Life, 1891-05-28 · page 5 of 18
Life — May 28, 1891 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page presents a humorous poem titled "The Cannibal Maid and Her Hottentot Blade; Or, How Three Were Made One," accompanied by satirical illustrations depicting indigenous African figures in a violent scenario. The content appears to be a Victorian-era satirical piece using racist caricature and stereotype. It portrays African peoples as cannibals engaged in brutal conflict, reflecting the dehumanizing attitudes common in 19th-century American media. The poem's dark humor derives from its violent subject matter and crude depiction of non-European peoples. Without additional contextual information about the specific issue or historical moment, I cannot identify whether this satirizes a particular event or political issue. The attribution reads "Edward H. [illegible]." The piece exemplifies how Life magazine used racist imagery and stereotypes as comedic material during this period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XVII. bd L | F FE ° NUMBER 439. THE CANNIBAL MAID AND HER HOTTENTOT BLADE; OR, HOW THREE WERE MADE ONE. CANNIBAL Maid and her Hottentot Blade, They met in a rocky defile; A gay eagle plume was his only costume, The lady was wrapt in a—smile. Together they strolled and his passion he told, In pleading and tremulous tone, While softly they trod on the blossom strewn sod, And spooned in the twilight alone. Then sweetly she sighed as she shyly replied With tender and fairy like mean, She murmured the word, when a war whoop was heard, A rival had burst on the scene. A savage Zulu, to the trysting place drew, Demanding his Cannibal bride; But the Hottentot said, with a toss of his head, “I'll have thy degenerate hide.” The Hottentot flew at the savage Zulu, The Zulu he went for the Blade, And fiercely they vied in their strength and their pride, And fought for the Cannibal Maid. She perched on a stone, with a shapely shin-bone, Clasped tight in her tapering arms, And watched the blood fly, with a love laden cye, While the warriors fought for her charms. When fiercer they fought and the ringing blows caught With thrust and with parry and punch, She said, witha smile, ‘In a.very.short while I will have those two fellows for lunch.” The purple blood flows from the Hottentot’s nose, The Zulu is struck by the Blade ; Then each of them sighed, a gasping—he died, And looked on the Cannibal Maid. She made a nice stew of the savage Zulu, And scrambled the Hottentot's brains ; ’Twas a dainty menu, when the cooking was through, And she dined on her lovers’ remains. The savage Zulu and the Hottentot, too, Both sleep in a Cannibal tomb— The three were made one and the story is done— The maiden strolled off in the gloom. Edward H. Peple. comicbooks.com