Mortuary rites of the South Fore and kuru
Open accessAbstract
This paper is part of a wider study to explain the historical spread and changing epidemiological patterns of kuru by analysing factors that affect the transmission of kuru. Part of the study has been to look at the mortuary feasts that were the means of transmission of the kuru agent. This paper shows the complexity of Fore eschatology, and the variations and contradictions of human behaviour in relation to mortuary rites and the transmission of kuru. It also confirms that oral ingestion was the primary route of inoculation though some cases of parenteral inoculation may have occurred. The exclusion of alternative routes of transmission is of importance owing to the dietary exposure of the UK and other populations to bovine spongiform encephalopathy prions.
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The Fore did not talk about rubbing their bodies with brain tissue when describing earlier events and have recently denied the practice.
“However, the Fore did not talk about rubbing their bodies with brain tissue when describing earlier events and have recently denied the practice (52).”
From Kuru (2012) · cites this paper as [52]
The Introduction (page unavailable) concludes that intentional rubbing of brain tissue on mourners did not occur, and §5 says it was never rubbed on their bodies. These passages support the paper’s account of the practice, but do not establish the specific claims that the Fore omitted it when describing earlier events or recently denied it. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredA recent investigation of Fore mortuary practices has shown that, by consuming deceased relatives, the Fore were ensuring that the souls of the departed reached the land of the dead, to be reborn as ancestors.
“A recent investigation of Fore mortuary practices has shown that, by consuming deceased relatives, the Fore were ensuring that the souls of the departed reached the land of the dead, to be reborn as ancestors (52).”
From Kuru (2012) · cites this paper as [52]
The Fore still believe that kuru is caused by malicious sorcerers.
“The Fore still believe that kuru is caused by malicious sorcerers”
From Kuru (2012) · cites this paper as [52]
The Introduction discusses mortuary practices and kuru transmission, while section 3 mentions sorcerers only in describing a person's occult power. Neither passage says that the Fore still believe malicious sorcerers cause kuru. Searches for sorcery, current beliefs, and explanations of kuru found no passage establishing that claim; no page numbers are available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.75)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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Cites
No references could be resolved yet.
Research works printed but not linked: 7
- Alpers, M. P. 1968 Kuru: implications of its transmissibility for the interpretation of its changing epidemiologic pattern. In The central nervous system: some experimental models of neurological diseases, International Academy of Pathology Monograph no. 9 (eds O. T. Bailey & D. E. Smith), pp. 234–251. Baltimore, MD: Williams and Wilkins.
- Alpers M.P. A history of kuru PNG Med. J 50 2007 10 19 19354007
- Berndt R.M. Excess and restraint: social control among a New Guinea mountain people 1962 University of Chicago Press Chicago, IL
- Gajdusek, D. C. 1971 Introductory remarks. Introduction of the paper of Dr. Holmes. In Proc. Conf. on Atypical Virus Infections: Possible Relevance to Animal Models and Rheumatic Disease, Atlanta, Georgia, 7–8 December 1968 (eds C. L. Christian, P. E. Phillips & R. C. Williams Jr), pp. 131, 160–162. New York, NY: The Arthritis Foundation.
- Glasse, R. M. 1967 Cannibalism in the kuru region of New Guinea. Trans. NY Acad. Sci. (Series 2) 29, 748–754. 5234844
- Klitzman R.L. Alpers M.P. Gajdusek D.C. The natural incubation period of kuru and the episodes of transmission in three clusters of patients Neuroepidemiology 3 1984 3 20 doi:10.1159/000110837 · DOI
- Mathews J.D. Glasse R. Lindenbaum S. Kuru and cannibalism Lancet 2 1968 449 452 doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(68)90482-0 4174170 · DOI
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Liberski, P. P., Sikorska, B., Lindenbaum, S., Goldfarb, L. G., McLean, C., Hainfellner, J. A., & Brown, P. (2012) · Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology · doi:10.1097/nen.0b013e3182444efd · Cited by 50 · see citing works
“A recent investigation of Fore mortuary practices has shown that, by consuming deceased relatives, the Fore were ensuring that the souls of the departed reached the land of the dead, to be reborn as ancestors (52).”
BackgroundLessons of kuru research: background to recent studies with some personal reflections
Collinge, J. (2008) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2008.0121 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Limited Nutritional Value of Cannibalism and the Development of Early Human Society
Sack, G. (2021) · Social Evolution & History · doi:10.30884/seh/2021.02.02 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
- Authors
- Whitfield, J. T., Pako, W. H., Collinge, J., & Alpers, M. P.
- Affiliations
- Curtin University (AU)
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research (PG)
- MRC Prion Unit (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Whitfield, Jerome T
- Venue
- Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
- Publisher
- The Royal Society
- Published
- 2008-11-27
- Volume
- 363
- Issue
- 1510
- Pages
- 3721-3724
- ISSN
- 0962-8436 (ISSN-L)
- 1471-2970
- PMC
- PMC2581657
- OpenAlex
- W2077450109
- Cited by
- 36
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 1 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 0.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- eSpace (Curtin University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Prion Diseases and Protein Misfolding
- Social Sciences › Anthropology › Death, Funerary Practices, and Mourning
- Social Sciences › Geography, Planning and Development › Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies
- Keywords
- kuru, funerary practices, Fore people, eschatology, prion transmission, oral transmission, blood-borne transmission, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, prion disease
- MeSH terms
- Cannibalism, Ethnicity, Folklore, Humans, Kuru, Mortuary Practice, Papua New Guinea, History, 20th Century
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