Why are the Amerindians so prone to cannibalism and human sacrifice?

[Cristiano viejo]

Cannibalism was practiced not only in the Caribbean, also in South America, for example the Charrúas (current Uruguay) also did. On the Chilean island of Rapa Nui too.

There is one thing still more disturbing, and it´s that nowadays these practices still exist.
Cannibalistic practices were uncovered in Peru, not many years ago. And in Chile and Northern Argentina the goddess Pachamama is still revered among indigenous communities. Also sacrifices of children were discovered recently to honor her. Dedicated to this goddess child mummies are famous.

This is a typical figure from Easter Island of a spirit that shows the specter of hunger.

Good hooked nose, typical Middle Eastern.

[Armand_Duval]

One of the most disturbing and frightening ritual sacrifice among the Aztecs was that one to honour Xipe-Totec. It particularly gets my attention because of its brutallity.

The central ritual act of "Tlacaxipehualiztli" was the gladiatorial sacrifice of war prisoners, which both began and culminated the festival.[28] On the next day of the festival, the game of canes was performed in the manner of two bands. The first band were those who took the part of Xipe Totec and went dressed in the skins of the war prisoners who were killed the previous day, so the fresh blood was still flowing. The opposing band was composed of daring soldiers who were brave and fearless, and who took part in the combat with the others. After the conclusion of this game, those who wore the human skins went around throughout the whole town, entering houses and demanding that those in the houses give them some alms or gifts for the love of Xipe Totec. While in the houses, they sat down on sheaves of tzapote leaves and put on necklaces which were made of ears of corn and flowers. They had them put on garlands and give them pulque to drink, which was their wine.[29]

Annually, slaves or captives were selected as sacrifices to Xipe Totec.[30] After having the heart cut out, the body was carefully flayed to produce a nearly whole skin which was then worn by the priests for twenty days during the fertility rituals that followed the sacrifice.[30] This act of putting on new skin was a ceremony called 'Neteotquiliztli' translating to "impersonation of a god".[31]The skins were often adorned with bright feathers and gold jewellery when worn.[32] During the festival, victorious warriors wearing flayed skins carried out mock skirmishes throughout Tenochtitlan, they passed through the city begging alms and blessed whoever gave them food or other offerings.[6] When the twenty day festival was over, the flayed skins were removed and stored in special containers with tight-fitting lids designed to stop the stench of putrefaction from escaping. These containers were then stored in a chamber beneath the temple.[33]

The worshippers of Xipe Totec emerging from the rotting, flayed skin after twenty days symbolised rebirth and the renewal of the seasons, the casting off of the old and the growth of new vegetation.[21] New vegetation was represented by putting on the new skin of a flayed captive because it symbolized the vegetation the earth puts on when the rain comes. [22]The living god lay concealed underneath the superficial veneer of death, ready to burst forth like a germinating seed.[23] The deity also had a malevolent side as Xipe Totec was said to cause rashes, pimples, inflammations and eye infections.[21]

[Black Wolf]

They practised cannibalism and human sacrifice mainly because of religous/spiritual beliefs.

[pinguino]

Cannibalism was practiced not only in the Caribbean, also in South America, for example the Charrúas (current Uruguay) also did. On the Chilean island of Rapa Nui too.
.

I bet if you had stand the ecological disaster in Easter Island with the islanders there, you would have been a cannibal, too.

There is one thing still more disturbing, and it´s that nowadays these practices still exist.
Cannibalistic practices were uncovered in Peru, not many years ago. And in Chile and Northern Argentina the goddess Pachamama is still revered among indigenous communities. Also sacrifices of children were discovered recently to honor her. Dedicated to this goddess child mummies are famous.

You are confusing cannibalism with human sacrifices, which not necessarily are the same thing. Child mummies of the Incas weren't eaten. And human sacrifices were widespread in Europe, the Middle East and Asia up to recent times.

[ЛыSSый]

A Recipee:

Kill a Spaniard, of preference a member of the Civil Guard, a neofranquist or neonazi activist. Eat the heart rough with some merken and lemon. You can also make some blood sausages (Spanish custom), or a blood pudding with spices (Mapuche tradition). Try the guy doesn't have HIV or the mad-cow disease.

oh, theese wildfowls too rarely in my land. maybe only neonazis, but all they are bony, skinny and tasteless.

[Also]

I never ate human flesh, so I can't judge.

[Cristiano viejo]

I bet if you had stand the ecological disaster in Easter Island with the islanders there, you would have been a cannibal, too.

You would lose your bet but hey, that ecological disaster was produced because the Amerindians of Rapa Nui demonstrated that they were an undeveloped people and with no a view in their own future.

You are confusing cannibalism with human sacrifices, which not necessarily are the same thing.

No, I am not mistaking the events. I am talking about recent discoveries of cannibalism in Latin America.

Como cuenta el escritor Mario Vargas LLosa en su novela Lituma en los Andes, el culto a los Apus y a la Pachamama sigue vivo en aquellos territorios. Se manifiesta mediante ofrendas, llamadas pagos, preparadas con productos básicos: flores, vinos, hojas de coca, fetos de llamas... Las llevan a cabo sacerdotes o sacerdotisas, a quienes los habitantes consideran iluminados por la religión aborigen y la católica. Sin embargo en algunos lugares, cuando hay catástrofes que ponen en peligro la subsistencia de la comunidad vecinal o se han mermado sus beneficios, los pagos no son suficientes. En tales casos se supone que los dioses están enojados y que solo pueden aplacar su ira con ofrendas de seres humanos, al igual que hacían los incas.

Investigaciones a finales de los años noventa demostraron que el sacrificio de niños, como dádiva a los Apus, todavía se practicaba. Se descubrió que en la selva sudoriental andina eran ofrecidas niñas menores de 16 años para lograr una buena cosecha o temporada de pesca. Según una noticia aparecida en el diario español ABC en las mismas fechas, se sospechaba de la existencia del ritual entre jóvenes de ambos sexos en el departamento peruano de Puno, sobre todo en Yunguyo, provincia fronteriza con Bolivia. Aquí los niños, después de ser embriagados, eran sacrificados y ofrendados al Apu Kapia a petición de algunas personas deseosas de mejorar sus resultados económicos. Hechos como estos narran la irracionalidad y la barbarie de ciertos mitos en manos de grupos de poder que, sin ningún pudor ni remordimiento, se adueñan y ponen fin a vidas ajenas.

http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigat...05/25/068.html

Child mummies of the Incas weren't eaten.

Yes, the child mummies offered to Pachamama only were druged and brutally killed by their own parents

And human sacrifices were widespread in Europe, the Middle East and Asia up to recent times.

No in recent times, all the opposite and of course, no in the frequency of these of Amerindians.

[Han Cholo]

You would lose your bet but hey, that ecological disaster was produced because the Amerindians of Rapa Nui demonstrated that they were an undeveloped people and with no a view in their own future.

Rapa Nui weren't Amerindians. No more than someone from Hong Kong is an Amerindian, at least.

[pinguino]

You would lose your bet but hey, that ecological disaster was produced because the Amerindians of Rapa Nui demonstrated that they were an undeveloped people and with no a view in their own future.

Rapa Nui people aren't Amerindians. They are Polynesians closely related to natives of Hawaii, the Marqueses islands or Maoris of New Zealand. In fact, all Polynesians speak the same language and understand each other. And Polynesians weren't underdeveloped people. In fact, they conquest the whole Pacific Ocean with theirs catamarans, and they are considered the best sailors from the times of Greece up to the age of discovery. It amazes me that you didn't know it.

[StonyArabia]

Chileans (in their Mapuche, Pinchunche or Rapa Nui versions), Peruvians, Bolivians, Northern Argentinians (Incas), Aztecs etc highlighted by their fierce cannibalism and their human sacrifices.

Rapa Naui are not Amerindians but Polynesians