Bibliograph

Eaters of the dead, myths and realities of cannibal monsters, Kevin J. Wetmore Jr

Type

Label

Eaters of the dead, myths and realities of cannibal monsters, Kevin J. Wetmore Jr

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 241-264) and index

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Eaters of the dead

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

1227268614

Responsibility statement

Kevin J. Wetmore Jr

Sub title

myths and realities of cannibal monsters

Summary

Every culture has monsters that eat us, and every culture repels in horror when we eat ourselves. From Grendel to medieval Scottish cannibal Sawney Bean, and from the Ghuls of ancient Persia to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, tales of being consumed are both universal and universally terrifying. In this book, Kevin J. Wetmore Jr. explores the full range of monsters that eat the dead: ghouls, cannibals, wendigos, and other beings that feast on human flesh. Moving from myth through history to contemporary popular culture, Wetmore considers everything from ancient Greek myths of feeding humans to the gods, through sky burial in Tibet and Zoroastrianism, to actual cases of cannibalism in modern societies. By examining these seemingly inhuman acts, Eaters of the Dead reveals that those who consume corpses can teach us a great deal about human nature--and our deepest human fears

Table Of Contents

Introduction: the fear of being eaten -- Sky burial, cyclops and the conqueror worm -- Eating the gods, gods eating men -- Grendel and the ogres -- Ghūls and ghouls -- Asian and Oceanian flesh-eaters and corpse-devourers -- Wendigo -- Human cannibals -- Flesh-eating in popular culture and contemporary reality -- Conclusion: we can't stop eating

Classification