Ад каннибалов. История людоедства и человеческих жертвоприношений

V 1564 g. turky oderzhaly verkh nad polskym voenachalnykom Vyshnevetskym. Ony vyrvaly yz ego grudy serdtse y sely ego. V XVI veke vo mnogykh evropeyskykh stranakh palachy poluchaly pravo rasporyazhatsya ne tolko krovyu, no chastyamy tela svoykh zhertv y upotreblyat ykh po svoemu usmotrenyyu. Dazhe v XIX veke kytayskyy palach vpolne mog sest serdtse yly mozgy svoey zhertvy. Kakovy zhe prychyny kannybalyzma, pochemu on, kak pravylo, svyazan s relygyoznymy chelovecheskymy zhertvoprynoshenyyamy? Kakova sut etogo tshchatelno razrabotannogo rytuala, bytovavshego vo mnogykh stranakh myra, — ot obeykh Ameryk, Afryky y Yndyy do Yndonezyy, Malayzyy, Polynezyy, Novoy Gvyney, Avstralyy y ostrovov Okeanyy? Pochemu v nashy dny dazhe v tsyvylyzovannykh stranakh otmechayutsya otdelnye sluchay kannybalyzma? Otvety na ety y mnogye drugye voprosy, kotorye do sykh por schytalys neobyasnymoy taynoy, vy naydete v etoy uvlekatelnoy knyge.

In 1564, the Turks defeated the Polish military commander Vishnevetsky. They tore his heart out of his chest and ate it. In the 16th century, in many European countries, executioners were given the right to dispose of not only the blood, but also the body parts of their victims and use them at their discretion. Even in the 19th century, a Chinese executioner could easily eat the heart or brains of his victim. What are the causes of cannibalism, and why is it usually associated with religious human sacrifice? What is the essence of this elaborate ritual that has been practiced in many countries around the world, from the Americas, Africa, and India to Indonesia, Malaysia, Polynesia, New Guinea, Australia, and the islands of Oceania? Why are there isolated cases of cannibalism these days, even in civilized countries? The answers to these and many other questions, which until now have been considered an inexplicable mystery, can be found in this fascinating book.