The Grim Feast: Cannibalism in the Middle Ages

«The Grim Feast: Cannibalism in the Middle Ages» — a unique study of the life of a medieval person, which was filled with cruelty and various dangers: wars, diseases, poverty, and hunger, which pushed people towards chilling actions and horrifying crimes. Based on numerous sources, including chronicles, annals, city records, and travel notes, the author discusses the reasons for cannibalism that spread across Europe in the 5th-16th centuries. This horrifying tradition took root in many areas of medieval society. It helped combat hunger and played a key role in medieval medicine, as evidenced by the vast number of pharmacological books and recipes with the mysterious ingredient «mummy». Elements of cannibalism can be found in the medieval punishment system and even in Christianity. Angelica Montanari describes that forbidden custom, often attributed to ancient and «barbaric» cultures, which actually lies at the very heart of European culture.