From the [ Ссылка ] Global Village Travel Guide and DVD, "Islands of the South Pacific". Stock footage available from [ Ссылка ]
Transcript:
For hundreds of years,
the Fijian islands were avoided by explorers such as Captain Cook
who dubbed them the "Cannibal Islands".
This grisly reputation held Europeans at bay until the
early 1800s. Today the only vestiges of cannibalism
are found behind glass at the Suva museum.
This display depicts the ancient custom of putting the bones of hated
enemies between the branches of a tree at the edge of the village
as a warning to potential raiders and to keep evil ancestor spirits
away.
These implements are forks used in a ritual
cannibal ceremony. They prevent the fingers
of the diner from touching the flesh of the victim.
Although cannibalism disappeared with the
spread of Christianity, another unusual ritual
practice survives in Fiji today
