Flesh and Blood: A History of the Cannibal Complex

by Reay Tannahill

In Flesh and Blood, Reay Tannahill explores the age-old practice of cannibalism. the author-of previous studies on eating and sex, she takes us on a fascinating historical tour of this darkest of gastronomic compulsions -- including a section on the recent upsurge in cannibalism-themed horror fiction and a study of serial killer cannibals such as Jeffrey Dahmer.At the dawn of man, the consumption of human flesh and blood was a legitimate ritual practiced by ancient Babylonians and Aztecs alike. The recent media focus may have brought cannibalism into the public eye, but the practice has never wholly left society and still echoes in religious traditions such as the Christian Eucharist.Here is a book that is sure to feed into our current fascination with people who eat people.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Sociology, Anthropology, Historical

209 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Reay Tannahill was born on December 9, 1929 in Glasgow, Scotland, where she brought up. Her forename was the maiden name of her mother, Olive Reay. She was educated at Shawlands Academy, and obtained an MA in History and a postgraduate certificate in Social Sciences at the University of Glasgow. In 1958, she married Michael Edwardes but the marriage ended in divorce in 1983, he died in 1990. Until her death on November 2, 2007, she lived in a smart terrace house in London near Tate Britain.

Before started to write, she worked as a probation officer, advertising copywriter, newspaper reporter, historical researcher and graphic designer. She published her first non-fiction book in 1964. The international success came with the novel Food in History, her publisher suggested a companion volume on the second great human imperative, Sex in History. For her 2002 revised edition of 'Food in History, she won the Premio Letterario Internazionale Chianti Ruffino Antico Fattore. She also wrote historical romance novels, and in 1990, her novel Passing Glory won in 1990 the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association. She belonged to the Arts Club and the Authors' Club, and was chairman of the latter from 1997 to 2000.

Reviews

[Andrew Breslin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malicious rumors that I am a cannibal have been wildly exaggerated, and are bordering on untrue. All that stuff they found in my kitchen? Totally taken out of context. Those were artichoke hearts and kidney beans. That was a Granny Smith apple, and Earl Grey tea. And those are lady’s fingers in the fridge which . . . okay, let’s not talk about the lady’s fingers.

Seriously though, this book was a tasty treat. Very well written, striking a balance between academic scholarship and decadently delicious black comedy. I devoured it in just a few sittings, and it left me hungry for more. It went down so easily, like a pan-seared infant seasoned with a bit of lemon and black pepper . . . might . . . I suppose. I say this purely as a matter of conjecture. Mmmmmm . . . . Lemon pepper infant . . .

People have been eating one another for thousands of years, for a diverse array of reasons, most of which probably made a lot of sense at the time. Some primitive peoples held superstitions that the mortal remains of a vanquished foe would strengthen a conquering warrior, others were just looking for a good source of protein. Some people, like the Donner party and that ill-fated Uruguayan rugby team, were driven to the last taboo by threat of starvation. More complex reasons underlie the drive to consume human flesh and blood among others, including werewolves, Jeffrey Dahmer and Catholics.

Tannahill explores homophagy in all its sinewy, fatty, salty, sickeningly sweet detail, from the ubiquity of cannibalism in mythology and religion to the fact that vampires are alive and well, at least in every conceivable entertainment medium. Her fascinating account takes us on a delightful journey through the most grisly corners of gastronomy, revealing in gory detail humanity’s dark underbelly. Mmmmmm . . . human underbelly . . .

I used up most of my good cannibal jokes in my review of Hannibal. People seemed to really eat them up, but I’ve exhausted all my tastiest morsels. It’s just leftovers on this one. Bon appetit.

.............
Did you hear about the happy Roman cannibal?
He was gladiator

A selfless humanitarian sells off all his possession and uses the money to go to New Guinea to try to fight starvation and disease and enrich the lives of the suffering people there. He gets captured by cannibals who eat him, and find him to be delicious, but then after a short while they all get sick and start vomiting. Because you can’t keep a good man down.


What do cannibals make out of politicians?
Bologna sandwiches.

Two cannibals were eating together. “Your wife makes great soups” says the first one.
“Yes” agreed his dining companion, “but I sure am going to miss her.”


Did you hear about the Cannibal with a special taste for Scandinavians?
He had a Swede-tooth.

Why did the cannibal eat the tightrope walker?
He wanted a balanced meal.

How can you help a starving cannibal?
Give him a helping hand.

Did you hear about the cannibal family man?
He had a wife and ate kids.

[lianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

repetitive with outdated sources, but still very informative

[Perry Whitford · Rating 4 out of 5]

To quote the title of the first chapter of this rather tasty history of the cannibal complex, we all know that 'eating people is wrong', but you may not be aware that it can also be very funny. Johnathan Swift knew that, and so did the author of this informative and unexpectedly amusing study.

Tannahill serves up the black humour straight from the off, considering cannibalism from what we know of prehistoric man where she notes its inherent conundrum, that 'killing and eating the family would have killed it off in no time at all. And with the neighbours scattered at a density of only four people to every sixty square miles, dining out would present insuperable problems.'

With the advent of religious ritual, some form or other of human sacrifice was common across all ancient civilisations. These are well summarised here, from the earliest in recorded history through to the Incas and the comparatively recently discovered islanders of Fiji and New Zealand.

Starvation has of course been the predominant motive for cannibalism throughout history, both ancient and modern. Particularly nauseating is an extended account by a doctor in Egypt around the year 1200 at a time of Nile drought.

Then come the gluttons. Countess Elisabeth de Bathory (bathed in the blood of virgins) and Vlad the Impaler (the historical model for Count Dracula) you may have heard of, but not perhaps Thiri-thu-dhamma, a 17th century Burmese monarch who 'sacrificed six thousand human beings because their hearts were needed to help him fulfil his dream of bringing the whole world under the gentle rule of Buddha.'

He got his hearts, but as you can guess from the subsequent unfolding of history he didn't fulfil his dream.

Black humour aside, Flesh and Blood is actually an impeccably scholastic account, widely researched and with a comprehensive bibliography. The section on vampires and werewolves I found particularly edifying.

[Kris Lugosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reallly reallly enjoyed this book. I picked it up at some sale garage, thrift, second hand, not really sure where but glad I did.

Take a very well accounted journey through cannibalism with the super dry but rather funny Reay Tannahill.

Tannahill's writing style reminds me very much of Mary Roach's who wrote books like STIFF and GULP among many other topics that have a rather taboo feel to them. I love Roach's voice because it is quite comedic in her delivery on topics like death. Tannahill shares closely the same sort of voice, a bit more dry and straightforward but def. has a tinge of humor.

When reading about heavier topics like cannibalism, I prefer to have a lighter tone and Tannahill has a great balance between giving you the information you need while keeping an entertaining pace. Some parts are a bit lacking in this regard but the whole book can't take on a complete comedic approach due to the author's desire to jampack the pages with quite a bit of knowledge and history.

All in all I really enjoyed the book and curious about her other writings. STIFF is what sold me on Mary Roach, and FLESH AND BLOOD will hopefully lead me down a fun nonfiction rabbit hole of other writings by Tannahill.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book about an ugly topic. What a wonderful trip through history and sociology. Such a wide variety of differing perspectives. I could hardly put it down. Very restrained for such a gruesome subject. Highly recommended to students of history, anthropology, or just anyone looking to see into the darkness. 10/10

[Mitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Put simply, this book relies too much on hearsay. The subject is interesting and the book is well-researched, and I greatly enjoyed parts of it, but it's telling that the author persistently accuses nearly everyone but Europeans of ritual cannibalism. Cannibalism in Europe is due to poor circumstances or individual madness (and don't get me started on the ableism in this book, as that's a whole second review), whereas in the rest of the world it is absolutely certain that "Stone Age" tribes routinely eat each other, often for no practical reason.

Even the author admits that many of these stories are based on testimony from enemies of the tribes in question, or outsiders who could not have been expected to understand the goings-on. Why, then, are they presented as fact? There's something to be said about humanity's eagerness to accuse our ideological enemies of cannibalism, but that trend was never addressed in the book. Instead, outrageous and improbable claims were often taken at face value.

This book is entertaining and interesting, but must be taken with more than a few grains of salt.

[Pat MacEwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting compendium purporting to be a history of cannibalism and blood-drinking practices, though many of the facts given are not accompanied by source citations even in areas of intense and ongoing controversy. One such would be reports of cannibalism among Native American nations of the Great Plains and the American Southwest (though some of the major work on this appeared well after publication of this book). Other items make no appearance, or get very short shrift, such as the outbreaks of mass cannibalism that took place during the 'arranged' famines in the Ukraine in Stalin's era, the Great Leap Forward in China under Chairman Mao, and repeatedly in North Korea. The lack of any discussion about the 'rules' of cannibalism in survival situations was also curious, since every culture seems to have settled on the same list as to who gets eaten first and last in desperate times without ever coming to a public agreement about it. Lots of fascinating tidbits, but they're accompanied by a great many statements of 'fact' that are actually matters of highly contested opinion, omitting discussion of alternate points of view and leaving me doubtful about the accuracy of the whole. I'd still recommend reading it, but with a grain of salt.

[Jeffrey W Brigham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here we have some heavy reading on a subject that, already, isn't easy to read about. So, what did I take away from this book? - There was (and still is apparently) a whole lot more of the world's ultimate tabu going on than I ever would have imagined. It's frightening, horrifying, but an education nonetheless.

[Brian Battles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read in college. An intriguing look at the history of cannibalism.

[David Carmona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts i loved learning about... But just how it's all combined makes it all over the place and less of a coherent story

[Tea · Rating 3 out of 5]

its fine.*

*Cannibalism by Bill Shutt is better

[Joe Augustyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't understand how anyone could give this book less than 5 stars. It is an EXHAUSTIVE study of the history and sociological aspects of cannibalism, loaded with page after page of fascinating revelations and details of little known stories as well as famous cases. Further, the author delves into loosely related cases of vampirism and werewolves. As loaded as it is, there's no empty filler here. And as scholarly and well-researched as it all is, the author has a delightful sense of humor that adds to the reading pleasure. I received this book as a gift from a friend and it took me completely by surprise. Reay Tannahill is now one of my favorite authors. I only regret that I didn't discover her work earlier.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms. Tannahill approaches her topic with a dry sense of humor. She really delves into the history of cannibalism and why it is such a taboo. The only part I didn't like came at the end when she was talking about serial killers and their "fifteen minutes of fame." It was on topic when discussing Jeffrey Dahmer and other cannibal killers but veered off course when she brought up Charles Manson and John Wayne Gacy, neither of whom were cannibals, and discussed how the media made them icons. It seemed like a subject for another book. Otherwise, this was a fascinating, well-researched book.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cannibalism is taboo today and illegal, but Tannahill's work pulls us into a vivid history of consumption for ritual and reward. Also, how devouring the enemy would give one remarkable strength. She captures the essence of the cannibal complex, from the witch's sabbath to the fairy tales fixed on devouring children, like "Hansel and Gretel" and "Little Red Riding Hood". She discusses just about everything with scholarly wit.

[Colleen Wu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun overview of humanity's reactions to and interest in cannibalism. Not incredibly detailed as their is not very much hard evidence for all the rumored occurrences of cannibalism, but covers the possibilities as well as society's morbid fascination with cannibal stories. Tannahill's writing is clear and she tells the story well although her frequent use of incomplete sentences sometimes interrupts the flow of the story.

[Shakir Sharfraz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does it sound weird that I enjoyed this book? The author discusses this dietary aberration in such a methodical manner peppered with interesting anecdotes that it makes for a great read. One of the favorite parts is where she demolishes the theory that any community cannot have survived only on human flesh because such a diet would not be sustainable. Also there are interesting parts where she ties up both vampirism and lycanthropy as simply manifestations of this same morbid obsession.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book is sort of basic but its alright. some of these sources are pretty bad even for the original publication date though, like citing james frazer in the 70s? big time fail in this readers opinion

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delicious history about the history of cannibalism.

[Gia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating read. This book explores the depth of our minds during our evolution and considers the significance culturally, religiously and necessity of cannibalism.