Rituals of Consumption: Cannibalism and Native American Oral Traditions in Southeastern North America

There was once a man who left his home every day to hunt deer. Each morning the man said goodbye to his pregnant wife. He also made sure that the couple’s home was secure because “many strange creatures” kept visiting their home when he was out hunting. These “strange creatures” made regular attempts to convince the pregnant woman to let them in her home so they could dance with her. Their true intentions, however, were far more sinister: these creatures “ate people [who] lived in the neighborhood.” During one of these visits, the “strange creatures” danced outside the pregnant woman’s