loved one's body are all facets of cannibalism that may be presented in different cultural context. Despite the common assumptions that cannibalism has been seen as characteristic of primitive communities the article analyzes variety of cannibalistic practices in modern complex society. The article contains some fundamental assumptions supporting the belief that traditional approach contributes to seemingly counter-productive common attitude to the phenomenon of cannibalism and prevents academic minds from deeper understanding of it. The author pays particular attention to the aspect of presence or absence of religious beliefs behind all the mentioned acts.
Authors and Affiliations
Serhiy Titov
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP426107
- DOI 10.21847/1728-9343.2017.4(150).111565
- Views 149
- Downloads 0
PROSPECTS OF POLITICAL REHABILITATION AND ASPECTS OF RETRIBUTION. THE POST-MILITARISTIC PHASE OF THE HYBRID WAR
The article of the author completes his study of an aggressor impact on mass consciousness in the context of the conflict in the East of Ukraine. Particular attention is focused on psychological effects brought about by...
ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP DEGREE OF INTEGRATION WITH THE GROWTH OF WELFARE IN THE COUNTRIES - MEMBERS EU, NAFTA, ASEAN, MERCOSUR
Modern world economy includes more than one hundred regional trade agreements in place and number that is continuously evolving. Recently some countries reconfigure their economic and political interests and priorities t...
PECULIARITIES OF CYBER SECURITY IN THE BALTIC STATES: HISTORICAL RETROSPECTIVE
The Russian Federation conducts an information policy in the Baltic direction, aimed at forming a negative image of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in the international scene through involving research and development inst...
Cultural processes in Donbass region during the Second World War: historiographical discourse
The article is devoted to the discourse of historiography of cultural processes in the Donbass during the Second World War. The author analyzes the works of Soviet, Ukrainian and foreign historians on the topic. An essen...
Modern domestic historiography of the repressive policy of the Soviet State regarding the peasantry of the Ukrainian SSR, 1921-1939: the regional aspect
The policy of the Bolsheviks in relation to the peasantry of the Krai is an actual direction of research of modern domestic repressology. In the article the current state of Ukrainian historiography reflection of the reg...