Is cannibalism (or rather, eating the flesh of sentient beings) inherently evil?

[CanadienneBacon]

Hey, now, no picking on me please. I said it wasn't evil. I said it depends on the individual's cultural context. It's just not for me, that's all...my cultural context finds in disturbing and repulsive and I wouldn't want to be around it. That's why I'm not a social anthropologist. I don't find it close-minded to admit that something is not to my taste while simultaneously stating that it all depends on culture.

That is a good book, isn't it? I'm not an overall R.H. fan, but that particular book was interesting.

 

[mmu1]

If your culture says dead bodies deserve no special respect, would you argue it's not evil for you to rob graves?

Unless you get express permission, it's a disgusting violation of most burial customs... Hell, even if you get the permission, it's not without some major moral problems - try explaining to someone's kid that their father was killed, and then eaten as a sign of respect because he agreed to it... Bleh.

 

[Camarath]

IMO it would depend on why you want to eat them. If consuming someone is a sign of respect for their power and an attempt to symbolically integrate that which was good about them into your self I wouldn't think it would be an evil act (might even be a good act). If eating someone is a way of humiliating, ritualy dominating, or stealing the power or souls of those you consume then it would be evil. If cannibalism is about food and not wasting the available resources then IMO it would be a neutral act.

 

[William Ronald]

I think this largely depends on a cultural context, and the dictates of a deity. This may well be just a cultural belief, otherwise Kord worshippers might find themselves under strong social prejudice. This may be a major problem for such a character.

The belief that eating an enemy's heart or other parts of his body to benefit from his strength, cunning or other attributes is a very ancient one. The Romans, as I recall from my studies, reported such practices among some of the ancient Britons.

It might not be considered an evil act by Kord to eat an enemy that one has slain if the attack was not made with the intent to partake of an enemy's strength. However, the absolute prohibition was probably established in the halfling's culture to avoid any confusion over intent. Possibly they might have some ceremony for an honorable or respected enemy. (Perhaps a special burial rite, or a funeral pyre.)

I would recommend The Golden Bough by Sir James Frazer for a study on the folklore and practices of many cultures.

 

[randcortin]

The beliefs of the Tribe do not reflect all followers of Kord. It is a cultural thing.

The Tribe does not steal corpses or get them by duplicious means. Most of the corpses are that of the Tribe, those who give permission to the tribe (like my character just asked the Paladin to do), those the tribe find unclaimed in their travels (like if bandits or somebody killed a caravan) or those scavenged from the battlegrounds of war.

 

[clark411]

Cannibals rise from the dead as Ghouls and Ghasts.. so they must be evil! Everyone knows that!

Erm, well that's at least one way to interpret it. Without any kind of campaign reinforcement of it being evil, it isn't necessarily- although it definitely isn't in the good category to kill someone cause yer hungry. Natural neutral at best.. although I doubt most good gods would promote the idea of killing and eating potential worshippers- so it may slide into the "Gods dislike it" neutral.

 

[Camarath]

If your culture says dead bodies deserve no special respect, would you argue it's not evil for you to rob graves?

Unless you get express permission, it's a disgusting violation of most burial customs... Hell, even if you get the permission, it's not without some major moral problems - try explaining to someone's kid that their father was killed, and then eaten as a sign of respect because he agreed to it... Bleh.

Son, your father is dead but as long as those who love him partake of his essence he will always be there to guide us with his wisdom, bolster us with his strength, protect us with his loyalty and warm us with his love. We do this to honor your father as the great man he was so great that we can not bear to be apart from him. He will live inside our hearts and the hearts of our descendants forever. May the fire of his soul burn in us all, just as the fires of our ancestors burned in him, so that our people might remain strong and our light might never go out. Without our strength the cold of night will close over all the earth. You, child, now hold the responsibilities and duties of your father inside you. You must honor him and not fail in your duty to your ancestors. You are not alone. You have the strength of your father and all our people inside you. They will strengthen you when you are weak, comfort you when you are filled with sorrow, and sustain you when you have nothing else. Eat little one so that you will not lose your father to the darkness but bring him into your self so he might never be lost.

There, that is my best attempt at explaining cannibalism to a child who's father is about to be consumed. Cultures vary so I am assuming one supportive of "positive" cannibalism.

 

[randcortin]

The Tribe doesn't kill people and eat them, they wait till someone (or something) else kills them, THEN eats them. They never eat anyone they kill, for any reason. If the Orc tribe raids a farmstead and kill everyone, and the Tribe kills the Orcs before they leave, then they will eat the Farmsteaders, but not the Orcs.

 

[William Ronald]

randcortin,

I understood the tribes's custom perfectly well. (Not eating those whom one has killed.) I was merely elaborating on some of the reasons why historical cultures have practiced ritual cannibalism. Of course, the example of a tribe of Kord worshippers who eat their dead enemies (with some strictures) might be a dilemma for your character. Also, the question on what the character's tribe does with the bodies of respected enemies is a legitimate question. Indeed, in many historic cultures, it was considered a great matter for a warrior to defeat an honorable or respected enemy.

 

[PowerWordDumb]

Not if it's tasty it isn't. Aren't humans supposed to taste like bacon, or really good pork? I wonder what elves would taste like - quail?