University of Zagreb

Centre for Croatian Studies

Course: Modern English and the Media

Cannibalism and how the Media presents it

Written by: Domagoj Justament

Mentor: Spomenka Bogdani

Zagreb, May 2013

Content

1. Introduction
2. Brief History
3. Spiritual and Ritualistic Cannibalism
4. Survival Cannibalism
5. Criminal Cannibalism
5.1 Sexual Cannibalism
5.2 Aggression Cannibalism
5.3 Ritualistic and Epicurean Cannibalism
6. Psychological Perspectives
7. German Cannibal's Trial and how the Media Presented It
8. Teenage Killer Cannibal
9. Cannibalism in Popular Culture
10. Bibliography

1. Introduction
Cannibalism amongst modern humans and their ancestors has always been a taboo topic
which modern society finds to be both controversial and uncomfortable. By definition, a
cannibal is "a person or animal that eats any type of tissue of another individual of its own
kind". References to cannibal practices have been suggested all over the world in both
prehistoric and historic periods. Despite the controversy cannibalism invokes, it has always
been a topic of morbid interest and heated debate, with many ethnographic and
anthropological studies reporting instances of cannibalism.

2. Brief History
Except from Herbert Ward's "A Voice From the Congo" as found in Gary Hogg's
book, "Cannibalism and Human Sacrifice":
Do you people eat human bodies? I said one day, upon entering a native village, and
pointed to a quantity of meat, spitted upon long skewers, being smoke-dried over
numerous smouldering fires. Io; yo te? was the instant reply - Yes; don't you? And a
few minutes later the chieftain of the village came forward with an offering, which
consisted of large and generous portions of flesh, only too obviously of human origin.
He seemed genuinely disappointed when I refused.
Historically shrouded in mystery, myth, symbolism, fear and
speculation, cannibalism remains in most cultures one of the
ultimate taboos. According to William Aren's book "The ManEating Myth: Anthropology & Anthropophagy", the first
known account of cannibalism came following an expedition
to the West Indies, led by Christopher Columbus. Columbus
and his crew supposedly discovered that the Carib West Indies
tribe participated in a particularly gruesome practice of
ritualistically eating the flesh of other humans.
The explorers mispronounced the name of the tribe and
referred to them as Canibs, which was overtime changed to canibales, meaning thirsty and
cruel in Spanish. The English translation of the Spanish word became cannibalism, which is
3

the most widely used term to express humans consumption of

William Aren: The Man-Eating Myth

other human beings. The Latin form of the word cannibalism

is anthropophagy and is a term used mostly in anthropology and archeology.
The existence of cannibalism has been a widely disputed topic in academia. However, the
evidence supporting its existence is abundant and is represented in every medium imaginable,
including stories, symbols, legends, writings, archeological evidence and first hand stories.
Cannibalism is a practice that reaches across centuries and cultures. In many cultures, it is
considered atrocious and sacrilegious, whereas in another culture it is a sacred and revered
custom. Cannibalism is an undeniable occurrence rooted in ancient history and branching
forth to the present-day.
The exact origin of cannibalism is a mystery and will most likely remain so. Some
anthropologists believe that cannibalism began in earliest human history and expanded with
man's increasing attempt to please the gods, survive famine, or have revenge on or control his
enemies. To date, archeological evidence suggests that cannibalism was practiced as far back
as the Neolithic Period and Bronze Age in what is now Europe and the Americas.
According to Tim White in "Once Were Cannibals", evidence found in Croatia points to
cannibalism amongst Neanderthal tribes. The bones of Neanderthals were discovered during
an archeological excavation, which suggest that humans ate the brains of other humans.
Panche Hadzi-Andonov wrote in "Cannibalism and Archeology" that some of the criteria
archeologists use to identify cannibalism from human remains includes evidence of brain
exposure, facial mutilation, burnt bone, dismemberment, cut marks, bone breakage
hammerstone injury, and missing spine. Although not all of the criteria was met when
studying the bones found in Croatia, the most crucial key elements were present, including
crushing of the heads and bones, burning of the bodies, suggesting they had been roasted over
fire and evidence of a hammering to split the brain open.
A wealth of archeological and anthropological evidence discovered in Africa, Australia, New
Zealand, the Far East and Middle East further suggests the far-reaching capabilities of
cannibalistic practices. The motivations behind the practice of cannibalism vary crossculturally and per situation and cannot be easily categorized. However, there are several forms
of cannibalism that appear to be more prevalent in certain areas of the world and in certain
situations.
4

3. Spiritual and Ritualistic Cannibalism

There are many forms of spiritual and ritualistic cannibalism worldwide. Exocannibalism is
defined as a culture, group or tribes consumption of another culture, group or tribe. This form
of cannibalism has been associated with tribal power, murder and aggression and has been
used in an effort to scare off possible invading enemies, to get rid of captured enemies of war
and slaves. Many cannibalistic tribes believed that consuming ones enemy would allow them
to obtain and absorb the spirit and skills of the victim.
Conversely, the consumption of members within ones own culture, group or tribe is called
endocannibalism, which is often associated with ritual burial ceremonies and has been
controversially referred to on occasion as compassionate cannibalism. Mortuary cannibalism
has been considered to be the most widely practiced form of endocannibalism, often
excluding murder and focusing on already
deceased corpses.
For example, mortuary cannibalism amongst
the Wari tribe of the Amazon rainforest had a
socially

integrative

dimension.

Upon

consumption of the deceased group member,

the spirit of the dead was believed to be
absorbed by the entire tribe and was
considered by them to be one of the most
respectful ways to treat a human body.

Sketch: Indians practising mortuary cannibalism

Throughout the world, anthropologists have discovered that cannibalistic tribes incorporate
many different forms of cannibalism. It is not uncommon for one particular group, culture or
tribe to practice a mixture of ritualistic endo and exo-cannibalism, as well as other forms such
as survival and epicurean/nutritional cannibalism (consumption of human flesh for the taste or
nutritional value).
The ancient Aztecs in Mexico were believed to have sacrificed and cannibalized thousands of
humans on an annual basis. The Aztecs were believed to have practiced exocannibalism, as
well as endocannibalism and survival cannibalism. Human sacrifice and cannibalism was
practiced in an effort to create a universal balance between of the world and the cosmos.

Aztecs believed that sacrificing humans, either from their own culture or from an outside
culture, would appease the gods and if they failed to do so, it would mark the destruction of
all humanity. Cannibalism was considered a holy act, which allowed men to obtain divine
powers through communication with their gods. Cannibalism was also practiced during times
of great famine.
Other cultures participated in endo-cannibalism and exo-cannibalism for similar reasons, such
as The North American Indians, known as the Iroquoian. They believed that sacrificing and
consuming the bodies of their enemies would satisfy their war god and lead to their spirit
being transferred and absorbed into their own bodies. The absorbed spirit was believed to
empower the cannibal with the attributes of the dead person.
There have also been reports of tribes in Papua, New Guinea,
known to have practiced endo- and exo-cannibalism up until the
1960s for ritualistic purposes. Some of the tribes partook of
cannibalism for purposes other than ritual reasons, such as for
the taste. However, a majority of the tribes were known to
mostly consume their dead relatives tissues and brains in a
ceremonial and traditional display of respect. The practice did
have deadly repercussions.

New Guinea cannibal chief

It was discovered that many of the tribes people were suffering from a fatal disease believed
by scientists to be related to their cannibalistic activities. According to anthropologist
Margaret Mackenzie, a scientific team led by Carleton Gajdusek and Baruch Blumberg
discovered that women were passing on a disease to their children, believed to be the human
equivalent of Mad Cow Disease in the late 1970s.
The disease, which became more wide-spread over a short period of time was due to an
infectious agent introduced by the consumption of deceased human tissues, especially that of
the brain. The disease, referred to as Kuru, was highly infectious and was transferred in a
variety of methods, including through bodily fluids. The spread of this disease only began to
diminish when the practice of cannibalism decreased.
Ritualistic cannibalism is frowned upon by most cultures; however it plays an integral part of
those cultures that do practice it. In many ways, the act has been a traditional custom
representing their values and belief system for hundreds and perhaps thousands of years.
6

However, with the fear of disease, which has the possibility of extinguishing cultures
permanently, tribes are forced to find away around their practices and possibly incorporate a
more symbolic and less literal form of ritual.
It is not disease alone, which has caused a reduction in many forms of ritualistic and spiritual
cannibalism. The spread of Christianity by missionary agencies has also led to a significant
decrease in the practice. In fact, the spread of Christianity is believed to have significantly
diminished cannibalism worldwide.

4. Survival Cannibalism
Perhaps the only generally accepted form of cannibalism is when humans eat the flesh of
other humans in an attempt to stay alive in desperate situations. Survival cannibalism is rare
and explicable in many cases, yet is still an act that is often punishable by law. There have
been several prominent cases of survival cannibalism over the last two hundred years,
including that of the Donner Party expedition and the more recent cases that occurred in the
Andes Mountains following a plane crash.
In 1846, a group of eighty-nine men, women and children led by a man named George
Donner set out across the Sierra Nevada Mountains enroute to California. During the journey,
the weather took and unexpected turn and they were forced to take an alternative route. The
travelers began to run out of food and other resources. Many died from exposure and
starvation.

The Donner Party

Half of the travelers died before the remaining people eventually gave in to their situation and
began to feed on the flesh of the dead in an attempt to survive. The forty-six survivors were
eventually rescued, however upon reaching civilization they were regarded as monstrous
criminals and were held on trial for their actions. The travelers served around six months
before they were re-released back into their communities.
In 1972, a group of rugby players, their friends and families left on an airplane for Chile from
Uruguay. The plane crashed into the snow-covered Andes Mountains killing thirteen of the
forty-five passengers onboard the aircraft. Many of the passengers died over the weeks from
crash-related injuries. Without any supplies, those left alive resorted to cannibalizing the dead.
Those who refused to eat the human flesh died of starvation. After seventy days in the
mountains, sixteen survivors were rescued and taken home.
Even in the most extreme cases, the act of cannibalism is treated with disgust by many
cultures and is sometimes punishable by institutionalization in a mental facility, arrest,
imprisonment or even death. Cannibalism is most commonly believed to be the perfect
example of savage behavior. Although disease and religion have greatly diminished the
practice, it continues to be practiced worldwide.
Disorganised cannibalistic practices amongst criminals have been steadily increasing over the
last century, especially in the Western Hemisphere. Lawmakers around the world have been
forced to update laws pertaining to cannibalism or establish new laws where none existed
before. Criminal cannibalism has become the concern of the future.

5. Criminal Cannibalism
In modern times, the murder of a person or the use of a corpse for the purpose of consumption
by another human in any situation, outside that of conditions of starvation, is considered to be
a form of criminal cannibalism or anthropophagy. However, the definition of and laws
concerning criminal cannibalism vary considerably from culture to culture.
In many parts of the world cannibalism is not considered a crime and it is often only
recognized in concurrence with another crime. For example, in Great Britain and the United
States of America, cannibalism is not considered to be a felony, but is socially unacceptable.
Those who have been found to participate in the gruesome act are usually charged with
8

another crime that is directly related to the act of cannibalism, such as murder, grave robbery
or necrophilia.
In other cultures, what some believe to be an act of criminal cannibalism may be an
acceptable element of another culture. For example, Japanese enemies were allegedly
consumed during the height of World War II by tribes in Papua New Guinea, which was
acceptable in the culture during that period.
There are many who refuse to believe that cannibalism is practiced in this modern, civilized
age. However, there is much evidence suggesting that it does occur and with some frequency.
There have been many documented cases of cannibalism, especially within the last 100 years.
There are four primary forms of criminal cannibalism:

sexual cannibalism
aggression cannibalism
spiritual and ritual cannibalism
epicurean/nutritional cannibalism.

These various forms mainly go together with one another. For example, one may consume
human flesh for several purposes, such as to achieve a sense of power and control (aggression
cannibalism), yet one may also like the taste of it (epicurean/nutritional cannibalism). Another
may give into cannibalism in order to reach a higher spiritual affinity with the person they
have devoured, simultaneously achieving sexual pleasure.

5.1 Sexual Cannibalism

Sexual cannibalism is considered to be a psychosexual disorder, which involves a person
sexualizing the consumption of another person's flesh. This does not necessarily suggest that
the cannibal achieves sexual gratification only in the act of consuming human flesh, but also
may release sexual frustration or suppresed anger. Sexual cannibalism is considered to be a
form of sexual sadism and is often associated with the act of necrophilia. There have been
several high profile cases, which have involved sexual cannibalism, for example that of
Andrei Chikatilo, Edward Gein, Albert Fish, Armin Meiwes and Jeffrey Dahmer.
During the 1920's Americans were confronted with the horrors of Albert Fish who was said to
have raped, murdered and eaten a number of children. Fish was a sexual cannibal in the truest
9

sense of the term and claimed to have experienced enormous

sexual pleasure when he imagined eating a person or when
he actually satisfied his fantasies.

Albert Fish mugshot

Andrei Chikatilo, a Russian serial killer, was responsible for

the murders of numerous
young boys and girls.
During most of his life, Chikalito suffered from impotency
and was only able to achieve sexual gratification from the
torture and murder of other people. He would often
mutilate and then consume the flesh of his victims,
including the breasts, genitalia and internal sex organs, as
well as other body parts. It is possible that he also achieved
sexual gratification when cannibalizing. Chikatilo claimed
that he was disgusted by the "loose morals" of many of his
Andrei Chikatilo in prison

victims, who served as painful reminders of his own sexual

incompetence. Allegedly, many of the murders Chikatilo

committed came after viewing sexually explicit or violent videos.

Edward Gein, a farmer from Plainfield, Wisconsin

was believed to have killed at least three people
including his brother, a bar keeper named Mary
Hogan and the owner of the local hardware store,
Bernice Worden. In 1957, police searched Gein's
home and found the body of Worden along with the
remains of over fifteen other women. A majority of
the remains found at the crime scene were robbed

Edward Gein under arrest

from a nearby cemetery. Gein was believed to have had sexual contact with the corpses.
Gein was also an admitted transvestite, who found delight in dismembering the bodies and
peeling away the skin of the corpses so that he could wear them around the house. Gein was
known to have cannibalized some of the bodies, including Worden's whose heart was in a pan
10

on the stove at the time police conducted their search of the house. Whether Gein sexualized
the consumption of his victims was not proven. However, there was a strong relationship
between his necrophilia and cannibalistic behavior.
Some people that claim to be cannibals have admitted to feeling a sense of euphoria and/or
intense sexual stimulation when consuming human flesh. Some anthropophagists compared
eating human flesh with having an orgasm. The experience was further believed to cause an
out-of-body-experience causing effects comparable to taking mescaline.
According to some psychologists, eating human flesh can cause an increase in levels of
vitamin A and amino acids, which can cause a chemical effect on the blood and in the brain.
This chemical reaction could possibly lead to the escatic states that some cannibals have
claimed to have experienced. However, this theory has not been confirmed by scientific
evidence.
Study conducted on sex and cannibalism at Easter Illinois University in 2002 by Steven Scher
surveyed several groups of people who were asked questions pertaining to cannibalism and
sexual interests. The results of the study found that people were more likely to eat someone
that they were sexually attracted to than not. This suggests that there might be a significant
sexual component in the practice of cannibalism.

5.2 Aggression Cannibalism

Most acts of cannibalism are, to a degree, motivated by a desire to express power or control
over the victim. Cannibalism is the ultimate expression of dominance over another person.
Aggression cannibalism includes acts of cannibalism that are motivated by feelings of
hostility and/or fear, creating an ultimate need to exert power, revenge or control over the
victim by murdering and then consuming him.
Aggression cannibalism is one of the more common forms of cannibalism and often goes with
other types of anthropophagy, especially spiritual, ritualistic and sexual cannibalism.
Some forms of aggression cannibalism have recently gained worldwide media attention. The
most recent cases include, Anna Zimmerman and Ed Kemper.

11

In 1981 Anna Zimmerman, 26, a German mother of two, murdered her boyfriend out of anger
and revenge and then dismembered his body. She froze his remains and over-time defrosted
portions of his body and consumed them with her children. She represents one of the few
known cases of female criminal cannibals.
Edmund Kemper was found guilty of the murders of six
young women, his two grandparents, his mother and a
mothers friend. Kempers killing spree and cannibalism was
believed to be the result of his hatred for his mother and an
unhappy childhood. According to Kemper, his mother
psychologically abused him and at one point forced him to
sleep in the cold and dark basement when he was a child.
While in the basement, his hate for his mother began to
grow. In order to release suppresed anger he would often
have murderous fantasies.

Edmund Kemper

Many of the murders Kemper committed had a large sexual component to them: he raped
some of his victims, killed them and then sexually molested the corpses. However, it is
believed that the murders were primarily motivated by his feelings of anger and revenge,
directly and indirectly towards his mother. In fact, Kemper claimed that the unpleasant
relationship with his mother was what influenced him to realise his violent fantasies, which
included cannibalism.

5.3 Ritualistic and Epicurean Cannibalism

Modern forms of spiritual and ritualistic cannibalism are very similar to that seen in tribal
groups. However, the modern criminal version of this kind of cannibalism is more associated
with satanic or cult group rituals, instead of tribes in remote locations of the world.
In Helsinki, Finland in 1999, two men and a teenaged girl were sent to prison for the torture,
murder and cannibalism of a twenty-three-year-old man. The three individuals claimed to be
Satanists performing a ritualistic killing. And interesting fact is that murderers received a little
more than two and a half years each for the brutal slaying.

12

Jones also mentions another case where a young girl succumbed to a similar Satanic ritual. In
1999, a man named Dmitry Dyomin and two other accomplices abducted a fifteen-year-old
girl in Kiev. The girl was eventually murdered and her tongue was removed and eaten by
Dyomin. He and the other two assistants decapitated the girl and kept the skull as a trophy.
Spiritual and ritualistic cannibalism is not necessarily limited to groups. Many cases of
individual cannibalism incorporate spiritual and ritualistic aspects into their practice.
Cannibals such as Dahmer and Kemper claimed that when they consumed their victims, they
believed that they spiritually became a part of them. They also believed that their cannibalism
allowed them to absorb some of their attributes, such as power.
Epicurean and nutritional cannibalism refers to the consumption of human flesh, which is
primarily motivated by the taste of the flesh or for the nutritional value. This form of
cannibalism is believed to be rarer and is usually considered to be a sub-motivation of other
forms of cannibalism, such as survival and sexual cannibalism. However rare, there are
several cases that fall into this category which have had significant media attention.
In 1981, Japanese student Issei Sagawa was arrested in
France for satisfying his fantasies of cannibalism. One
day he approached a Dutch friend who rejected him.
Sagawa shot and killed her and then sexually assaulted
her corpse. Sagawa then carved away pieces of his
victim's body, including her breasts and buttocks and
consumed them. Sagawa was determined to be mentally
incompetent to stand trial in a French court. He was held
in a mental institution for a little over a year before being
returned to Japan, where he has been released for a
number of years and enjoys a kind of celebrity status.
Issei Sagawa

Also in France, Nicolas Claux was convicted of the 1994 murder of 34-year-old Thierry
Bissonier. However, murder was not his only lust. Claux, who at one time worked at a
13

childrens hospital morgue in Paris, admitted to stealing flesh

from the dead children and taking it home to eat. Claux
claimed to have eaten the human flesh for its taste, stating
that he preferred to eat it raw. He likened the taste of
humans to steak tartare. Claux is also believed to be a
Satanist, which could be another motivation behind his
cannibalistic practices.

Nicolas Claux

6. Psychological Perspectives

Within the field of psychology there is a debate on what factors lead a person to practice
criminal cannibalism. There are a many theories which have been presented, ranging from the
over nurturing of a child during the first few months of their life to sudden stress. However,
there is little evidence to support most of these theories. Nevertheless, the theories presented a
shell in which one is able to gain a better understanding of the possible psychological factors
behind cannibalism.
In an article by Sally Talwani titled "Experts Debate What Forces Create A Cannibal", Dr.
Clancy McKenzie, a psychology professor at Capital University in Washington, D.C. believes
that cannibalism is a result of trauma, especially that experienced in childhood. He states that
a child, after it is no longer fed from the breast, experiences separation anxiety and fantasizes
about devouring the mother. A person who has experienced this may regress back to this stage
in adulthood due to stress or trauma and lead the individual to seek out the fulfillment he has
been denied by resorting to cannibalism.
McKenzie believes that children who are excessively dependent on their mothers, due to
maternal over nurturing, are more likely to experience oral aggression and frustration due to
separation. Moreover, he claims that the adult who subconsciously carries this oral aggression
is likely to express it in an clearly dominant fashion against women by turning to cannibalism.
Evidence taken during psychological interviews with cannibals supports to a degree the
contention that aggression towards the mother may be one possible factor in a persons
cannibalism, such as with the case of Ed Kemper. However, it is unclear whether that
aggression directly leads to cannibalism. Furthermore, there is little evidence available which
14

can confirm this theory in whole and such evidence, if it existed, would be difficult to obtain.
Even if there are some strong points to this theory, it is unlikely that all cannibals, especially
criminal cannibals fit into this context.
There are other theories, as yet unsubstantiated, that suggest cannibalism to be a sexual
disorder and even an eating disorder. What seems to be a common characteristic among many
cannibals is that many of them have been diagnosed with schizophrenia or some other form of
personality disorder.
This theory suggests that there may be an underlying a neurochemical component related to
cannibalistic behavior. Many cannibals, such as Andrei Chikatilo, Albert Fish, Edward Gein,
and Issei Sagawa, had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. .
Moreover, schizophrenia may also be a significant component in historical accounts of tribal
cannibalism. The psychotic features related to schizophrenia have been found to have a
significant genetic component, thus it can be passed from generation to generation. Therefore,
it is not unlikely that schizophrenia may take root in some small indigenous tribes, which pull
from a small gene pool. However, this theory is speculative and has not fully been explored.
Although there are many theories, few are able to fully explain why some people resort to
eating human flesh. Therefore, more research is crucial in understanding the factors that lead
to criminal cannibalism.

7. German Cannibal's Trial and how the Media Presented It

Germany's first cannibalism case was all over the media for months and even years.
Armin Meiwes, a middle-aged computer technician, has wowed the court and the public with
his bizarre confessions. He appeared relaxed and normal, despite the unusual nature of his
crimes.
Meiwes has been charged with murder for sexual pleasure, which has a maximum sentence of
15 years. However, he claims that the man he killed in 2001, Bernd Juergen Brandes,
volunteered to be killed and eaten so there was no murder.

15

Here is how this unusual case began. Meiwes had

advertised on the Internet for a well-built man who
would consent to being killed and eaten. Meiwes
says that there are over 400 cannibal web sites and

Armin Meiwes

chat rooms. Supposedly, more than 200 men

responded positively to his ad.
Brandes was one of them and they got together for
dinner at Brandes home in Rotenburg. Its hard to
say whether Brandes had planned to serve his
penis that night or whether it came up as an idea once the two men were together.
Meiwes claimed that Brandes wanted to have Meiwes cut
off his penis. Meiwes then cooked the penis and they ate
it together.
At some point, Meiwes stabbed Brandes and cut him into
pieces, putting parts of his body in the freezer for future
consumption. These events Meiwes recorded with his
camera.
Perhaps his hobby could have continued had a student not
seen another of Meiwes advertisements on the Internet
Bern Juergen Brandes

and alerted the police.

Bernd came to me of his own free will to end his life, Meiwes told the court in his trial, which
began December 3, 2003. For him, it was a nice death.
Before his death Brandes consumed a large quantity of liquor and 20 or more sleeping pills.
Cannibalism may not be against the law in Germany, but it guarantees one a free mental
examination. What the court found out after Meiwes psychiatric exam was very interesting.
He claimed that watching horror films is what initiated the fantasies that he had as a child
about eating people. Initially, he wanted to eat his school mates, he told the court.
The defense has been arguing that there was no murder because Brandes volunteered to be
killed. The prosecution, however, feels that Meiwes hobbies are very dangerous and that he
should be locked up permanently.
16

The court in Kassel had ruled that there were no "base motives" in the crime - sparing him a
murder conviction. He has been sentenced to eight and a half years in jail.

8. Teenage Killer Cannibal

An argument over a porn tape, a fight and a possibly unintentional murder. That's how Robert
Ackermann became Vienna's teenage cannibal killer. His case doesn't fit the typical profile of
cannibalism. Ackermann's motives were neither ritualistic, particularly bloodthirsty, nor,
despite the pleasure the crime provided him, apparently sexual in nature. His motive evidently
was among the most dangerous of all: twisted, morbid curiosity. The handsome, blond young
man seems to have killed Josef Schweiger impulsively or even accidentally, then taken the
opportunity to explore his frightening fascination with the hidden secrets of the human body.
By August of 2007, Ackermann, then 19, had left his native
Cologne, Germany, for Vienna, Austria, where he was staying
in short-term housing for the mentally ill and homeless run by
a private charity. He shared a room with Josef Schweiger, 49,
who had been in the facility since that June. Weekly social
workers don't seem to have been alarmed by Ackermann's
behavior or concerned about the pair's fights. But neighbors on
the apartment block who argued with the increasingly
disturbed Ackermann, saw him crawling naked through the

Robert Ackermann

yard howling at the moon, or dumping what appeared to be blood from his window, realized
the teen was dangerous.
Ackermann was once a normal, friendly, intelligent boy. In early adolescence, with
psychological problems woke up either by the physiological changes of puberty or perhaps his
father's abandonment of the family, he changed drastically. Ackerman began hearing voices
and manifesting serious behavioral problems. At 15, he left home. He experimented with
methamphetamines, ecstasy and harder drugs, and with crime. He stole, sometimes pretending
to be a businessman in order to decieve banks.
Ackermann's history of severe mental illness was marked by several hospital visits, and he
was diagnosed with schizoaffective psychosis. German authorities declared him too ill for
17

prison, but not quite sick enough to be placed in a state hospital for his protection or of
society. Ackermann was on his own, despite his mother's desperate pleas and evidence that his
disease could be controlled with medication, which he tended not to take if left
unsupervised. He ended up in Vienna, where, earlier in 2007, he was arrested at a local
hospital. He had been impersonating a doctor, hoping that, disguised as a member of the
hospital staff, he might be able to sneak into an operating room and take part in surgery - his
boyhood dream.

9. Cannibalism in Popular Culture

Considering that we view cannibalism with such hatred and revulsion, its probably not that
surprising that popular culture is full of references that exploit its shock value. Even William
Shakespeare was using cannibalism as a plot twist. In his 16th century play "Titus
Andronicus", a character is served the flesh of her dead son and unintentionally consumes it.
The portrait of South Seas natives cannibalism in Herman Melvilles adventure novel
"Typee" made his manuscript almost too violent for American publishers, but probably also
helped make the work a great success. 19th Century readers also loved books about notorious
real-life cannibals such as Alfred Packer, the Colorado prospector who served a prison term
for eating his fellow fortune-seekers, and the Donner party. But they also loved H.G. Wells
novel "The Time Machine", which made cannibalism in a very negative context.
Since then, popular culture has continued to feature cannibalism as the ultimate blending of
desperation and evil. Rupert Holmes song "Timothy" - in which two trapped, hungry miners
eat one of their colleagues - was a Top 40 radio hit. The 1973 film "Soylent Green" depicted a
future society where population growth was so out of control that the government was forced
to secretly reprocess corpses and market them as a quality food to stop food riots. Thomas
Harris 1980s novels "Manhunter" and "Silence of the Lambs" (also made into a film) focused
upon a charismatic serial killer, Hannibal Lecter, who made fancy meals from the flesh of his
victims.

10. Bibliography

Aren, W. The Man-Eating Myth: Anthropology & Anthropophagy, Oxford, New

York: Oxford Univeristy Press, 1979
Hadzi-Andonov, P. Cannibalism and Archeology, 2000
18

Hogg, G. Cannibalism and Human Sacrifice, 1966

Talwani, S. Experts Debate What Forces Create A Cannibal, Great Falls Tribune,
Montana, 2000
Ward, H. A Voice From the Congo, 1910
White, T. Once Were Cannibals, Scientific American, 2001
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/cannibalism.aspx

19