Look up anthropophagy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Anthropophagy is the custom and practice of eating human flesh. It may refer to:

• Human cannibalism, This involves the consumption of human flesh or organs by another human being. Human cannibalism has been observed in various contexts, ranging from ritualistic and religious practices to survival strategies in extreme conditions.
  • Anthropophagi, In folklore and mythology, Anthropophagi refers to a legendary race of cannibals. These mythical entities are often depicted as savages without heads, with their faces positioned on their chests, consuming human flesh.
  • Infanticide and Feticide Cannibalism, This specific form of anthropophagy involves the consumption of infants or fetuses. Historically, this practice has been associated with certain ritualistic and magical beliefs in various cultures.
  • Self-cannibalism, Autocannibalism, or self-cannibalism, is the act of eating one's own flesh. This can occur in extreme survival situations, as a form of self-mutilation, or in certain mental health disorders.
• Man-eating, This aspect of anthropophagy covers instances where non-human predators consume human flesh. It includes predatory attacks by animals such as large carnivores, where humans are targeted as a food source.
• Anthropophagy (art), This term can also refer to an art movement where the theme of consuming human flesh is explored symbolically or metaphorically. Artists within this movement use anthropophagy as a motif to express various concepts, such as the devouring nature of society or the consumption of one's identity and culture by another.

See also

• Cannibalism (disambiguation)
• Hematophagy, the consumption of blood by certain animals
• List of feeding behaviours