Kuru, is a prion disease, which has ultimately been determined to have been caused by cannibalism. This epidemic took place among the Fore people of Papua, New Guinea. Anthropological research was essential in the discovery of the causes of this disease because they aided in the discovery that cannibalism was the cause, as well learning about kuru also helped gain a vast amount of knowledge about prion diseaseses.
Kuru relates to mad cow disease or BSE in that they are both prion diseases. Prion diseases cause many different degenerative neurological diseases that may be “infectious, inherited or sporadic in origin”. The sporadic forms are caused by unknown forms, while the inherited forms are caused by mutations of the human PrP gene. Lastly the infectious forms are caused and transmitted through contact or consumption of tissues that have been previously infected. This then shows another similarity between mad cow disease and kuru. Kuru is transmitted through cannabilism, the consumption of infected human tissue. Meanwhile, mad cow disease is also transmitted through consumption of infected tissue, however through the tissue of cows.
When reading this article I realized that know reason as to why the Fore people of New Guinea took part in cannibalism was given. I would like to have been given some emic information, not just comparisons between Kuru and other prion diseases. I wonder if cannibalism to them is in someway a symbol? Does their action of cannibalism some how stand for something else? Is it a sprititual act? I think a little background information would have been more helpful in understanding the situation of the Fore people of New Guinea, although of course reading strictly about the Kuru disease was also very interesting.
So people are getting diseases from eating other people? This seems like a serious issue, as I obviously do not agree with cannibalism. I agree with you that it would be interesting to know why the people engaged in cannibalism.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I think in class Mr. Thrift was saying that the women were predominantly the ones eating the flesh of dead relatives. It's too bad when these things happen that could have been utterly avoided.
ReplyDeleteHey there, I'm actually writing my thesis about cannibalism and I somehow came across to your blog. And although a bit late, I may be able to give an answer to your question.
ReplyDeleteThe reason why Fore people practiced cannibalism was pretty spiritual. They believed that eating their dead was a way to honor them for one last time. Probably they assumed their spirit would live on them or something. Like early hunter-gatherers in history when they hunted an animal everyone ate the organ that they think themselves lacked. Like the one who wants to run faster eating the lungs and the brave one eating the heart to be braver and so on.
So it was not like "mmm munchies, I want my father's flesh" but more like "You are gone physically, but when I eat you our spirits will rejoice" kind of way.
Hope that was good enough!