Converging on Cannibals: Terrors of Slaving in Atlantic Africa, 1509–1670

The study reveals that 'cannibal talk'—claims of anthropophagy—served as a potent narratological strategy for both West Central African communities and European observers between the late 15th and late 17th centuries. These claims were used to terrorize enemies, dehumanize foreigners, and justify political and moral agendas, particularly in the context of slaving in Angola. Staller's analysis draws on a diverse archive of printed and manuscript materials, including letters, traveler accounts, missionary reports, and iconography, to reconstruct how cannibal stories circulated between the Kongo composite region, neighboring polities like Ndongo, and Europe. The research challenges earlier attempts to empirically identify the 'Jaga' invaders, instead framing these narratives as mythological tools that deflected attention from internal political violence in the Kongo Kingdom. It also highlights the role of European compilers like Samuel Purchas in perpetuating cannibalism narratives to bolster claims of empiricism and demonize non-Christian societies.

Blakley, C. M. (2022). Converging on Cannibals: Terrors of Slaving in Atlantic Africa, 1509–1670. Journal of West African History, 8(2), 141–144. https://doi.org/10.14321/jwestafrihist.8.2.0141