Images of Savages: Ancient Roots of Modern Prejudice in Western Culture

In recent times major efforts have been made to eliminate racial prejudice, but there is plenty of evidence that it still survives. Gustav Jahoda demonstrates how deeply-rooted European perceptions of the other from previous centuries are still feeding racial prejudice today. In this text, the author explains the historical background upon which early explorers interpreted their first sightings of and encounters with people from other cultures. Monstrous humanoid creatures from classical antiquity and the fabulous wild men of medieval woods were clearly in the minds of those Europeans who first went to the New World. As these creatures were more animal-like than human, it is unsurprising that animal traits such as unbridled sexuality and cannibalism were easily attributed to them. Later on, European colonialism led to the popular child-like image of indigenous people. This socio-historical contextualization should be interest to scholars of psychology, sociology and anthropology and to all those interested in racial prejudice.