Does reading from a POV of a humanoid "maneater" feel cannibalistic?

[CL]

Hello and welcome to my reader's thread. I wanted to ask you all about a controversial topic: the eating of humans in stories and how a POV makes you feel about it. I know that one human eating another would be considered cannibalistic and the same would apply towards any species eating its own kind. I also know a tiger eating a human, however unlikely it is to do that, isn't cannibalism. Even if we read from the first person viewpoint of a beast eating a person, that's not cannibalism.

What I am uncertain about are the humanoid types. The ones we'd find in fantasy or sci-fi. So we could claim that a humanoid race, like goblins, wouldn't exactly feel like cannibalism. But what about humanoid races that are more popularly seen on the lighter side? I seem to remember a popular game series, Elder Scrolls, had the Bosmer (Wood Elves) having humans on the menu. We even have some debates on Tolkien's "Petit Fours" interpreted as the elves having created recipes from their hunts upon petty-dwarves. Things like these make me wonder if that is or is not considered cannibalism or if it even matters when considering how the readers feel. You're reading from their perspective on the consumption of a rational being. Is that cannibalism?

 

[K5Rakitan]

I'm not into it, but there is a fetish known as vore, so some people will love it either way.

 

[CupcakeNinja]

Hello and welcome to my reader's thread. I wanted to ask you all about a controversial topic: the eating of humans in stories and how a POV makes you feel about it. I know that one human eating another would be considered cannibalistic and the same would apply towards any species eating its own kind. I also know a tiger eating a human, however unlikely it is to do that, isn't cannibalism. Even if we read from the first person viewpoint of a beast eating a person, that's not cannibalism.

What I am uncertain about are the humanoid types. The ones we'd find in fantasy or sci-fi. So we could claim that a humanoid race, like goblins, wouldn't exactly feel like cannibalism. But what about humanoid races that are more popularly seen on the lighter side? I seem to remember a popular game series, Elder Scrolls, had the Bosmer (Wood Elves) having humans on the menu. We even have some debates on Tolkien's "Petit Fours" interpreted as the elves having created recipes from their hunts upon petty-dwarves. Things like these make me wonder if that is or is not considered cannibalism or if it even matters when considering how the readers feel. You're reading from their perspective on the consumption of a rational being. Is that cannibalism?

it all depends on whether its socially acceptable to wanna fuck it. Elves? Lotta us wanna fuck them, so eating them is a nono. Goblins? Only freaks would take goblin dick or pussy, so you can eat all them motherfuckers.

 

[CL]

I'm not into it, but there is a fetish known as vore, so some people will love it either way.

it all dpeneds on whether its socially acceptable to wanna fuck it. Elves? Lotta us wanna fuck them, so eating them is a nono. Goblins? Only freaks would take goblin dick or pussy, so you can eat all them motherfuckers.

Okay, those two posts are weirdly contradicting each other.

 

[CupcakeNinja]

Okay, those two posts are weirdly contradicting each other.

and yet me and @K5Rakitan are such good friends.
Or at least I think so. Maybe she thinks different

 

[greyblob]

Hello and welcome to my reader's thread. I wanted to ask you all about a controversial topic: the eating of humans in stories and how a POV makes you feel about it. I know that one human eating another would be considered cannibalistic and the same would apply towards any species eating its own kind. I also know a tiger eating a human, however unlikely it is to do that, isn't cannibalism. Even if we read from the first person viewpoint of a beast eating a person, that's not cannibalism.

What I am uncertain about are the humanoid types. The ones we'd find in fantasy or sci-fi. So we could claim that a humanoid race, like goblins, wouldn't exactly feel like cannibalism. But what about humanoid races that are more popularly seen on the lighter side? I seem to remember a popular game series, Elder Scrolls, had the Bosmer (Wood Elves) having humans on the menu. We even have some debates on Tolkien's "Petit Fours" interpreted as the elves having created recipes from their hunts upon petty-dwarves. Things like these make me wonder if that is or is not considered cannibalism or if it even matters when considering how the readers feel. You're reading from their perspective on the consumption of a rational being. Is that cannibalism?

no. would a monkey eating a human be considered cannibalism? no it won't. cannibalism is eating a member of your own specie, not a specie very close to your own.

 

[Maldon]

Okay, those two posts are weirdly contradicting each other.

My man... the truth is that they don't. It's a dark world out there.

 

[CL]

no. would a monkey eating a human be considered cannibalism? no it won't. cannibalism is eating a member of your own specie, not a specie very close to your own.

That makes me wonder on Neanderthals and Denisovans (also, let's not forget those little hobbits, the Flores, too) ever being chosen as a happy meal by us humans. Despite those two being very close to our own species, would that not be considered cannibalism?

 

[greyblob]

That makes me wonder on Neanderthals and Denisovans (also, let's not forget those little hobbits, the Flores, too) ever being chosen as a happy meal by us humans. Despite those two being very close to our own species, would that not be considered cannibalism?

alright how about a t-rex eating a chicken?

 

[BruisedInk]

I think it really matters what kinda humanoid
a vampire eating a human is fine, a vampire eating another vampire is just foreplay

 

[CL]

I've got the idea on what you all mean, cannibalism only applies to the same species having a chowdown on each other, but what about the perspective? Would reading from these "maneaters" view points not feel cannibalistic? Let us say I wrote about a little fairy who'd go around nibbling on manmeat as a midnight snack. I want to know how you'd feel when getting immersed into that (fairly odd) experience of the hungry fairy's perspective.

 

[orangepeel]

Let's put it to the test, someone post a link to a story with some human-human chowdown, then we can all go read it and give our personal reactions.

 

[CL]

Let's put it to the test, someone post a link to a story with some human-human chowdown, then we can all go read it and give our personal reactions.

I did a search for the tag "cannibalism" and got these as a result: Scribble's Collection of Cannibalistic Content. I'll have to give them all a readover to see which of them have the POV we need to get this test rolling.

 

[TotallyHuman]

It's simple. Is fucking a random but unrelated member of your species incest? No. So is with cannibalism. If you're eating (or being eaten by I don't judge you do you) a member of a different species, it's just... being culinary adventurous.

 

[Cipiteca396]

Eating is a surprisingly tough topic, considering it's literally a requirement to live for most things.

Spoiler: Cannibalism and Ghoul-Curse

I spent a while dissecting cannibalism for the purpose of adding a Ghoul-Curse to my setting. Basically, a Creature that eats another of its kind has a chance to ingest the terror, pain and resentment of their victim, causing them to be 'possessed' by the victim and become an Undead monster called a Ghoul.

Theoretically, as long as the victim has emotions and lingering resentment, eating them would be 'cannibalism', even if that's not technically true because they're a different species.

The interesting exceptions I noted were with vile Creatures like Goblins, and with Creatures that don't normally need to eat like Fae.
For a Goblin, even eating another Goblin would be 'normal'. There's no reason to resent or be resented. Goblins are immune to Ghoul-Curse. As are Undead and other Creatures that can't be affected by others' emotions.
Fae, on the other hand, do not need to eat to sustain themselves. So if they do eat a sapient being, that means it must be a malicious action, an evil choice that they made to amuse themselves.
Fae are afflicted by a special type of Ghoul-Curse that turns them into extremely strong and horrific monsters called Ghasts (or Wendigos, though I've stopped using that name because I felt like people would complain and it cost me nothing to drop it).

Spoiler: POV Ghoul

Now then, as to the POV of a cannibal or Ghoulish Creature... There was at least one episode of a crime show where the killer cut up and cooked their victim, and one particularly memorable episode had them sell the chili they made in a street stall. If you imagine how you'd feel if you found out you'd eaten that chili without knowing, that should give a fair impression of what you should feel reading from a Ghoul's perspective.

That being said, it depends on how the author portrays it. If they go into gorey details and talk about how their victim reacts watching the evil monster eat them alive, that could be quite traumatizing. On the other hand, I've seen some stories where the monster didn't even know they were eating a human, or care. They just saw meat and ate it. That can be mildly nausea inducing, but it's not as bad as a malicious act.

Alot of big stories tend to have at least a small section devoted to cannibalism. Azarinth Healer's Elves, for example, and Ilea does have a tendancy to feed friendly monsters with her own severed limbs... There's also a brief mention of it in Chrysalis, since the MC's pets and siblings are monsters who don't care about it. Probably the best(and worst) example I can think of is Everybody Loves Big Chests- The MC is a mimic. I... Well, don't read that one unless you're prepared. I rarely drop books, but that one...

 

[CL]

@Cipiteca396 Thank you for offering us a response as detailed and descriptive with source material to follow up on. I especially like that you have pointed something out that may affect readers: the victims' reactions. That there might be a big factor when readers are immersed in the POV of a "maneater" as they can also relate with the victim. That, I know, would be an element bringing this act closer to feeling like cannibalism.

Those stories, I'll be sure to check them out. I remember noticing the Mimic one on Royal Road's trending slot (this was while I was enjoying Super Minion). Thank you for the opportunity for me to experience an enjoyable task on reading these.

 

[SilvCrimBlac]

Seems like a weird question. Why would it "feel" cannibalistic? You can't "feel" cannibalistic. Yeah I know I'm splitting hairs, but still, an odd way to word it.

That makes me wonder on Neanderthals and Denisovans (also, let's not forget those little hobbits, the Flores, too) ever being chosen as a happy meal by us humans. Despite those two being very close to our own species, would that not be considered cannibalism?

This same question could be asked about eating baboon meat or chimpanzees since they share 98% of our DNA. Yet I know people who ate and loved monkey brains. So...thats a tough one to answer. I don't know what kind of monkey brains they ate, but I don't believe it matters. Still ate something VERY close to us. Might as well have eaten their first cousin, this being an example of how similar humans and apes are in species relation.

 

[CL]

@SilvCrimBlac Those are good points and, as another pair's of points had done, I've read a contradiction from greyblob on this. That is what makes this a good point because we've got potential readers who'd feel differently when on this morbidly odd topic.

 

[K5Rakitan]

and yet me and @K5Rakitan are such good friends.
Or at least I think so. Maybe she thinks different

I don't know. I usually suck my best friends' dicks, and I haven't sucked yours yet, so . . .

 

[orangepeel]

Alot of big stories tend to have at least a small section devoted to cannibalism.

I have read those 3 and none of them felt like cannabilism to me.
For me cannabilism means eating your own species (a species is defined as being able to have ofspring that can have their own offspring) a monster (Everybody Loves Big Chests) is definitly not the same species as humans/others in that story. In Azarinth Healer the Elves clearly don't mix with the humans (if it is even possible) and with Chrysalis it is clear that most of them are not even related species (or sientient) so canabilism shouldn't even be applied.
I also feel that canabilism won't have an impact unless it is from the prospective of either the victim or the agressor, It seems most refrences to canabilism are an abstract 'those people are canabils' or 'that species eats it's own'. Many insects are canabilistic but it is not very relatable to humans even though it may be hard to write.