Or to use the anthropological jargon, adipocere. This a fatty wax substance that the body creates when it is decomposing in a certain way. In the following I will explain how this happens, give examples of this naturally occurring, and an example of someone who had actually made human soap. The bodies that undergo this chemical change have to be exposed to moisture, a pond, a cave, a bog. “...it consisits of fatty acids formed by the hydrolysis and hydrogenation of body fats,” states Dr. Ubelaker in his book, Bones. Although the body does give off a substance similar to soap, it sometimes, depending on conditions it resembles that of leather.
An example of this leathering of the body can be found in bog bodies. A bog has so many chemical factors in which to assist in the sort of mummification of the body. When a bog body is found, no matter what the persons skin colour was before, it takes on a dark brown appearance. Now, unlike the mummies of Egypt who are dried out, most bog bodies, when discovered look like they are sleeping (image below). The others that do not look so peaceful, look like shells of what they used to be. This is most likely caused by the ratio of water and air in a blog. Most, if not all, bog bodies are a cause of sacrifice or murder. The image below, named Tollund Man, was found with the rope used to kill him still around his neck. On the subject of death, let us step into murder. I was going to address the Nazis and how they made humans into soap, but this is still classified as an urban legend. I will continue with something that sounds as if it was invented for a crime novel, but, sadly this is entirely true.
An example of this leathering of the body can be found in bog bodies. A bog has so many chemical factors in which to assist in the sort of mummification of the body. When a bog body is found, no matter what the persons skin colour was before, it takes on a dark brown appearance. Now, unlike the mummies of Egypt who are dried out, most bog bodies, when discovered look like they are sleeping (image below). The others that do not look so peaceful, look like shells of what they used to be. This is most likely caused by the ratio of water and air in a blog. Most, if not all, bog bodies are a cause of sacrifice or murder. The image below, named Tollund Man, was found with the rope used to kill him still around his neck. On the subject of death, let us step into murder. I was going to address the Nazis and how they made humans into soap, but this is still classified as an urban legend. I will continue with something that sounds as if it was invented for a crime novel, but, sadly this is entirely true.
Leonarda Cianciulli, also know as The Soap-Maker of Correggio, did just that, but as you can guess she used humans. Her victims were three middle aged women who had come to her for help. The first victim, Faustina Setti, came to her for help finding a husband. On the woman's first visit Cianciulli convinced her to send all members of her family letters saying that she was okay when she arrived to another city in Italy. But before Setti left, she visited Cianciulli, at which Cianciulli offered Setti wine, which was drugged. Once Setti was incapacitated, Cianciulli killed her with an axe.
The second victim, Francesca Soavi, did not come to Cianciulli for help, instead she called her to come because she had news for a job at a school. Just like Setti, Cianciulli told Soavi to write letters, and on the day she was said to leave, she was murdered in the same way Setti was. Her final victim, Virginia Cacioppo, was a former soprano, and just like she, Cianciulli, did with Soavi, got her to come because she had found her work. She, like the other women, was told not to tell anyone where she was headed to. But this request of Cacioppo, had made her sister in law suspicious when the last time she saw her was when she was going into the home of Cianciulli. With this she was finally caught. What Cianciulli said about her last victim,
“She ended up in the pot, like the other two...her flesh was fat and white, when it had melted I added a bottle
of cologne, and after a long time on the boil I was able to make some most acceptable creamy soap. I gave
bars to neighbours and acquaintances. The cakes, too, were better: that woman was really sweet.”
I know what you must be thinking, what made her snap? Well, her son was set to go off to fight in WWII and she sent him the soaps she had made from the victims. In her own way she thought that the deaths of these women were sacrifices to help her son come home safe. That said, many other serial killers do not seem to have the well being of others in mind when they commit their murders, but that is subject for another blog.
Please feel free to comment on what you thought of the blog, or other physical anthropological subjects you would like me to cover.
The second victim, Francesca Soavi, did not come to Cianciulli for help, instead she called her to come because she had news for a job at a school. Just like Setti, Cianciulli told Soavi to write letters, and on the day she was said to leave, she was murdered in the same way Setti was. Her final victim, Virginia Cacioppo, was a former soprano, and just like she, Cianciulli, did with Soavi, got her to come because she had found her work. She, like the other women, was told not to tell anyone where she was headed to. But this request of Cacioppo, had made her sister in law suspicious when the last time she saw her was when she was going into the home of Cianciulli. With this she was finally caught. What Cianciulli said about her last victim,
“She ended up in the pot, like the other two...her flesh was fat and white, when it had melted I added a bottle
of cologne, and after a long time on the boil I was able to make some most acceptable creamy soap. I gave
bars to neighbours and acquaintances. The cakes, too, were better: that woman was really sweet.”
I know what you must be thinking, what made her snap? Well, her son was set to go off to fight in WWII and she sent him the soaps she had made from the victims. In her own way she thought that the deaths of these women were sacrifices to help her son come home safe. That said, many other serial killers do not seem to have the well being of others in mind when they commit their murders, but that is subject for another blog.
Please feel free to comment on what you thought of the blog, or other physical anthropological subjects you would like me to cover.
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