Why Was James Cook Eaten?

Answer 1

Captain Cook was not eaten by the Hawaiian natives, he was given an elaborate, if not grotesque, funerary ritual involving disembowelment similar to the Egyptian Pharoahs, the flesh removed by baking, and the bones cleaned similar to European Saints. His heart was divided among the tribal chiefs and eaten, and his bones distributed among tribal chiefs around the island. All this to preserve him as a religious icon, as the natives had held him in high regard, even though they had killed him. Some of Cook's remains were returned to the crew for burial at sea. The story of him being eaten by the natives is very unlikely as the Hawaiian natives of that time did not indulge cannibalism.