Tales of Maori cannibalism told in new book
Tuesday, 05 August 2008
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Maori cannibalism was widespread throughout New Zealand until the mid 1800s but has largely been ignored in history books, says the author of a new book released this week.
Paul Moon said his new book, This Horrid Practice, looked at the Maori tradition of eating each other in what was a particularly violent society before Europeans arrived in New Zealand.
Cannibalism lasted for several hundred years until the 1830s although there were a few isolated cases after that, said Professor Moon, a Pakeha history professor at Te Ara Poutama, the Maori Development Unit at the Auckland University of Technology.
He also said infanticide was also widely practised because tribes wanted men to be warriors and mothers often killed their female daughters by smothering them or pushing a finger through the soft tissue of the skull to kill them immediately.
He said the widespread practice of cannibalism was not a food issue but people were eaten often as part of a post-battle rage. Enemies were often captured and killed later to be eaten or killed because of a minor transgression.
"Rather than disposing of the body it was prepared to be eaten," he said.
Part of the practice was also to send a warning to other tribes.
"One of the arguments is really if you want to punish your enemy killing them is not enough. If you can chop them up and eat them and turn them into excrement that is the greatest humiliation you can impose on them."
Prof Moon said historians often said Maori were not cannibals and based their findings on European standards.
"The amount of evidence is so overwhelming it would be unfair to pretend it didn't happen. It is too important to ignore," said Prof Moon.
The head of the Maori Studies Department at Auckland University, Professor Margaret Mutu, who had not read Prof Moon's book, said cannibalism was widespread throughout New Zealand.
"It was definitely there. It's recorded in all sorts of ways in our histories and traditions, a lot of place names refer to it.
"It was part of our culture."
She said Maori cannibalism was not referred to by many historians because it was counter to English culture.
"You will get your English-based historians who come out of an English culture who don't understand it and avoid it because they don't understand it.
"If you don't understand it you're risking misinterpreting it badly if you try to address it."
Prof Mutu said she knew of no Pakeha historians who knew how to balance parts of the Maori culture they could not see an equivalent to in the English culture.
"If you don't understand the things you are talking about you take one hell of a risk."
She said Prof Moon did not understand the history of cannibalism and it was "very, very hard for a Pakeha to get it right on these things especially when they don't know how to interrogate it from within the culture and interrogating it from within the culture means interrogating it from within the language.
"He is braver than I would be," she said.
- NZPA
Tales of Maori cannibalism told in a new book .
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pantsonfire321@aol.com
- Posts: 2920
- Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2005 8:26 am
Tales of Maori cannibalism told in a new book .
Can go from 0 - to bitch in 3.0 seconds .
Smile people :yh_bigsmi
yep, this bitch bites back .
Smile people :yh_bigsmi
yep, this bitch bites back .
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suzy_creamcheese
- Posts: 135
- Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:15 am
Tales of Maori cannibalism told in a new book .
ooh gruesome!!
glad they dont do it any more
glad they dont do it any more
Tales of Maori cannibalism told in a new book .
I read that after the missionaries arrived, the Maori's came out with a whole new line of food. Cream - of- catholic soup, baked Baptist, pureed protestant and others.
Tales of Maori cannibalism told in a new book .
suzy_creamcheese;944840 wrote: ooh gruesome!!
glad they dont do it any more
Dont be so sure about that, if you know what Im sayin...
glad they dont do it any more
Dont be so sure about that, if you know what Im sayin...
I AM AWESOME MAN
Tales of Maori cannibalism told in a new book .
Obviously none of you have ever seen a six foot (both ways) Maori looking menacingly for a fight? Only an idiot would stick around
Clearly you dont know how big of an idiot I am then !
I AM AWESOME MAN
Tales of Maori cannibalism told in a new book .
fuzzy butt;947979 wrote: It's Okay Nom I've have a fair idea:p
Why I outta !
Why I outta !
I AM AWESOME MAN
Tales of Maori cannibalism told in a new book .
pantsonfire321@aol.com;944807 wrote: Tales of Maori cannibalism told in new book
Tuesday, 05 August 2008
Email a Friend | Printable View | Have Your Say Related Links
Subscribe to Archivestuff
Have your say
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Maori cannibalism was widespread throughout New Zealand until the mid 1800s but has largely been ignored in history books, says the author of a new book released this week.
Paul Moon said his new book, This Horrid Practice, looked at the Maori tradition of eating each other in what was a particularly violent society before Europeans arrived in New Zealand.
Cannibalism lasted for several hundred years until the 1830s although there were a few isolated cases after that, said Professor Moon, a Pakeha history professor at Te Ara Poutama, the Maori Development Unit at the Auckland University of Technology.
He also said infanticide was also widely practised because tribes wanted men to be warriors and mothers often killed their female daughters by smothering them or pushing a finger through the soft tissue of the skull to kill them immediately.
He said the widespread practice of cannibalism was not a food issue but people were eaten often as part of a post-battle rage. Enemies were often captured and killed later to be eaten or killed because of a minor transgression.
"Rather than disposing of the body it was prepared to be eaten," he said.
Part of the practice was also to send a warning to other tribes.
"One of the arguments is really if you want to punish your enemy killing them is not enough. If you can chop them up and eat them and turn them into excrement that is the greatest humiliation you can impose on them."
Prof Moon said historians often said Maori were not cannibals and based their findings on European standards.
"The amount of evidence is so overwhelming it would be unfair to pretend it didn't happen. It is too important to ignore," said Prof Moon.
The head of the Maori Studies Department at Auckland University, Professor Margaret Mutu, who had not read Prof Moon's book, said cannibalism was widespread throughout New Zealand.
"It was definitely there. It's recorded in all sorts of ways in our histories and traditions, a lot of place names refer to it.
"It was part of our culture."
She said Maori cannibalism was not referred to by many historians because it was counter to English culture.
"You will get your English-based historians who come out of an English culture who don't understand it and avoid it because they don't understand it.
"If you don't understand it you're risking misinterpreting it badly if you try to address it."
Prof Mutu said she knew of no Pakeha historians who knew how to balance parts of the Maori culture they could not see an equivalent to in the English culture.
"If you don't understand the things you are talking about you take one hell of a risk."
She said Prof Moon did not understand the history of cannibalism and it was "very, very hard for a Pakeha to get it right on these things especially when they don't know how to interrogate it from within the culture and interrogating it from within the culture means interrogating it from within the language.
"He is braver than I would be," she said.
- NZPA
Sound those who eat their steak Blooded Red / Rare Today !!!
Tuesday, 05 August 2008
Email a Friend | Printable View | Have Your Say Related Links
Subscribe to Archivestuff
Have your say
Advertisement
Maori cannibalism was widespread throughout New Zealand until the mid 1800s but has largely been ignored in history books, says the author of a new book released this week.
Paul Moon said his new book, This Horrid Practice, looked at the Maori tradition of eating each other in what was a particularly violent society before Europeans arrived in New Zealand.
Cannibalism lasted for several hundred years until the 1830s although there were a few isolated cases after that, said Professor Moon, a Pakeha history professor at Te Ara Poutama, the Maori Development Unit at the Auckland University of Technology.
He also said infanticide was also widely practised because tribes wanted men to be warriors and mothers often killed their female daughters by smothering them or pushing a finger through the soft tissue of the skull to kill them immediately.
He said the widespread practice of cannibalism was not a food issue but people were eaten often as part of a post-battle rage. Enemies were often captured and killed later to be eaten or killed because of a minor transgression.
"Rather than disposing of the body it was prepared to be eaten," he said.
Part of the practice was also to send a warning to other tribes.
"One of the arguments is really if you want to punish your enemy killing them is not enough. If you can chop them up and eat them and turn them into excrement that is the greatest humiliation you can impose on them."
Prof Moon said historians often said Maori were not cannibals and based their findings on European standards.
"The amount of evidence is so overwhelming it would be unfair to pretend it didn't happen. It is too important to ignore," said Prof Moon.
The head of the Maori Studies Department at Auckland University, Professor Margaret Mutu, who had not read Prof Moon's book, said cannibalism was widespread throughout New Zealand.
"It was definitely there. It's recorded in all sorts of ways in our histories and traditions, a lot of place names refer to it.
"It was part of our culture."
She said Maori cannibalism was not referred to by many historians because it was counter to English culture.
"You will get your English-based historians who come out of an English culture who don't understand it and avoid it because they don't understand it.
"If you don't understand it you're risking misinterpreting it badly if you try to address it."
Prof Mutu said she knew of no Pakeha historians who knew how to balance parts of the Maori culture they could not see an equivalent to in the English culture.
"If you don't understand the things you are talking about you take one hell of a risk."
She said Prof Moon did not understand the history of cannibalism and it was "very, very hard for a Pakeha to get it right on these things especially when they don't know how to interrogate it from within the culture and interrogating it from within the culture means interrogating it from within the language.
"He is braver than I would be," she said.
- NZPA
Sound those who eat their steak Blooded Red / Rare Today !!!
Never Argue With An Idiot. They Drag You Down To Their Level Then Beat You With Experience.
When An Elder Passes On To Higher Life , Its Like One Of The Library Have Shut Down
To Desire Security Is A Sign Of Insecurity .
It's Not The Things One Knows That Get Him Or Her In Trouble , Its The Things One Knows That Just Isn't So That Get Them In Trouble
When you can control a man's thinking you don't have to worry about his action ...:driving:
When An Elder Passes On To Higher Life , Its Like One Of The Library Have Shut Down
To Desire Security Is A Sign Of Insecurity .
It's Not The Things One Knows That Get Him Or Her In Trouble , Its The Things One Knows That Just Isn't So That Get Them In Trouble
When you can control a man's thinking you don't have to worry about his action ...:driving:
Tales of Maori cannibalism told in a new book .
I like mine so well done its near cremeted, yukky no blood for me:-3
Tales of Maori cannibalism told in a new book .
My wife is a Kiwi from New Zealand and we spend part of each year in New Zealand. I have a number of in laws with Maori blood and the book is true about cannibalism in days gone by. Even today you can see a certain gleam in the eye of some Maori's when they look at you.
The picture is my wife's nephew doing a Haka.
The picture is my wife's nephew doing a Haka.
Tales of Maori cannibalism told in a new book .
So when do they sue to get their land back, build casinos all over the place and start serving their enemies on the buffet?
Tales of Maori cannibalism told in a new book .
Lon;950346 wrote: My wife is a Kiwi from New Zealand and we spend part of each year in New Zealand. I have a number of in laws with Maori blood and the book is true about cannibalism in days gone by. Even today you can see a certain gleam in the eye of some Maori's when they look at you.
The picture is my wife's nephew doing a Haka.
His tongue could feed a family of 8 for a week:D
The picture is my wife's nephew doing a Haka.
His tongue could feed a family of 8 for a week:D