Eating Everyone: Elven Cannibalism & Cusine

If you aren't good, the Elves will eat you.

— Parents to their children

Death is a somber affair in Elven societies. It marks the end of a journey, whether long or short. No matter the foe, Elves view their slaying with a grim finality and believe that every life should be honored. To that end, Elves butcher and consume those they kill as a last act of respect, putting the corpse of the slain to use - to do otherwise would be a waste, a slaying done without meaningful end. These feasts range from grand banquets where the dead have been painstakingly prepared and are devoured with reverence, accompanied by song, dance, and wild revelry, to the quick consumption of a felled foe's heart.
Outsiders view these feasts with horror and abomination, no matter the intent behind them.

Funeral Feast

The elven funeral feast is a tradition where the dead are devoured. They make no distinction between its meat. To them, all are animals - some just possess speech. Even hated foes are given this last rite, for there is no afterlife in Elven mythology. There is only life and the terrible void after. To ensure that no one is slain without worth and reason, the elves consume the dead.

Human, dwarf or even other elves are butchered and cooked according to taste. With long lives that often see a great deal of battle, some Elves become masters at preparing certain species for the feast. They are able to extract the best taste out of every scrap of meat, drop of blood and broken bone.

Often enough, these feasts become part of the daily life. Elves cook and eat the catch of the day, whether venison or human, and go about their business.

Elves share none of the squeamishness others show about corpses and will think nothing of inviting others to join the feast - such an invitation would be an honor, were it not for the meal.

As with most things in elven society, the cooking is relatively simple. Meat is roasted, made into stew or eaten raw. Bones are cracked for their marrow, organs cooked, skin crisped. What isn't eaten is sometimes put to other use, with bone and skin in particular finding their way to into elven craftsmanship.
It is not considered unseemly to possess such expertise and the elves see no reason why the meal should not also be a good one.

From the Cauldron, Looking Out

They are daemon-spirits. It wasn't enough for them to kill us, then they cooked the dead wanted to feed them to us!

— Survivor from elven ambush.

Most civilized races take a dim view to the Elves tradition of devouring their dead. In places where elves and others frequently clash, tales tell of the elves as cruel demons who eat the bones of captive and snatch children from their cradles for a snack. They becomes such fearful figures that reconciliation become near impossible - more myth than mortal flesh.

Elves who settle into more civilized lives or among other races learn to abandon the tradition, though not easily.
Instead, the act becomes symbolic. Burning a corpse or a representation of it can be enough to satisfy the requirement.
An unfortunate few become as callous towards life as the humans they settle with and abandon the tradition entirely.

Unclean Meat

There are few exceptions to what the elves will devour. Things too unclean to cook and consume without danger are generally exempted, as are beings viewed to have either no life or no worth.
Undead, demons and elementals all generally fall under this category. Those too sick to be safely eaten are instead burned or buried.

Some Elves develop an unsavory taste for the flesh of others. These cold-hearted killer begin to view the act as one of dominance and power, rather than respect.
Such murderers are made outcasts if their dark addictions are discovered. They are murdered and made into stew like those they killed.

Power-Hungry

While many elven societies hold that they gain a measure of power from those they consume, some take this to the extreme.
Instead of avoiding unclean meat, they revel in its consumption and hunt demons to gain their powers through butchery.

In times of war when the bloodshed is great, Elves can go for months eating only the flesh of fallen enemies.

Elven Recipes

Dwarf Belly

A cut of dwarf belly, marinated either in spices mixed with water or milk, or the blood of the dwarf. Cut into chunks, roasted over open fire or on hot stones.

Orc Brain

Cook at a low heat over night, strain for particles and mix in with vegetables. Milk and alcohol liberally applied.

Whole Human

Drive spit through from head to end and roast over open fire. Served with various sides, buffet style.

by Rock Cafe.info

Related Articles