Self-cannibalism

Self-cannibalism is the practice of eating oneself, also called autocannibalism,^[1] or autosarcophagy.^[2] A similar term which is applied differently is autophagy, which specifically denotes the normal process of self-degradation by cells. While almost an exclusive term for this process, autophagy nonetheless has occasionally made its way into more common usage.^[3]

Self-cannibalism among humans

As a natural occurrence

A certain amount of self-cannibalism occurs unwillingly, as the body consumes dead cells from the tongue and cheeks. Ingesting one's own blood from an unintentional lesion such as a nose-bleed or an ulcer is clearly not intentional harvesting and consequently not considered cannibalistic.

Catabolisis is also sometimes described as "self-cannibalism."^{[citation needed]}

As a disorder or symptom thereof

Fingernail-biting that develops into fingernail-eating is a form of pica, although many do not consider nail biting as a true form of cannibalism. Other forms of pica include the compulsion of eating one's own hair (also trichophagia and Desirae syndrome), which can form a hairball (trichobezoar) in the stomach.

As a choice

Some people will engage in self-cannibalism as an extreme form of body modification, for example eating their own skin.^[4] Others will drink their own blood, a practice called autovampirism,^[5] but sucking blood from wounds is generally not seen to be cannibalism.^{[citation needed]}Placentophagy may be a form of self-cannibalism. On January 13, 2007, Chilean artist Marco Evaristti hosted a dinner party for his most intimate friends. The main meal was agnolotti pasta, which was topped with a meatball made from the artist's own fat, removed in the previous year in a liposuction operation.^[6]

As a crime

Forced self-cannibalism as a form of torture or war crime has been reported. Erzsébet Báthory allegedly forced some of her servants to eat their own flesh.^[7] In the 16th century, Spanish colonizers forced natives to eat their own testicles.^[8] Incidents were reported in the years following the 1991 coup in Haiti.^[9] In the 1990s young people in Sudan were forced to eat their own ears.^[10]

One famous case of self-cannibalism is the 2002 Armin Meiwes trial. One of the persons involved, Bernd Jürgen Armando Brandes, had wanted his penis to be amputated; after Armin Meiwes amputated, they attempted to eat it together but found that it was too tough.

Self-cannibalism among animals

The short-tailed cricket is known to eat its own wings.^[11] There is evidence of certain animals digesting their own nervous tissue when they transition to a new phase of life. The sea squirt (with a tadpole-like shape) contains a ganglion 'brain' in its head, which it digests after attaching itself to a rock and becoming stationary, forming an anemone-like organism. This has been used as evidence that the purpose of brain and nervous tissue is primarily to produce movement. Self-cannibalism behavior has been documented in North American rat snakes: one captive individual twice attempted to consume itself, dying in the second attempt. Another wild rat snake individual was found having swallowed about two-thirds of its body.^[12] Another example is among dogs, where they will sometimes chew on their own skin causing it to bleed.

Cultural references

The ancient symbol Ouroboros depicts a serpent biting its own tail.

• King Erysichthon from Greek mythology ate himself in insatiable hunger, given him, as a punishment, by Demeter.
• In an Arthurian tale, King Agrestes of Camelot goes mad after massacring the Christian disciples of Josephus within his city, and eats his own hands.
• Stephen King's short story "Survivor Type", about a man trapped on a small island.
• In the novel Hannibal, Hannibal Lecter recalls psychologically manipulating Mason Verger into eating his own nose and feeding his face to his dog. Lecter also feeds Paul Krendler part of his own brain.
• In issue #5 of the Marvel Comic Livewires, Stem Cell ate most of her own skin so that she could use it as base material for constructing her Pyronano "babies". Afterwards, she considered adopting "Autocannibal" as her name.
• Autopsy's song "Severed Survival" is about resorting to self-cannibalism after being stranded on a barren island.
• The short story "The Savage Mouth" by Japanese science fiction writer Sakyo Komatsu deals with self-cannibalism.
• In the Japanese horror movie Naked Blood, a woman eats herself with a knife and fork, after taking pain dulling drugs.
• Banika Conchita from Vocaloid's Seven Sin series eats herself in the music video Evil Eater Conchita after she develops a 'taste' for the servants and chef.
• The Norse creature Midgardsormen is said to be biting its own tail, surrounding the world.
• The December 31, 2011 guest comic for the comic strip Bizarro featured a man about to eat a hand sandwich. It was titled "Radical Locavore".^[13]

See also

• Vorarephilia

Notes

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