Shopkeeper Proudly Showcases Historical Cannibalism Tools, Says They 'Eat People for the Power'

A shop employee in Fiji has gone viral after explaining the island nation's history of ritual cannibalism to Russian travel blogger Olga Bavykina during her recent visit.

Bavykina, also known as Zabotkina, shared a video of the enthusiastic man demonstrating traditional tools associated with historical cannibalistic practices. She captioned the footage, 'When you are really proud of your ancestors.'

The employee described how human remains were allegedly consumed according to social and spiritual beliefs, with different body parts believed to convey particular qualities.

'We eat people for the power,' he said.

Explaining the alleged rituals, he added: 'This is our past in Fiji. They use this [sharp tool] to put in like this on the head. So when the hole is there, then they put the fork inside. Then take out the brain and give to the chief.'

He claimed chiefs consumed brains to gain wisdom, while warriors ate muscle to become stronger.

'They don't do for stomach, for appetite. They only do for religion,' he explained.

Viral Video Sparks Debate Over Human Brain Consumption

The footage prompted a range of reactions on social media, with some viewers questioning the historical beliefs and others discussing the medical dangers of consuming human tissue.

'Eating the brain will give you mad cow disease or kuru which will either kill you slowly over years or fast within months,' one viewer said. 'And with today's knowledged we know eating human brain makes you go literally f**king crazy sooo the "wisdom" was them going crazy,' another viewer commented.

'Now we just eat mc Donald's, same thing just packed different,' someone wrote. 'Europeans were eating dead bodies on a daily basis during the 17th century. It was even prescribed by doctors,' a viewer claimed.

These comments reflect the viewers' reactions and should not be treated as established medical facts.

Cannibalism was documented in parts of Fiji before Christianity became widespread during the 19th century. However, historical accounts were often written by European missionaries and travellers, meaning individual claims about the customs require careful examination.

Historical records support the existence of medicinal cannibalism in parts of Europe, where human fat, blood and other body parts were sometimes used in remedies. Such practices were not universal, however, and should not be confused with Fiji's distinct cultural history.

Recent Archaeological Discoveries Shed Light on Cannibalism

Research continues to reveal how cannibalism occurred in different societies and historical periods, challenging simplistic explanations that it was always driven by hunger.

In September 2026, researchers reported new findings from nearly 1,000 human bones recovered from three caves in Granada, southern Spain. Their analysis identified evidence of cannibalism during different periods of the Neolithic, including cut marks, fractures and signs of human teeth.

Some remains suggested collective violence, while other findings pointed towards possible ritual or funerary practices. Researchers concluded that cannibalism occurred in different circumstances rather than following a single pattern.

Separate discoveries in Spain have also revealed evidence that Homo antecessor, an ancient human relative, consumed other members of its species around 850,000 years ago.

The findings highlight how archaeological evidence can help distinguish between survival-driven cannibalism, violence and cultural practices.

Although Bavykina's video offers a glimpse into how Fiji's past is presented to visitors, historical traditions should be understood in their cultural context rather than reduced to viral spectacle.