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The Museum of Hoaxes is dedicated to promoting knowledge about hoaxes. (Click here for opening hours, etc.) On our blog we post about dubious- sounding claims, and whatever else strikes our fancy. The site is also home to the Hoaxipedia (the museum's online encyclopedia of hoaxes), the Hoax Forum, and the Top 100 April Fools' Day Hoaxes.
The museum was created in 1997 by Alex Boese. He's assisted by a staff of deputy curators and docents. Alex is the author of three books, most recently Elephants on Acid: And Other Bizarre Experiments (which has nothing to do with hoaxes). Check out the list of the Top 20 Most Bizarre Experiments of All Time for a preview.Prankplace.com
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Wife Fattening
Status: Probably real
Over at the Proceedings of the Athanasius Kircher Society, a clip was posted from the 1960s "shock-umentary" Mondo Cane (meaning "World of Dogs"). The film was a collection of all kinds of examples of bizarre human behavior from around the world. In this scene the Melanesian custom of wife fattening is shown. The narration (in spanish in the clip) says: We are at Tabar, the largest island of the Bismarck Archipelago, where, by tradition, the most beautiful women of the tribe are locked up in strong cages similar to those we've seen in Strasbourg to fatten geese and they get filled with tapioca until they reach at least 120 kilos. Then, they will be offered as wives to the village's dictator, Utame Alunda, famous all over the islands for his physical power and his odd personality. The fattening process goes from 3 to 6 months, meanwhile, Utame Alunda didn't remain idle. These are some of his most recent children, that he loves to show to the foreigners in this dance, as a proof of his virility. This is his last spouse: eight children and one hundred thirty kilos. This is his favorite wife. Ten children and 150 kilos. And this is the great chief Alunda: 27 children and 34 kilos.
There's been some discussion over at the Athanasius Kircher Society about whether this is real. As far as I can tell, it is. The maker of Mondo Cane was accused of staging footage, and taking customs wildly out of context, but most of the material was true. After all, there's no shortage of bizarre human behaviors in the world. And, as far as I know, Melanesian culture did, in the past, include the custom of wife fattening. The BBC has an article about wife-fattening in current day Mauritania. Different part of the world, but same idea. Warning: the clip shows some bare-breasted island women, in case that's a problem for anyone at work or elsewhere. Nothing you wouldn't see on the National Geographic channel, however.Posted By: Alex | Date: Thu Dec 07, 2006 | Permalink |
Total Comments: 14
Category: Body Manipulation, Food
Category: Body Manipulation, Food
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
Page 1 of 1 pages
Maybe he should send 'em to Mcdonald instead... it would take a lot less than 3 to 6 months to reach their full plump beauty...
Posted by oppiejoe in Haslett, Michigan - USA on Thu Dec 07, 2006 at 11:41 AMI saw a special on something like this, but it was deffinately African. I don't think I know where Melansiawhatsit is...but I did see something recently (in the last 3 years or so). The women were not in cages though, they went to a special village that helped them get fat...they had bowls & bowls of food around them...and they just sort of grabbed a spoonful of each...one bite at a time.
Posted by Maegan in Tampa, FL - USA on Thu Dec 07, 2006 at 12:59 PMAs far as I know, being fat is regarded as a sign of wealth and welfare associated with high status in much of Melanesia and Polynesia.
Posted by LaMa in Europe on Thu Dec 07, 2006 at 02:03 PMAnd in much of the rest of the world, too.
Posted by Accipiter in the Northern Hemisphere, unless They have lied. on Thu Dec 07, 2006 at 02:27 PMWhen I was a kid growing up in NYC, WOR-TV (now WWOR) ran Mondo Cane. I was fascinated with the segment on cargo cults, leading to the idea I've had for at least a decade now for the ultimate piece of Reality Hacking.
Anyone want to fund a Big Project?
Posted by Cranky Media Guy on Fri Dec 08, 2006 at 01:09 AMAnyone want to fund a Big Project?
Alright! I'm getting myself to Mauritania where I'll be voted the best wife of them all! 
Posted by Nettie in Perth, Western Australia on Fri Dec 08, 2006 at 03:22 AMWife fattening in Mauritania? It's a very poor country, and a good chunk of it is in the Sahara desert. I'm surprised they can find enought spare food. What do they fatten them on? Sand?
By the way, as "Mondo Cane" is an Italian movie (the first of the dreadful "Mondo" wave), are you sure that the comment is in Spanish, not in Italian?
Posted by Christophe Thill on Fri Dec 08, 2006 at 06:55 AMBy the way, as "Mondo Cane" is an Italian movie (the first of the dreadful "Mondo" wave), are you sure that the comment is in Spanish, not in Italian?
"... are you sure that the comment is in Spanish, not in Italian?"
Definitely Spanish. Or at least the subtitles are (the sound didn't work on my computer, if there is any sound).
... If the piece had been Italian, they would have been eating Linguini Alfredo, eh?
Posted by Big Gary in Matagorda, Texas on Fri Dec 08, 2006 at 03:25 PMDefinitely Spanish. Or at least the subtitles are (the sound didn't work on my computer, if there is any sound).
... If the piece had been Italian, they would have been eating Linguini Alfredo, eh?
Maegan, the special you saw was on the Dinka. At my church we have several of The Lost Boys and when I saw that show advertised, I decided to watch in order to understand a bit of their culture. However, with the Dinka, it was young men who deliberately fattened themselves up on nothing but goats milk if I remember right. And they were off by themselves and not in a seperate village. I think you confused the segment on the couple trying to get married, who were from seperate villages.
And as far as the wives of Alunda, I question the 27 children of the one. I've heard of large families, but the largest I've ever heard of was 15. Anybody ever check out Guiness to see if they list the most children to a woman?
Posted by Christopher Cole in Tucson, AZ on Sat Dec 09, 2006 at 06:06 PMAnd as far as the wives of Alunda, I question the 27 children of the one. I've heard of large families, but the largest I've ever heard of was 15. Anybody ever check out Guiness to see if they list the most children to a woman?
I'm pretty sure the most number if children born to one woman is 69 and occurred sometime in the 1700's. Apparently she had many, many sets of twins, triplets and even a set of quads.
Posted by Nettie in Perth, Western Australia on Sun Dec 10, 2006 at 04:21 AMSomewhere on this site we've had the discussion before about the record number of children born to one mother. But I can't find it.
Posted by Alex in San Diego on Mon Dec 11, 2006 at 11:00 PMCan definetly confirm that wife fattening is a rela custom in Africa; Heard an article on BBC World Service about the differences in the macho cultures of Kenya and Mexico, and in Kenya it is part of learning to be a wife to make oneself overweight as possible in order to keep one's husband.
I assume that perhaps body fat is a survival advantage in droughts and famines, or pmaybe the sex hormone level is lower and chubby wives are more faithful or something.
Posted by DFStuckey in Auckland New Zealand on Tue Dec 12, 2006 at 08:19 PMI assume that perhaps body fat is a survival advantage in droughts and famines, or pmaybe the sex hormone level is lower and chubby wives are more faithful or something.
the language of the movie is not spanish, is italian
Posted by kroni on Wed Aug 15, 2007 at 02:45 PMwhat I mean is: the sound is italian, the text is spanish (subtitles)
Posted by kroni on Wed Aug 15, 2007 at 02:46 PMPage 1 of 1 pages