To go with the stories of wandering human feet, there are many instances of human remains(mostly skins) used to make craft items.
William Wallace skinned a strip off the English Lord Treasurer which he made into a baldric for his sword.
Tecumpsah, the Native American war chief was skinned for razor strops-carefully marked with India Ink. They were prized heirlooms.
While the tales of lampshades made from concentration camp victims are in doubt, prisons and madhouses often processed indigent inmates into craft items, which were sold to defray costs(or so the story goes-one story pretty much spotlights the Byberry Asylum near Philly. That place was a hellhole, it had a fire in the 'fifties that killed numerous inmates and spawned a cycle of myths.)
There was also a lively trade in anatomical specimens from such places. India and China cut deeply into the market, until shame caused tight restrictions to be enacted. Spoilsports!
Suppliers used to advertise their wares in 'Shotgun News', a firearms trade paper-with the headline, ''We peel 'em, you deal 'em!" Skulls were sold in cases of 24.
Followers of Palo Mayombe, a form of Voodoo prize human bones and skulls as ritual objects. There have been grave robberies in which the cult is suspected.
I enjoy being a ghoul, but now, back to the topic!
William Wallace skinned a strip off the English Lord Treasurer which he made into a baldric for his sword.
Tecumpsah, the Native American war chief was skinned for razor strops-carefully marked with India Ink. They were prized heirlooms.
While the tales of lampshades made from concentration camp victims are in doubt, prisons and madhouses often processed indigent inmates into craft items, which were sold to defray costs(or so the story goes-one story pretty much spotlights the Byberry Asylum near Philly. That place was a hellhole, it had a fire in the 'fifties that killed numerous inmates and spawned a cycle of myths.)
There was also a lively trade in anatomical specimens from such places. India and China cut deeply into the market, until shame caused tight restrictions to be enacted. Spoilsports!
Suppliers used to advertise their wares in 'Shotgun News', a firearms trade paper-with the headline, ''We peel 'em, you deal 'em!" Skulls were sold in cases of 24.
Followers of Palo Mayombe, a form of Voodoo prize human bones and skulls as ritual objects. There have been grave robberies in which the cult is suspected.
I enjoy being a ghoul, but now, back to the topic!