It took 72 days for them to be rescued. Sadly, by the time help arrived, only 16 of the 45 passengers of the Uruguayan rugby team that crashed in the Andes had survived. Considering this, and after seeing the movie Society of the Snow, many were surprised to learn that they did everything to survive, including eating the flesh of some of the dead people on the same plane.
Some criticized this practice; however, some experts say that, if they were in their place, most would do it because it is intuitive and a survival instinct, not to mention that it is also a cultural issue.
Are Anthropophagy and Cannibalism the Same Thing?
Although it is believed that these concepts are the same, it must be made clear that this is not the case, they are separated by a very thin line. An animal that eats human flesh is called an anthropophagus, while a cannibal refers to an animal that eats the flesh of individuals of the same species. The latter would define what happened in that tragedy.
What Does Human Flesh Taste Like?
The simple idea takes us back to those serial killers who fed on their victims, which is why just reading about it makes us feel repulsed and disgusted. However, some testimonies give a more detailed description of the taste of human flesh, as some have had to do so to survive, such as the passengers on the Uruguayan plane.
Surprisingly, according to testimonies, “it is not that bad.” Most of the accounts that have been collected throughout history share that it tastes like “good pork,” but others, in smaller numbers, say it is more like chicken or veal.
“Human flesh tastes good, like pork, although a bit more acidic and stronger,” declared Armin Meiwes, better known as the Rotemburg cannibal, at his trial. This German-born man was sentenced to eight years in prison for the murder of a man, whom he stabbed after amputating his penis so they could eat it together.
What Happens to Your Body If You Eat Human Flesh Like in Society of the Snow?
One might think that because we are higher up the food chain, we are more nutritious, but this is not the case. A study revealed that humans are “not particularly nutritious,” in fact, there are several conditions that come hand in hand with their consumption.
A few years ago, a group of scientists published an analysis of the calorific significance of human flesh in Nature. The researchers wanted to know whether our prehistoric ancestors fed on their dead for ritual purposes or whether they really provided a significant energy intake.
The results showed that “100 grams of human flesh has fewer calories than 100 grams of most of the animals available to them,” meaning that animals such as bears, mammoths, beavers, and marmots (and almost all of them) outnumber us, only horses, hares and some relatives of deer and antelopes.
Kuru, the Cannibalism-Related Disease
Besides not being very “nutritious,” there is a disease related to cannibalism. It is known as kuru, and one of the most common cases appears in some indigenous communities in Papua New Guinea.
According to the US Library of Medicine, this neurodegenerative disease is transmitted by prions (misfolded proteins), which directly affects the central nervous system. The patient presents with progressive brain damage and neurological symptoms such as tremors, walking difficulties, loss of coordination, and dementia.
Kuru came to the attention of scientists because of its unique association with cultural practices of cannibalism, in particular, the consumption of human brains during funeral rituals. This condition had its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s; fortunately, it is now very rare due to changes in cultural practices.
Although there is a moral debate about whether it is right or wrong, it has to be taken into account that it has to do with the social and cultural context of a specific region, as, in most parts of the world, it is illegal, a crime.
This story was written in Spanish by Nayeli Párraga in Cultura Colectiva