February 18, 2004

Primal Humans Cut Off From Civilization. Father admits to "failures".
posted by Gyan 20 years ago
  • These children aren't the only ones, though.
  • Interesting story Gyan.
  • Awww, I'm feeling all homesick now. (Interesting how the article constantly refers to their lack of contact with "the outside world" - to me, it doesn't sound like you could get much more "outside" than their world.)
  • Seems the father blames the children's condition on his failure to slaughter a sheep at the birth of each one of them "to welcome them into the family" And the familiy's lack of a sacred snake, which would check on them Let's just say, I'm worried about my own future. I don't believe I have either a goat, or a snake. I'm screwed.
  • The father says that they were normal until they were 10. I doubt that he can be relied on as a witness, but I wonder if they did backslide in their development at some point. If the children didn't learn a spoken language when they were younger, they are not likely to now. And why doesn't the mother have a spoken language? Is she deaf? I want more answers.
  • Get those kids some half-zip pullovers and an episode of Friends, stat! And won't someone think of the screenplay rights? I see Sydney Poitier as the proud papa, and Charlize Theron as the plucky young psychologist who reaches into the feral children's secret world. It's Nell meets Cry Freedom!
  • I don't understand why they were removed from their home (didn't finish article). let them stay. the trauma of their upheaval must be almost unbearable.
  • Re Gyan's 3rd link, this caught/cot my eye: Sidi Mohamed is another child who never lost his name. He was playing outside at the age of 5 or 6, and wandered off into the bush where he met ostriches who became his foster family....he is said to have lived on grass. I'm dumbfounded.
  • I think I pulled something laughing at ulotrichous' post. ow....
  • I am confused though - most feral have developement problems because they are not exposed to language, and, in the case of confined children, even from stimulation. But they clearly were not confined, even activly involved with their farm, and if their father was speaking to them (it is hard to imagine why he wouldn't), I don't understand why they would have trouble learning. But there is much that the article is not explaining; it does say that their mother also does not speak - it is possible that their family suffers from developmental disabilities.