Self-cannibalism 3193759 224668960 2008-07-09T22:02:57Z Skyezx 6902614 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/76.220.237.243|76.220.237.243]] to last version by 72.231.188.91 (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]]) {{for|the cellular phenomenon|Autophagy}} '''Self-cannibalism''' is the practice of eating oneself, also called '''autocannibalism'''<ref>[http://www.meish.org/012951.php#_ftnref4 "Man-eaters: The Evidence for Coastal Tupi Cannibalism" ''mei(sh) dot org'']</ref>, or '''autosarcophagy'''<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14849189&dopt=Abstract National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) PubMed]</ref>. A similar term which is applied differently is ''[[autophagy]]'', which specifically denotes the normal process of self-degradation by [[cell (biology)|cell]]s. Whilst almost an exclusive term for this process, autophagy nonetheless has occasionally made its way into more common usage<ref>[http://www.benecke.com/bodmod2.html Benecke, Mark "First report of non-psychotic self-cannibalism (autophagy), tongue splicing and scar patterns (scarification) as an extreme form of cultural body modification in a Western civilization"]</ref>. ==Self-cannibalism among humans== ===As a natural occurrence=== A certain amount of self-cannibalism occurs unwittingly, 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." {{Fact|date=February 2007}} ===As a disorder or symptom thereof=== </s> [[Nail-biting|Fingernail-biting]] that develops into fingernail-eating is a form of [[pica (disorder)|pica]]. Other forms of pica include the compulsion of eating one's own hair (also [[trichophagia]] and [[Rapunzel syndrome]]), which can form a [[hairball]] ([[trichobezoar]]) in the [[stomach]]{{Or|date=May 2008}}. ===As a choice=== Some people will engage in self-cannibalism as an extreme form of [[body modification]], for example eating their own skin.<ref>See Benecke above.</ref> Others will drink their own blood, a practice called autovampirism<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=883741&dopt=Abstract NCBI PubMed]</ref> but [[Blood sucking#Human hematophagy|sucking blood]] from wounds is generally not seen to be cannibalism. [[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 earlier in the year in a [[liposuction]] operation <ref>''[http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21052655-13762,00.html Artist Cooks meal in own Body Fat]'', January 13, 2007</ref>. ===As a crime=== Forced self-cannibalism as a form of [[torture]] or [[war crime]] are not uncommon. [[Erzsébet Báthory]] forced some of her servants to eat their own flesh.<ref>[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_131 Adams, Cecil "Did Dracula really exist?" ''[[The Straight Dope]]']</ref> In the 16th Century, Spanish colonizers forced [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|natives]] to eat their own testicles.<ref>[http://www.hope.edu/academic/religion/delatorre/articles/macho.html Miguel A. De La Torre, "Beyond Machismo: A Cuban Case Study" (citing Diana Iznaga, "Introduction" to Fernando Ortiz, ''Los negros curros'' (La Habana: Editorial de Ciencias Sociales, 1986) xviii-xix.)]</ref> Incidents were reported in the years following the 1991 [[coup]] in [[Haiti]].<ref>[http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43a/045.html Chin, Pat. "Behind the Rockwood case" ''Workers World'', April 6, 1996]</ref> In the 1990s young people in [[Sudan]] were forced to eat their own ears.<ref>[http://justus.anglican.org/resources/Lambeth1998/Lambeth-Daily/06/humanrights.html ''Lambeth Daily News'' 6 August 1998]</ref> One famous case of self-cannibalism is the [[Armin Meiwes]] trial. One of the persons involved, Bernd Jürgen Armando Brandes, had hoped to engage in self-cannibalism before being [[cannibalism|cannibalized]] himself, although it is unclear if he actually did so{{Fact|date=May 2008}}. ==Self-cannibalism among animals== The short-tailed [[Cricket (insect)|cricket]] is known to eat its own wings.<ref>Taber, Stephen Welton (2005) ''Invertebrates Of Central Texas Wetlands'', page 200.</ref> Mice may eat their own tails if they are starving. {{Fact|date=December 2007}} Ant queens are known to eat their wings and flight muscles after they start a colony. {{Fact|date=December 2007}} 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 [[sea anemone|anenome]]-like organism. This has been used as evidence that the purpose of brain and nervous tissue is primarily to produce movement. ==Cultural references== [[Image:Ouroboros 1.jpg|thumb|The ancient [[symbol]] [[Ouroboros]] depicts a [[Snake|serpent]] biting its own [[tail]].]] *Stephen King's short story "[[Survivor Type (Stephen King)|Survivor Type]]", about a man trapped on a small island. *Ryan, Alan (1984) "The Bones Wizard", ''Whispers''. *Roger, Frank, "The Implosion of a Gastrocrat: an Experiment in Autophagy". *In the manga ''[[One Piece]]'' the character [[List of minor characters in One Piece#Zeff|Zeff]] eats his own foot while [[Marooning|marooned]] on an island after a storm that destroyed his ship. However in the anime version he just cut off his leg with an anchor during the storm to save himself and [[Sanji]] from drowning. *In the novel ''[[Hannibal (novel)|Hannibal]]'', [[Hannibal Lecter]] recalls psychologically manipulating a [[Mason Verger]] into eating his own nose and feeding his face to his dog. In the course of the novel Lecter also feeds part of a man's brain to that man. *In issue #5 of the [[Marvel Comic]] ''[[Livewires (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. *In the original book ''[[The Queen of the Damned]]'', the twin sisters [[Maharet and Mekare]] are punished for refusing to help Akasha. Mekare's tongue is cut out and Maharet's eyes are removed. Both women then ingest the parts. *Rammstein's song "Mein Teil" is about Armin Meiwes (see above) and his victim, who supposedly shared a meal made out of the victim's genitals. *In the computer game [[Zork]], the command "eat self" returns the message "Autocannibalism is not the answer". *In the movie [[Spaceballs]], one character named [[Pizza Hut|Pizza the Hutt]] (a parody of [[Jabba the Hutt]]) is revealed to have eaten himself to death while locked in his car with no other food sources. * The short story "The Savage Mouth" by Japanese [[science fiction]] writer [[Sakyo Komatsu]] deals with self-cannibalism. ==See also== *[[Cannibalism]] *[[Vorarephilia]] *[[Self-injury]] ==Notes== <div class="references-small"> <references/> </div> [[Category:Cannibalism]] [[Category:Eating behaviors]] [[Category:Pica (disorder)]] [[pl:Autokanibalizm]]