Comments on: St. John USVI History: Cannibalism in the Caribbean http://seestjohn.com/st_john_life/virgin-islands/st-john-usvi-history-cannibalism-in-the-caribbean/ All about St John, Virgin Islands (USVI) Tue, 22 May 2012 11:04:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Leighann Garber http://seestjohn.com/st_john_life/virgin-islands/st-john-usvi-history-cannibalism-in-the-caribbean/comment-page-1/#comment-364 Leighann Garber Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:19:14 +0000 http://seestjohn.com/st_john_life/?p=995#comment-364 Thank you. I have just finished reading Robinson Crusoe with my son, and was quite puzzled that all the natives around his Caribbean island were cannibals. Not to mention the 300 ravenous wolves and bears in the Pyrenees, plus Friday's knowledge of how to kill a bear. I know Defoe was working with limited knowledge in the 1700's, and more concerned about his moral story than being factual about the place he was supposedly describing. I've read a couple places that Columbus and sailors before him started the cannibalism rumor to justify enslaving and killing the natives, which certainly makes more sense to me. Thank you. I have just finished reading Robinson Crusoe with my son, and was quite puzzled that all the natives around his Caribbean island were cannibals. Not to mention the 300 ravenous wolves and bears in the Pyrenees, plus Friday’s knowledge of how to kill a bear.

I know Defoe was working with limited knowledge in the 1700′s, and more concerned about his moral story than being factual about the place he was supposedly describing.

I’ve read a couple places that Columbus and sailors before him started the cannibalism rumor to justify enslaving and killing the natives, which certainly makes more sense to me.

]]> By: Kristen http://seestjohn.com/st_john_life/virgin-islands/st-john-usvi-history-cannibalism-in-the-caribbean/comment-page-1/#comment-141 Kristen Mon, 04 May 2009 22:40:37 +0000 http://seestjohn.com/st_john_life/?p=995#comment-141 Wow! Very interesting article. It is true that many ancient cultures practiced cannibalism. I just read a book about early Native Americans by George Feldman called <a href="http://www.historynerds.com/" rel="nofollow">Cannibalism</a>, Headhunting and Human Sacrifice in North America. Because of its more squeamish topic, this very in depth book covers on a topic all too often avoided by most people. I look at it more as a singularly important addition to Native American history reference shelves. Wow! Very interesting article. It is true that many ancient cultures practiced cannibalism. I just read a book about early Native Americans by George Feldman called Cannibalism, Headhunting and Human Sacrifice in North America. Because of its more squeamish topic, this very in depth book covers on a topic all too often avoided by most people. I look at it more as a singularly important addition to Native American history reference shelves.

]]> By: Timothy Falconer http://seestjohn.com/st_john_life/virgin-islands/st-john-usvi-history-cannibalism-in-the-caribbean/comment-page-1/#comment-128 Timothy Falconer Sat, 25 Apr 2009 03:07:42 +0000 http://seestjohn.com/st_john_life/?p=995#comment-128 Thanks for this. The cannibal stigma is tough to shake. We're hoping to do a pilot with a Carib village on St Vincent, so it's tough to hear this one played out again and again. Just wikipedia'd ... "In 1503, Queen Isabella ruled that only people who were better off under slavery (including cannibals) could legally be taken as slaves. This provided Spaniards an incentive and legalistic pretext for identifying various Amerindian groups as cannibals in order to enslave them and take their lands away from them." Thanks for this. The cannibal stigma is tough to shake. We’re hoping to do a pilot with a Carib village on St Vincent, so it’s tough to hear this one played out again and again. Just wikipedia’d … “In 1503, Queen Isabella ruled that only people who were better off under slavery (including cannibals) could legally be taken as slaves. This provided Spaniards an incentive and legalistic pretext for identifying various Amerindian groups as cannibals in order to enslave them and take their lands away from them.”

]]> By: Daily News About Caribbean : Best links about Caribbean - Thursday, 23 April 2009 05:01 http://seestjohn.com/st_john_life/virgin-islands/st-john-usvi-history-cannibalism-in-the-caribbean/comment-page-1/#comment-126 Daily News About Caribbean : Best links about Caribbean - Thursday, 23 April 2009 05:01 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:02:02 +0000 http://seestjohn.com/st_john_life/?p=995#comment-126 [...] St. John USVI History: Cannibalism in the Caribbean | St. John Life [...] [...] St. John USVI History: Cannibalism in the Caribbean | St. John Life [...]

]]>