Excellent read. I was wondering how they deal with prions. It seems their “solution” is not feeding the human meat to children and usually not living past middle age. They seem to die from a lot of diseases, and I can’t help but think some of them are prion related.
I’m obviously not an expert but I thought prion diseases took a long time to develop. Maybe prion diseases just aren’t a concern cos their lifespans are already so short to begin with. I’d think bloodborne diseases would probably be more of a concern
That’s what I why trying to say. They don’t eat the meat as kids and they die young, hence why prion disease isn’t a huge issue. However, I bet it still affects some. And, when it does, they just think it’s because of the “male witches.” They wind up eating the “witches” and making the problem worse.
Edit: I wanted to add that I think it’s interesting that they see the brain as a delicacy. I wonder if it’s because the killer gets to keep the brain (and therefore it is rare/sought after) or if they actually like the flavor/texture.
That’s a good point about the delicacy. I didn’t think that maybe it’s a status thing
A touching read. I appreciate that the author didn’t only talk about cannibalism, but touched on many other aspects of their culture. There was room for laughter, sadness, and all in between.
Thank you for linking this article!
Yes. The author is an incredible writer! A lot of long form pieces I’ve tried to read recently just couldn’t hold my attention but this one was a real page turner!
Cannibals are easy fodder for horror movies, books, and games so in this way they’re demonized by our culture. It’s funny to see that we are also demonized by them because of our strange appearance and clothing. One of the most heartwarming parts of the story was when Lepeadon recognized the author as a human and rejoiced, calling him friend.
I hope this piece will have the same effect on some people in our culture, humanizing the Korowai people and helping to spread understanding of their culture.
This is my second read. It’s a fascinating glimpse of a Papuan culture that will soon be changed forever by contact with our civilisation.
Yeah the way the author points out the connection between their destruction myth and the realities of what’s going to happen to their culture was really poignant
Fascinating and perfectly written.
I appreciated how the author took the time to learn about and appreciate their culture beyond just the cannibalism thing
great read, thanks!
Thanks, great article
