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History of Cannibalism
When the first Europeans arrived on the history, legends and customs, offers much more
shores of Vanuatu in 1606, the islands than just a tropical island getaway. The best
were inhabited by tribes that commonly prac- pieces were considered the head, the thighs and
ticed cannibalism. In 1839 the first two British the buttocks. When asked why did the popula-
missionaries from the London Missionary Society tion eat missionaries and white people, the
arrived in Erromango Island and were promptly answer was pure vengeance for the white slave
killed and eaten. Most anthropologists agree that traders that came first and kidnapped local boys
Vanuatu’s last Kakae Man (or victim of cannibal- and men by the hundreds. When the missionar-
ism) went into the big Nambas ground oven on ies turned up later on, they were usually killed
Malaleuka Island in 1969, however there are also off and eaten immediately. The place where
unconfirmed reports of cannibalism in Efate as they cooked their victims is called “nakamal”. The
late as 1987. Most cannibalism was a result of recipe for cooking someone was simple. After
tribal warfare, though missionaries also made the victim had been clubbed to death, arms
it to the table. Some tribes believed consuming and legs were cut up in pieces, and everything
human flesh would give them magical powers, put in an earth oven furnished with palm and
others just enjoyed the taste. White folk, ap- banana leaves. There, the meat was cooked until
parently, weren’t considered a delicacy, as they it was done. The nakamal was used for sacrificing
tasted too salty. humans from time immemorial, up until for just a
few decades ago.
In present time, throughout Vanuatu, cannibal-
ism is long gone and the locals are anything
but hostile. Indeed, Vanuatu with all its colorful
