White creating this map, I had to think more broadly about the skin itself, rather than the basic definition of taxidermy. Taxidermy is specifically used for animals only, which made me also think about a dead human body being “stuffed” with fluid for a funeral. It would be a human”taxidermy”.
While adding to the flow chart, I realized how deeper skin really is, between animals and humans who share similar traits. Humans and animal skin have both been used to make clothing or weapons. According to ‘skybound.com‘ it state “One of the earliest accounts of wearing human skin, in 440 BCE the Greek historian Herodotus wrote about the ancient Scythians and their tendency to scalp their victims. The Scythians would sew together their human scalps to make cloaks. This was the ultimate form of boasting and wasn’t for practicality so much as it was to show off how many people they had killed.” Humans have always used this method of skinning an animal and using it as rugs or clothing to boast of their kill or wealth. They also hang up the head in their homes to represent the number or the “greatest” kill they had made.
Human and animal skin can share different textures. The pattern of an animal and the pigmentation of a human can change to adapt to the environment.
https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVPVaEnkA=/?share_link_id=249068453514
Wearing Human Skin Throughout History – Skybound Entertainment
You are entering into a challenging realm. How are you interpreting this information and what is your critical framework for your research/this topic? What associations or narratives can you make?