WERE THERE IN ECUADOR COMMUNITIES THAT PRACTICED CANNIBALISM? - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

In Ecuador there were communities that practiced cannibalism, especially in the Chota Valley, the northeastern Amazon region, some sectors of the coast and a wide area between southern Colombia and northern Ecuador.

Within these communities there was the practice of imprisoning enemies of war, fattening them, killing them and browning their bodies over fire, as if they were guinea pigs or other animals. The roasted body would be seasoned with the help of rudimentary tools and would be served at a group banquet as an offering to the gods, in order to obtain a good harvest or generous rains.

The most important cannibal or anthropophagic tribe in Ecuador is the Huaorani. In 1956 the kidnapping of missionary Jim Elliot was recorded along with four other individuals, who were murdered at the hands of this tribe in an attempt to defend it against the colonizers.

The Huaorani tribe is also known as Aucas, and their cultural heritage still lives on in their traditions. This tribe represents the “wild mestizos” that have not yet been evangelized or domesticated, like other indigenous communities in Ecuador that today inhabit urban areas.

Evidence of cannibalism can be seen in Ecuadorian communities in response to attacks by the Spanish at the time of the conquest. Prior to this time, cannibal practices took place solely as a religious or war ritual.

Ecuadorian tribes that have practiced cannibalism the most

The Huaorani

The Huoarani in Ecuador are a tribe that still preserve the native traditions and roots of the mestizo and cannibalistic tribes in America. They are credited with the murder of a group of evangelical missionaries, who in an attempt to bring them the “good news” had to confront their will (Tamere, 2010).

Currently this tribe lives in peace and their violent acts against foreigners are explained, because at the time of the Spanish colony members of their community were kidnapped and turned into slaves, in this way they were removed from the tribe and their relatives believed that they had been cannibalized. The Huoarani learning in this way to defend themselves with violence from the attackers (Curtis, 2014).

The quillacingas

Located on what is known today as the border between Colombia and Ecuador, the Quillacingas were an inter-Andean community identified by the Spanish for being a group of people who ate each other.

The quillacingas were enemies of the Incas and fed on prisoners of war, however, they also fought against the Spanish and other tribes, which they could also feed on as part of their war rituals (Ramírez, 1996).

It is believed that the preparation that is currently given to guinea pig meat is the same that the Quillacingas used to apply to human meat. They took the dead bodies of their prisoners, cut them to pieces, roasted them, and dressed them with chili, salt and water contained in small clay jars.

The meat was beaten with brooms impregnated with the marinade. Once the meat was ready, it was eaten with roasted corn and cooked in large quantities (Caillavet, 2000).

Caribs

The Caribs are considered the largest cannibal tribe in South America. In fact, the word cannibal comes from the word “caríbal” used by the Spaniards to refer to the members of this ethnic group as strong people who took the meat of their enemies (Etymology of Caníbal, 2017).

In principle, it is said that they inhabited the territory currently occupied by Colombia and Venezuela, but some studies agree that the Caribs occupied almost the entire territory of northern South America, including Ecuador.

The Caribs were warriors who fought against other tribes on the continent, avoiding being enslaved. For this reason, he was described by the Spanish as bloodthirsty and savage.

Essentially, this tribe was not cannibal, however, they routinely practiced cannibalism as a religious ritual. During this ritual it was common to torture the prisoners, kill them and eat them (The story of an ancient America, 2009).

Other

It is believed that other tribes that practiced cannibalism in Ecuador were the Cañaris and Quitus, who were polytheists. They carried out head reduction processes and fed on their enemies, migrants and nomads from Africa and Oceania (MORENO, 2008).

Exocannibalism and endocannibalism

The practice of exocannibalism in the tribes of the Andes in Ecuador is characterized by the consumption of human meat without any type of culinary preparation or cooking.

On the other hand, endocannibalism was pointed out by the Spanish colonizers as an aberration and the maximum sin committed by indigenous communities, since within some it was common to see a father eat the meat of his son who had been born a slave or prisoner. of war.

The Spanish described the cannibalistic rituals of the Ecuadorian tribes as grotesque moments where men, women, and children approached large vessels and took pieces of meat with their hands.

Smoke rose from the pots and filled the atmosphere of the huts. The indigenous people licked and beat the pieces of meat without shame, giving free rein to their desire to feed on it. In general, these rituals were considered wild, dirty and violent.

War trophies and human sacrifice

Many of the versions of anthropophagy defined by the Spanish are skewed by their perception of the indigenous communities of Ecuador. In this way, some of the ritual acts of the natives were seen by the Spanish as acts of cannibalism.

Many native ethnic groups of Ecuador used the bodies of their prisoners in a non-culinary way, with the aim of presenting them as war trophies. In this way, they prepared, skinned, and decorated them with weapons and paintings to make it appear that they were alive. In some cases, after the war ritual, the dead prisoners were eaten.

Also, it was common among the Ecuadorian ethnic groups that human sacrifices were carried out with the objective of idolizing the gods. The bodies were cured, crucified and placed outside the temples.

References

1. Caillavet, C. (2000). Anthropophagy and Border: The case of the Northern Andes. In C. Caillavet, Ethnias del Norte: Ethnohistory and history of Ecuador (pp. 188 - 189). Quito: Abya Yala.
2. Curtis. (March 16, 2014). Here and Abroad. Retrieved from We're the cannibals!?!: Here-and-abroad.com.
3. Etymology of Cannibal. (April 8, 2017). Obtained from Caníbal: etimologias.dechile.net

   The history of an ancient America. (2009). Obtained from Los Indios de las Antillas: discover America.wordpress.co.

4. MORENO, SE (2008). Ecuador: A nation of nationalities. Quito: CELA.
5. Ramírez, MC (1996). Luis Angel Arango Virtual Library. Obtained from THE QUILLACINGA TERRITORY ON THE ARRIVAL OF THE CONQUISTORS: banrepcultural.org.
6. Tamere. (January 7, 2010). Ecuadorians Inferiority Complex. Obtained from Cannibalism in Ecuador: losmestizo.blogspot.com.