Introduction I. Imagine our class as a rugby team and Mrs. Edwards as our coach as we were flying over the Himalayas for a tournament until our plane suddenly crashes. A. Although we’re most of us survived, we barely have any food to live on. B. Would we have to resort to cannibalism? II. Cannibalism can be defined as any animal or human that eats their own kind. A. But for the sake of my speech, we will focus on humans. B. I know that you may be thinking how on earth I arrived to this topic or whether or not to hang around me but I consider cannibalism to be an interesting topic. III. There are various ways cannibalism has been regarded today. A. Cannibalism has been regarded as a strong aspect of pre-historical cultures around the world. B. Cannibalism has been a prevailing conflict in today’s moral society. C. Cannibalism has also been used as a means of survival. IV. Although I haven’t eaten anyone…yet, I have consulted various databases for my topic. A. I have printed information off reliable websites. B. I have delved into two books by other enthused cannibal experts. C. I have also used Ebsco to find current articles on this hot topic. V. Today I will present you my information in a topical format which is divided into subtopics. A. We will first see how cannibalism has been prevalent in historical cultures. B. We will then examine modern day cannibalism as justification for psychopathic actions. C. And finally, we will see how cannibalism has been used as a means of survival.

(Transition: Let us first look at cannibalism’s influence in prehistoric cultures.)

Body I. Cannibalism has etched its mark in many cultures around the world. A. The oldest evidence of cannibalism among Neanderthals was found in sites in the French cave Ardeche in southeastern France. 1. Neanderthals are cousins of modern human beings who lived in Europe 125,000 to 30,000 years ago who practiced cannibalism. 2. The bones of six Neanderthals were found dismembered and were suggested not for ritual but to be eaten instead. B. Aztec Indian culture around the 1540’s also suggests cannibalism integrated into culture. 1. Described by Peggy Reeves Sanday in her book Divine Hunger, As many as 15,000 people were sacrificed and feasted upon each year at the great Aztec Temple Tenochtitlan. 2. The motives to these rituals included feasting especially on the human heart was a means of gaining strength and immortality. 3. Other factors to cannibalism included cold winters, drought famine, competition among Indian groups. C. Cannibalism once took center stage in funeral practices in New Guinea. 1. Partial consumption of dead relatives was a profound gesture of ritual solidarity and magical continuance. a. Finger and jaw bones of relatives were consumed for supernatural communication. b. Flesh of deceased was thought suitable for invalids.

(Transition: Now that we know cannibalism’s presence in primitive cultures, let’s look at cannibalism as a means for modern-day psychopathic actions.)

II. I will focus on two pivotal cannibals in modern society. A. The more recent and famous cannibal is the well-known Jeffrey Dahmer. 1. At the age of 16, Dahmer’s cannibalistic behavior begun with his interest in chemistry and in torturing and dismembering animals. 2. After committing around 17 murders, he was considered a cannibal because of how he consumed flesh and blood 3. Others do not consider him a cannibal because he only “tasted” flesh a few times. B. Alfred Packer is a lesser known cannibal but is well known for his works in the Colorado mining industry in the 1870’s. 1. Packer worked as a guide for prospecting trip into the San Juan Mountains in Colorado. 2. Packer and five others ventured far into the mountains during the winter and he later mysteriously came out alone. 3. Later evidence reveals Indian findings of mangled flesh of a human one of the five men. 4. Although Packer claimed to only kill one of the five men in self-defense, and eventually resorting to survival via cannibalism, this story is still unclear of what happened to the five men.

(Transition: Packer’s motive for cannibalism as a means for survival touches on my last subtopic on how cannibalism works as a means of survival.)

I. Cannibalism seems necessary when discussing the famous Andes Survivors. A. These survivors were Uraguayan rugby players who were flying to Chile when their plane crashed in the Andes. B. Forced to survive for 72 days, they resorted to cannibalism as a means to stay alive. C. After the 72 days, 16 of the rugby players were rescued. D. The survivors were not despised by society but society was in complete awe that a movie was based on their heroic struggle entitled Alive! The Andes Survivors.

Conclusion I. On a closing note, I hope my speech did not convert anyone into a cannibal or start any gossip; “Pete’s a cannibal!” I simply hope you are now more informed on how cannibalism played roles in culture, modern-day psychopaths, and as a “justified” means of survival. II. Because if you were stuck in plane crash in the Himalayas, would you resort to cannibalism?

Brockman, Jason; McDanal, Erin. “Colorado State Archives: Alfred Packer.” 13 Sept 2000 [last updated]. <http://www.archives.state.co.us/packer.html> 1996.

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User Comments

triad 2002-08-23 10:00AM
	Until recently where I was expose to cannibalism as a class project, I only thought of it as completely abhorrent. Your outline reflects some of which I had been considering. I was just thinking of what happens to ones mental state in the face of starvation and how that would rate in a court room defense for cannibalism.

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