The Beginning Was the End
Encyclopedia
The Beginning Was the End is a 1971 pseudo-scientific
book written by Oscar Kiss Maerth
that claims that humankind evolved from cannibalistic
apes. Its premise:
It has been translated into eight languages.
produces an aphrodisiac
effect (presumably due to the vast amount of hormones in it), and that this initially caused apes to become addicted
to them, organizing brain hunts wherein the males of another tribe were eaten and the females raped in a frenzy of brain-induced sex
and violence
. However, this diet also inadvertently increased brain size and intelligence
while triggering the loss both of body hair and of our innate psychic abilities. Thus man gradually came into being, remaining cannibalistic until 50,000 years ago. Modern humans, alienated
from their surroundings now that they've no telepathic contact with nature and each other as animals do, suffering from a distorted sexuality
resulting from hormonal imbalances, and driven insane from the constant pressure of their unnaturally large brains pressing on the inside of their skulls, are inevitably destroying themselves with pollution
, overpopulation
, racial integration
and ultimately, nuclear war
. He foresees a return to cannibalism in the near future, and suggests that the reader should drop out of society, embrace a vegetarian diet, steep himself in the wisdom of the East and perhaps employ various wooden frames and wire devices to alter the shape of his skull as some ancient cultures did, thus relieving the pressure on the brain and partially restoring psychic powers.
and African) to apes. He says that blacks have smaller brains than whites and that contemporary cannibal tribes are seeking to remedy this discrepancy by consuming brains in a frantic attempt to catch up, though he estimates that it would take them roughly 100,000 years to do so.
band Devo
, with the founding members noting the connection between its subject matter and the concept of "de-evolution" which is central to the band's message. Bassist/synth player/vocalist Gerald V. Casale
claimed, "It's a better story than the Bible
as far as DEVO's concerned." The cover of the 1989 album Now It Can Be Told
is based on the cover of the US paperback edition.
In the early 2000s, Devo attempted to have the book reprinted with an introduction by them. This met with no success.
The book is now quite collectable.
Pseudoscience
Pseudoscience is a claim, belief, or practice which is presented as scientific, but which does not adhere to a valid scientific method, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, cannot be reliably tested, or otherwise lacks scientific status...
book written by Oscar Kiss Maerth
Oscar Kiss Maerth
Oscar Kiss Maerth was born in what was then Hungary but what was, in 1974, Yugoslavia.He was the author of The Beginning Was the End , a pseudo-scientific book written in a Chinese monastery that claimed modern man devolved from a species of brain-eating apes...
that claims that humankind evolved from cannibalistic
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
apes. Its premise:
Publication
It was first published in Germany as Der Anfang war das Ende – Der Mensch entstand durch Kannibalismus (Econ Verlag GmbH, Düsseldorf und Wien, 1971), then translated by Judith Hayward and published in Great Britain by Michael Joseph, Ltd, 1973 and re-issued by Sphere Books, Ltd, London in 1974, ISBN 0-7221-5712-6.It has been translated into eight languages.
Synopsis
Maerth asserted that the eating of brainBrain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
produces an aphrodisiac
Aphrodisiac
An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire. The name comes from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sexuality and love. Throughout history, many foods, drinks, and behaviors have had a reputation for making sex more attainable and/or pleasurable...
effect (presumably due to the vast amount of hormones in it), and that this initially caused apes to become addicted
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
to them, organizing brain hunts wherein the males of another tribe were eaten and the females raped in a frenzy of brain-induced sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
and violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
. However, this diet also inadvertently increased brain size and intelligence
Intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
while triggering the loss both of body hair and of our innate psychic abilities. Thus man gradually came into being, remaining cannibalistic until 50,000 years ago. Modern humans, alienated
Social alienation
The term social alienation has many discipline-specific uses; Roberts notes how even within the social sciences, it “is used to refer both to a personal psychological state and to a type of social relationship”...
from their surroundings now that they've no telepathic contact with nature and each other as animals do, suffering from a distorted sexuality
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
resulting from hormonal imbalances, and driven insane from the constant pressure of their unnaturally large brains pressing on the inside of their skulls, are inevitably destroying themselves with pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
, overpopulation
Overpopulation
Overpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. The term often refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth...
, racial integration
Racial integration
Racial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation . In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely...
and ultimately, nuclear war
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
. He foresees a return to cannibalism in the near future, and suggests that the reader should drop out of society, embrace a vegetarian diet, steep himself in the wisdom of the East and perhaps employ various wooden frames and wire devices to alter the shape of his skull as some ancient cultures did, thus relieving the pressure on the brain and partially restoring psychic powers.
Criticism
The book contains no references whatsoever, based alternately on alleged conversations with present-day cannibals, the eating of ape brain by the author and religious prophecy. Many parts have been deemed by some as being outright racist, particularly the photographic plates comparing various ethnic faces (primarily ArabArab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
and African) to apes. He says that blacks have smaller brains than whites and that contemporary cannibal tribes are seeking to remedy this discrepancy by consuming brains in a frantic attempt to catch up, though he estimates that it would take them roughly 100,000 years to do so.
Influences
The book was influential on new waveNew Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
, with the founding members noting the connection between its subject matter and the concept of "de-evolution" which is central to the band's message. Bassist/synth player/vocalist Gerald V. Casale
Gerald Casale
Gerald Vincent Casale , often known as Jerry Casale, is a vocalist, bass guitar/synthesizer player, and a founding member of the new wave band Devo...
claimed, "It's a better story than the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
as far as DEVO's concerned." The cover of the 1989 album Now It Can Be Told
Now It Can Be Told: DEVO at the Palace
Now It Can Be Told: DEVO at the Palace is a live album released by American New Wave band Devo, recorded during their "comeback tour" in promotion of the Total Devo album. It did contain several cuts from the album, but largely focused on earlier material...
is based on the cover of the US paperback edition.
In the early 2000s, Devo attempted to have the book reprinted with an introduction by them. This met with no success.
The book is now quite collectable.
See also
- PolygenismPolygenismPolygenism is a theory of human origins positing that the human races are of different lineages . This is opposite to the idea of monogenism, which posits a single origin of humanity.- Origins :...
- Devolution (biology)
- TrepanationTrepanationTrepanning, also known as trephination, trephining or making a burr hole, is a surgical intervention in which a hole is drilled or scraped into the human skull, exposing the dura mater in order to treat health problems related to intracranial diseases. It may also refer to any "burr" hole created...
- Artificial cranial deformationArtificial cranial deformationArtificial cranial deformation, head flattening, or head binding is a form of permanent body alteration in which the skull of a human being is intentionally deformed. It is done by distorting the normal growth of a child's skull by applying force...
- LamarckismLamarckismLamarckism is the idea that an organism can pass on characteristics that it acquired during its lifetime to its offspring . It is named after the French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck , who incorporated the action of soft inheritance into his evolutionary theories...
- Monkey brains (cuisine)
- Robert EislerRobert EislerRobert Eisler was an Austrian Jewish art historian and Biblical scholar. He was a follower of the psychology of Carl Jung. His writings cover a great range of topics, from cosmic kingship and astrology to werewolves....
- Stanisław Szukalski