Anthropophagi
Encyclopedia
An anthropophage or anthropophagus (from , "people-eater", plural anthropophagi) was a member of a mythical race of cannibals described first by Herodotus
in his Histories
as androphagi ("man-eaters"), and later by other authors, including the playwright William Shakespeare
. The word first appears in English
around 1552.
In popular culture, the anthropophagus is sometimes depicted as a being without a head, but instead have their faces on the torso
. This may be a misinterpretation based on Shakespeare's writings in Othello
, where the anthropophagi are mistaken to be described by the immediate following line, "and men whose heads do grow beneath their shoulders." In reality, the line actually refers to a separate, different race of mythical beings known as the Blemmyes
, who are indeed said to have no head, and have their facial features on the chest.
Herodotus first wrote of andropophagi in his Histories, where he described them as one of several tribes near Scythia
. An extra note indicates that the andropophagi are cannibals, as reflected in their name:
Pliny the Elder
later wrote in his Naturalis Historia
that the same cannibals near Scythia wore the scalp
s of men on their chest.
's Othello
:
Shakespeare makes yet another reference to the cannibalist anthropophagus in the Merry Wives of Windsor:
American novelist Rick Yancey
incorporates and expands the myths of the Anthropophagi in his 2010 release The Monstrumologist
. The Anthropophagi are imported from their native Africa to 19th century New England where the infestation of huge, headless, bloodthirsty carnivores must be eradicated by the title character and his young assistant. In Rick Yancey's description of the Anthropophagi the thing is very tall and has huge hands that are about the size of a human skull, with rows of shark-like teeth. Like many pop culture references, it has no head and instead has a face on its chest. Its eyes are black, and it has flawless white skin. Winner of the 2010 Michael L. Printz Honor Award for excellence in young adult literature. Since then he has written a sequel.
Herodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
in his Histories
Histories (Herodotus)
The Histories of Herodotus is considered one of the seminal works of history in Western literature. Written from the 450s to the 420s BC in the Ionic dialect of classical Greek, The Histories serves as a record of the ancient traditions, politics, geography, and clashes of various cultures that...
as androphagi ("man-eaters"), and later by other authors, including the playwright William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
. The word first appears in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
around 1552.
In popular culture, the anthropophagus is sometimes depicted as a being without a head, but instead have their faces on the torso
Torso
Trunk or torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies from which extend the neck and limbs. The trunk includes the thorax and abdomen.-Major organs:...
. This may be a misinterpretation based on Shakespeare's writings in Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
, where the anthropophagi are mistaken to be described by the immediate following line, "and men whose heads do grow beneath their shoulders." In reality, the line actually refers to a separate, different race of mythical beings known as the Blemmyes
Blemmyes (legendary creatures)
The Blemmyes was a tribe which became fictionalized as a race of creatures believed to be acephalous monsters who had eyes and mouths on their chest. Pliny the Elder writes of them that Blemmyes traduntur capita abesse, ore et oculis pectore adfixis...
, who are indeed said to have no head, and have their facial features on the chest.
Accounts
People spell this creature's name in several different ways, 'anthropophagi' or 'anthropophage' being two examples.Herodotus first wrote of andropophagi in his Histories, where he described them as one of several tribes near Scythia
Scythia
In antiquity, Scythian or Scyths were terms used by the Greeks to refer to certain Iranian groups of horse-riding nomadic pastoralists who dwelt on the Pontic-Caspian steppe...
. An extra note indicates that the andropophagi are cannibals, as reflected in their name:
Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
later wrote in his Naturalis Historia
Naturalis Historia
The Natural History is an encyclopedia published circa AD 77–79 by Pliny the Elder. It is one of the largest single works to have survived from the Roman Empire to the modern day and purports to cover the entire field of ancient knowledge, based on the best authorities available to Pliny...
that the same cannibals near Scythia wore the scalp
Scalp
The scalp is the anatomical area bordered by the face anteriorly and the neck to the sides and posteriorly.-Layers:It is usually described as having five layers, which can conveniently be remembered as a mnemonic:...
s of men on their chest.
In literature
It is likely that the ancient Greek account influenced later writers. The most famous usage appears in William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
:
Shakespeare makes yet another reference to the cannibalist anthropophagus in the Merry Wives of Windsor:
American novelist Rick Yancey
Rick Yancey
Rick Yancey is an American novelist, formerly an Internal Revenue Service tax collector.-Biography:His Alfred Kropp series begins with The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, which was named a Best Book for Children by Publishers Weekly and was a finalist for the Carnegie Medal for 2005.. ...
incorporates and expands the myths of the Anthropophagi in his 2010 release The Monstrumologist
The Monstrumologist
The Monstrumologist is a young adult horror novel by Rick Yancey. It received the 2010 Michael L. Printz Honor Award for excellence in young adult literature.-Plot summary:Folio one...
. The Anthropophagi are imported from their native Africa to 19th century New England where the infestation of huge, headless, bloodthirsty carnivores must be eradicated by the title character and his young assistant. In Rick Yancey's description of the Anthropophagi the thing is very tall and has huge hands that are about the size of a human skull, with rows of shark-like teeth. Like many pop culture references, it has no head and instead has a face on its chest. Its eyes are black, and it has flawless white skin. Winner of the 2010 Michael L. Printz Honor Award for excellence in young adult literature. Since then he has written a sequel.