Was there ever a period in history in which cannibalism was popular or normal?

Not that I’m aware of. True, it was practiced at different times and places, but it was always a very local phenomenon, usually practiced by primative tribes in relative isolation. Where it continued for relatively long periods of time, it was usually because of some associated belief, such as that eating a defeated enemy’s heart would transfer his courage to you.

I don’t know about a sign of madness. It was believed by those who did not practice cannibalism that they had a moral superiority over cannibals.

Many native American tribes practiced cannibalism.

Texas had a tribe called the Karankawas. Now some people insist they were not cannibals, but this classification pisses off jlelandg because ritual practicing of cannibalism to gain strength from captured combatants is still cannibalism, just like if you have gay sex once in awhile with gay men you are still gay.

Yes, and quite recently. The Fore tribe of Papua New Guinea practised cannibalism until the 1950’s. It caused a disease called kuru, which is similar to ‘mad cow’ disease.

I believe there is evidence Neanderthals may have.

Cannibalism is condemned or normalized according to cultural groups. It is condemned by a large number of social groups, but I don’t think it has ever been universally condemned. Even groups that consider cannibalism abhorrent may practice it technically on occasion.

An Amazonian tribe in the past mixed the ashes of their dead into a drink and drank them to symbolically take a part of their loved ones into themselves. Various groups have eaten fallen enemies to absord their power or as a demonstration of their power over enemies. Forensics have shown stoneage humans in the British Isles practiced cannibalism at least some of the time, as did a tribe of ancient Native America Indians that died out long before Europeans came (the Anasazi I think). Various ancient religious groups consumed human flesh ritually including the cult of Bacchus and Dionysus who did so in a pre-Christian communion with the understanding that they were consuming the flesh of their god. Today some people cook and eat the placenta after the birth of the baby.

Cannibalism was also a part of medicine in various parts of the world. Old school homeopathy called for treatment like the disease so foot pain might be treated with powdered foot. At one point during the Crusades Europeans sent back the remains of their dead enemies as Turk-Jerky to be consumed for medical purposes. The Chinese used to think eating the flesh of people who spent the last days of their lives eating nothing but honey and stored in honey for 100 years was just about the best cure ever.

Source: My anthropology class and A Short History of Christian Theophagy.

@fundevogel That’s very interesting, though the Pueblo tribes who are descendants of the Anasazi will resoundingly deny that their ancestors were the cannibals. One preferred theory being that the invading Toltecs brought the practice to them. Apparently one foolproof method of gaining proper awe and respect from the people you defeat is to cook and eat a few of them.

@Blueroses Yep, they did flip out and deny it. However it’s one of the more iron clad cases. Archeologists found a crushed, scorched human skull in a hearth and a human coprolite (fossilized poo) containing proteins (or was it enzymes?) that could have only gotten there by digesting human flesh.

I don’t really see what the big deal is. Every time I’ve met a descendant of Donner party survivors, yes it has happened more than once, they automatically insist that their great, great whatever wasn’t one of the people that ate people. I’m not overly concerned with what happens to dead bodies, just how they got to be dead bodies. Cannibalism does not necessarily indicate violence or murder.