The Purple People Eaters Trivia Quiz

Answer: Anthropophagy

Cannibalism is the practice of one human or group of humans consuming all or part of another human or humans. It has been practised by many cultures throughout history, often with devastating results. There is even one theory that the Neanderthals as a race of people weren't bred out of existence by intermarrying with our modern ancestors, but because our modern ancestors ate them.

Answer: The Carib people of the Lesser Antilles

Cannibalism is derived from the Spanish word "canibales" which was that nation's name for the Carib people of the West Indies, or, as we know it today, as the Lesser Antilles. When the Spaniards first arrived in that area of the world, the Caribs were the most powerful race of people there. Reports sent back by the Spaniards to their rulers in Spain were that the Caribs practiced cannibalism, and hence were given that delightful name.

Answer: True

Oh that's so disgusting. Chopping up people into hunks of flesh and selling them at markets like they were bunches of bananas. Melanesia, roughly speaking, comprises the countries of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, New Caledonia and Maluku Islands. The flesh markets were so prevalent in these areas that, for quite some time, they were known as the Cannibal Isles.

Answer: When that person had died

Consuming a person from one's own tribe was known as endocannibalism. Consuming anyone from an external tribe was known as exocannibalism. Eating one's dead aunt or uncle or any member of one's tribe was looked upon as part of the grieving process, and helped the soul move from its dead, munched-upon body into the body of a living family member.

Answer: Necro-cannibalism

If, however, a living person was killed for the purposes of consumption, that is known as homicidal cannibalism. If you care to read up on the horrifying story of the Donner Party cannibalism in 1846-1847 in the United States, you will see cases of both necro- and homicidal cannibalism in that terrible tale. That wasn't a one-off incident though.

There have been other cases of modern man eating his companions under similar dire circumstances.

Answer: Ethiopia

Scientists searching for clues in various African sites, in their determination to prove that we are descended from apes, have frequently come across evidence of human bones that have been systematically de-fleshed by other humans. The oldest record so far of this ghastly practice being carried out has been found in Ethiopia, and is cited as proof that cannibalism was a part of everyday life at least 600,000 years ago.

Answer: Roman

Instead of taking them by force, the Romans occasionally laid siege to defiant cities or cultures, and calmly waited outside the walls of the cities, blocking all access in and out, until the inhabitants either surrendered, or committed suicide, or resorted to cannibalism in their attempts to stave off death. Death at their own hands or death at the hands of the Romans was a lose-lose situation no matter which way they went.

This is discussed in various annals of the times, by St Jerome and others.

Answer: The Crusaders

This is a topic that is hotly debated because of lack of any definite evidence. However it is claimed by authors such as Amin Maalouf that the Crusaders not infrequently resorted to cannibalism during their long march to Jerusalem, and were said to feed on the bodies of their slain enemies at other times. Lack of evidence for this outrageous claim is said to be because the church had deleted all records of same, but one imagines the church wouldn't have kept any such records in the first place, IF indeed any existed at all.

It smacks more like hogwash than anything else.

Answer: Tang

The Tang dynasty lasted from approximately 620 to 900 AD. During its era, rebel forces opposed to its rule were said to openly practice cannibalism by raiding nearby villages for dinner, or to eat the hearts and livers of enemies as punishment.

Answer: They lacked protein in their diets

There is on ongoing debate between anthropologists, scholars and writers over this matter. One group claims cannibalism was carried out for ritual purposes only. Another claims that it was carried out as a form of revenge during periods of war only - while a third camps claims that it was practised widely because Aztecs lacked protein in their daily diet.