The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1897-09-15
"EATEN WITH HONOR"
UNIQUEAND STARTLING DEFENSE
OF THE CANNIBALS.
DIR. Petrie's Most Interesting CLASH
tfcatiOn Of Cannibalistic No
tiYes. The Much Abused
Eater.


Man.Eater.
Perhaps the subject of the morality of
the cannibal has never suggested itself
20 the average reader, and heretofore not
even - the student of sociological prob
lens. BUTT has been nade an extreme.
ly live topic by the eminent EgyptOlogist,
DR.. Flinders Petrie, whose article, Eat
en- With Honor" in the current Contem-
porary Review, has attracted almost uni
veTsal attention. Dr.. Petrie's defense of
the cannibal is as unique and startling as
it is interesting, and to him the ma n, eat
ers who have always, as whole, been
classed as a bad lot owe a debt of lasting
gratitude. According to DR.. Petre the
cannibal is far from being the bad man
that he has been painted, and when we
read an account of POlyneslan Eill-of-
fare in which human flesh in the shape
Of entrees, steaks and chops is the prin-
cipal article of diet, we need no longer
shudder at the horror and condemn civil
izatiOn for not having out an end to what
was once considered the worst of barbara
ties. Hunger, DR.. Petrie informs us, is
not always the motive of the cannibaI in
making a meal of barbacued relative or
fellow tOWnsman, but he may be actua-
ted by ''loye and affection" a method of
expressing his regard which will still re-
main shrouded in mystery and doubt.
But true it is, says Dr.. Petrie, and it
IS "sbeer mental prejudice against
Strangeness which puts the innocent and
affecJionate Cannibal below the moral Of
fendOr."
Dr. Petrie' classification of cannibal-
istic motives is one of the features of his
discussion, being, so to speak, a statisti-
cal demonstration of the mild manners.
''love and affection" of this heretofore
much-abused individual These motives
are
Honor kindness, good, love. 20 per cent
For strength or magic re-
suits .............19 per cent
AS ceremony ...........10 per cent
AS punishment ...... 5 per cent
From hunger and need of
food ,...................1 IS per cent
From preference as food % per cent
THE higher motives of honor and kind
ness prevail mostly in Asia, Australia
and South America" he says, "but seem
TO be unknown in Polynesia, North
America and Africa. The Tibetans COLI
sidered it a glorious burial for their hon
Ored elders to be eaten; some Australians
also eat the dead with the greatest and
most solemn honor, and the Tupi and Ca
panahuas in South America did likewise.
Besides this, it is often a matter of
kindness and love for the dean. The
-,uCumas of South America said that lit
was better to be inside friend than to
be swallowed up by the cold earth
And who will say that they are
wrong? Such seems to have been the
main sentiment in that quarter Of the
world, as it appears again among the
botOcudos, Tapuyas, MayOruna, Nun
drucu and Guyanis.
Dr.. Petrie's lucid explanation Of can
nibalistiC motives may relieve tue anx-
lOus minds of many missionaries to whom
the stories Of their devoured brethren
nave brought deep anxiety and feelings
of horror, should they chance to be de-
tailed to follow them to such fields of
labor. 1t may relieve many haunting
fear and doubt in the missionary mind
10 know that, if eaten, it may be with
honor, or through kindness, though he
still has considerable gauntlet to run as
long as As per cent. who are eaten from
preference or from hunger is maintain
ed.
We are extremely doubtful if DR.. Pc
tries defense of the cannibal would &C
quit the man-eater before an American
jury, however gratifying it may be to
know that the element of malice is alto
gether absent, Still, there is no doubt
that DR.. Petrie deserves as much credit
for his contribution to science as he de-
serves honor from the class so ably de
Tended. Should he ever fall into canni-
balistic hands may he be "eaten with
honor" and not because the natives are
hungry and in need of food.
News.