Cannibalism In Greek Mythology

Cannibalism is one of the strongest food taboos instilled in modern western culture. Today, people all over the world face the idea of cannibalism with derision and claims of “I would never do that!” For example, people viewed the case of Austin Harrouff, a college student from Florida who recently killed an elderly couple and was found “biting the face of the male victim,” with fear and disgust (Newsome). Although the motive for the attack was not known, Austin became someone many people viewed as a non-human monster, and there were claims from several news agencies that he begged for police to kill him when he realized what he had done (Staff). The innate wrongness of eating another human is very deeply ingrained in our culture, however for …show more content…
The foremost explanation is that cannibalism myths were used to underscore important values in the Greek community. For example, the myths of Cronus, Tantalus, and Polyphemus reveal not only religious beliefs but also social ones. Many people are aware of the story of the Titan god Cronus, father of Zeus, who swallowed his children because he learned that “one of his children was destined someday to dethrone him” (). Zeus, however was spared, as his mother Rhea hid him away in Crete while giving Cronus a rock disguised as a baby that he swallowed instead. Zeus eventually returned to avenge his father for his terrible deeds and in turn fulfilled the prophesy. This myth is a main part of the Greeks creation story and was believed as historical truth by them, laying down an explanation for the foundations of civilization and they Olympian gods. Cronus and the other Titans are otherworldly monsters, Cronus’ cannibalistic behavior reinforcing this idea. Most likely, Greeks based this story from the claims and knowledge of cannibalism in the Bronze Age and used these stories as a standard to hold themselves up as a more civilized and advanced group. This is also expressed through known Greek opinions of the times, the cultures who practiced cannibalism as barbaric and not worthy of their attention. Through the myth of Tantalus, the Greeks expounded on the idea of the …show more content…
From the suitors feasting without end on Odysseus’ food to his men slaughtering the sun god’s cattle, food plays a main role in the narrative arc, however the only cannibal in the epic is Polyphemus the cyclops. Trapping Odysseus and his men in his cave he slaughters one each night for dinner, eating the sailors alive and whole with no remorse for his actions. Not only is this a horrific act, but it underlines the very important social expectation of treating guests and strangers with respect and honor. Odysseus, although with the intention of harm, presents Polyphemus with a gift of wine, an example of a positive guest relation. It is also important to note that Polyphemus is a cyclops, a monster, and not a man, underscoring the episode with the subtle claim that only a monster could treat his guest with such disrespect and barbarism. In this way, cannibalistic stories are offered as a social teaching tool as well to show progress and reverence as previously seen. There are countless other mythological Greek stories involving cannibalism that highlight these themes or propose new ones highlighting correct behavior. All in all, Greeks viewed cannibalistic activity in a similar way we do now, as something disgusting, animalistic, and archaic even though it was a practice very loosely practiced in their far past and not something they experienced