DAILY STAR
“Unnatural” deaths, such as accidents or murders, are a matter for the police and coroners in our society.
But by the ancient laws of the Korowai people of Papua, Indonesia, unnatural deaths are investigated by the tribal shaman or witch doctor. After the shaman has investigated the incident, he will often order an act of ritual cannibalism to fix the problem.
The Korowai believe that shadowy evil spirits called “khakhua” live alongside us, sometimes taking possession of human bodies in order to carry out their demonic acts. “When a tribe member dies unnaturally, it is often attributed to the actions of a khakhua,” explains the Cultures and Peoples of the World podcast.
“The Korowai perceive these spirits as threats not only to the individual, but to the entire community.” The only way to protect the tribe from more unnatural deaths, the Korowai believe, is to eliminate the person that has been “possessed” by the demon.
First, the “possessed” person is identified, through a process or “spiritual discernment and consultation,” then they are ritually killed by the entire tribe.
Then begins the second part of the ritual – which has earned the Korowai the title of “the last cannibal tribe on Earth.”
After the suspected khakhua has been killed, their body is butchered and eaten. “This act is not driven by a need for physical sustenance, but is a deeply symbolic gesture,” the podcasters explain. “By consuming the khakhua, the tribe believes they are annihilating the malevolent spirit and preventing it from causing further harm.”
The tribespeople don’t kill the possessed person to punish them. The ritual murder is seen as an act of mercy, freeing them from the grip of the demon within.
“The killing of a khakhua is considered a solemn and necessary act, performed to safeguard the community’s well-being,” the podcast added.
