Author
Richard Andree
1835-1912
Richard Andree (1835-1912) is a public-domain author available on Rivro. Read free books, explore subjects, and discover related classics.
WikipediaBooks by Richard Andree
Abessinien, das Alpenland unter den Tropen und seine Grenzländer
"Abessinien, das Alpenland unter den Tropen und seine Grenzländer" by Richard Andree is a scientific publication written in the late 19th century. The work focuses on the richly diverse history, culture, and geography of Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia) during a time of significant political upheaval under King Theodore. It presents an exploration of the unique characteristics of the region, including its natural beauty and the complexities of its people. The opening of the book provides an extensive overview of the exploration of Abyssinia, discussing its picturesque landscapes and the fascinating encounters with its inhabitants. It outlines the historical context of the region, particularly during the reign of King Theodore, portraying the dualities of natural grandeur and human strife. The text highlights the impact of foreign ventures, notably by European explorers and missionaries, and sets the stage for a deeper examination of Abyssinia's unique cultural tapestry, its struggles for identity in the face of external challenges, and the internal societal dynamics that shaped this remarkable terrain.
Die Metalle bei den Naturvölkern : $b Mit Berücksichtigung prähistorischer Verhältnisse
"Die Metalle bei den Naturvölkern: Mit Berücksichtigung prähistorischer Verhältnisse" by Richard Andree is a scientific publication written in the late 19th century. This work examines the use and development of metals among so-called "primitive peoples," with a strong focus on the ethnographic and cultural-historical aspects, and pays particular attention to prehistorical questions surrounding metallurgy. The book appears to offer a comparative study across different regions outside the European and Semitic cultural spheres, investigating how various societies independently discovered, processed, and valued metals such as iron, copper, tin, and bronze. The opening of the book presents a detailed preface and introduction in which the author outlines the motivation behind the work: the need to collect and preserve rapidly vanishing traditional knowledge on indigenous metallurgy in the face of growing European influence and industrialization. Andree acknowledges the complexity of the topic—requiring input from geology, geography, ethnography, chemistry, prehistory, and linguistics—and explains his comparative approach, covering Africa, Asia, and the Americas while excluding well-studied European and Semitic contexts. He previews major themes, such as the independent or borrowed nature of metalworking knowledge, the variability in the sequence of the Stone, Copper, Bronze, and Iron Ages across cultures, and the methodological issues in tracing the spread and development of metallurgy. The initial chapter then begins with a close look at ironworking among the peoples of Africa, particularly its presence in Ancient Egypt and its spread throughout the continent, supported by archaeological finds and early ethnographic reports.
Die Anthropophagie
"Die Anthropophagie" by Richard Andree is an ethnographic study written in the late 19th century. It examines habitual cannibalism as a cultural practice—excluding famine-driven cases—across prehistory, classical sources, European folklore, and contemporary societies worldwide. The work assembles evidence, classifies motives (vengeance, ritual, magic, social law), maps geographic distribution, and suggests a gradual decline alongside expanding European influence. The opening of the study lays out this scope and method, then moves swiftly into evidence. It first debates prehistoric cannibalism via cave finds and cut-marked human bones (Belgium, France, Italy, Iberia, Germany), citing scholars like Spring, Garrigou, Regnault, Piette, and others to argue at least plausible ceremonial or nutritive consumption (notably brain and marrow). It next surveys “survivals” in myth and folklore—from Greek legends (Polyphemus, Tantalus, Atreus) and European witch tales to Slavic, Finnic, and Turkic stories—and shows living superstitions that attribute power or healing to human blood and organs, with modern cases of grave violation and battlefield organ-eating as grim parallels. A concise historical chapter gathers classical testimonies (Herodotus, Strabo, Porphyry, Sallust, Juvenal, Jerome) to bridge antiquity and the present. The regional survey then begins: in the Malay Archipelago it details the Batta’s legally sanctioned cannibalism and rarer practices among Dajaks and Philippine groups (Manobo ritual heart-eating, outcast Asuan families, head-taker customs), while on the Asian mainland it notes only sporadic, famine-driven or rumored cases. Entering Africa, it documents West African practices from Sierra Leone to the Niger Delta—including multiple eyewitness accounts of killings and open sale or cooking of human flesh in Bonny, Okrika, and Old Calabar—and in equatorial West Africa reports on the Fan, where cannibalism extends to trading in corpses and grave-robbing.