Earth's 'last cannibal tribe' butchers those 'possessed by demons' and eats them

13 January 2024 , 08:17

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A man of the Korowai people, West Papua, Indonesia (Image: E Baccega/imageBROKER/REX/Shutterstock)

Indonesia's 'last cannibal tribe' is believed to slaughter and chow down on folks they think are "possessed" by demons.

While accidents or murders are dealt with by police and coroners in most societies, the Korowai people of Papua have their own way. Their tribal shaman carries out an investigation and often orders an act of ritual cannibalism to resolve the issue.

For the Korowai, evil spirits named "khakhua" live among us, sometimes taking over human bodies to perform their vile acts. "When a tribe member dies unnaturally, it is often attributed to the actions of a khakhua," explains the Cultures and Peoples of the World podcast. According to them, these malevolent spirits pose threats not just to individuals, but to the entire community.

The Korowai believe that to prevent more unnatural deaths, they must eliminate the person who is possessed by the demon. These identified "possessed" individuals go through a process of "spiritual discernment and consultation," after which they are ritually killed by the entire tribe, The Daily Star reported.

This leads to the second part of the ritual, proving why the Korowai have earned the fearful title of "the last cannibal tribe on Earth." After a suspected khakhua is killed, their body is eaten by the tribe. "This act is not driven by a need for physical sustenance, but is a deeply symbolic gesture," explain the podcasters.

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The Korowai lives in a world where the spiritual and material worlds are one and the same (Paul Raffaele/REX/Shutterstock)

The tribespeople don't kill the possessed person as punishment. Instead, it's seen as an act of mercy, freeing them from the demon within. "The killing of a khakhua is considered a solemn and necessary act, performed to safeguard the community's well-being," the podcast added.

The Korowai's hunter-gatherer lifestyle is believed to be tens of thousands of years old. The Daily Telegraph reported that until the late 1970s, the Korowai didn't know other people existed. A BBC camera crew visited them in 2007 and were seen as "white ghosts" who had come to warn them about the end of the world.

A member of the Korowai tribe aims a bow and arrows (Getty Images)

The Korowai's world is slowly ending. Every day, the modern world gets closer to their isolated territory, as more rainforest is destroyed for farmland. Climate change also threatens their ancient way of life.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Michael Moran