Monstrum Athenaeum Tearing open the cryptid world of werewolves, vampires & zombies.
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New Guinea, one of the largest islands in the world, is home to many tribes considered “uncivilized” compared to our modern ways of living. Carving out their existence from the land by the sweat of their brows; these primitive peoples work tirelessly to sustain food and shelter. In the ways of war and territorial aggression, they’re not much different than other tribal cultures around the world with one exception, however.
When a territorial dispute erupts, as is the case from time to time, the tribes of New Guinea have been known to practice a taboo ritual- the cannibalism of their adversary. Cannibalism, even though outlawed, is rumored to happen still under certain circumstances in a very clandestine manner. The tribes of New Guinea believe that by consuming the flesh of one’s adversary you can gain the power of that person’s soul while destroying the person’s capacity for evil.
One of the most famous accounts of a rumored cannibalism is that of Michael Rockefeller.
When on assignment in New Guinea, Rockefeller’s boat capsized, leaving him stranded in the wreckage. He decided to swim for shore, as it was a seemingly short distance. That was the last time anyone saw him alive. The official story near-universally accepted today is that the sea claimed Rockefeller, merely the victim of an apparent accidental drowning. This simplified explanation doesn’t sit well with some who believe something darker happened to Rockefeller.
There’s suspicion that Rockefeller made it to shore but was then captured, murdered and consumed by a tribe of bloodthirsty cannibals. Search and rescue attempts by Michael Rockefeller’s family resulted in no evidence of an attack on the young man, but only a distant memory that his last day there was not a happy one.
With New Guinea cannibals rumored to exist still to this day, albeit, in secrecy, one has to wonder if tribal customs are a cover for another secret. Is there something else living in the deepest, darkest recesses of the jungle island? Could those rumored cannibals, still devouring the flesh of their slain opponents, be werewolves?
This rumor, if ever proved true, could explain how Michael Rockefeller ended up (supposedly) on the menu during his final day on the island. The tribes considered Rockefeller friendly, and he was allowed into their midst; filming and photographing, as was his assignment. If he needed aid, then why would people, of whom he was friendly, attack him and subsequently devour him?
Logically, it makes no sense that the natives would turn on him. However, tribal werewolves would make no such pleasant distinction, which would have left Rockefeller in a right fine mess.
We know, as of the last several years, that the tribes of New Guinea have been open to outsiders visiting their primitive villages and have allowed filming for documentaries and magazines. They welcome journalists and scientists into their homes; sharing what little they have as a way of saying “thank you for coming.”
The unnerving part of these visits rests in the dark rumors of the persistence of cannibalism. The frequency of the feeding frenzy could lie within a well disciplined few, who only allow the blood lust of Lycanthropy to take them when necessary.
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