1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: Phillow Ridiculous Historians. We're returning to you with this week's 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:08,559 Speaker 1: classic episode. The question is what's the most famous a 3 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: person could be? 4 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 2: Dupe? Dupe, dupe Edinburgh. That's all I got this world, 5 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 2: Oh boy, I didn't know any other That's all I got. 6 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 2: This is a fun one. Guys about the Duke of Edinburgh, 7 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 2: who pretty interesting life. 8 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: Mm hmm, yeah, literally royalty. You may know him by 9 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 1: the name Prince Philip. Uh. He has obviously lived a 10 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: very different life to that of most people on the planet. 11 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 1: And Noel, as you said, he also, depending upon whom 12 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: you ask, attained godhood. 13 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 2: Yeah. I don't know if the term cargo cult means 14 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 2: anything to you, but maybe do take a little peekback 15 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 2: through the feed of our sister podcast stuff. They don't 16 00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 2: want you to know if you want some companion material, 17 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 2: because it's wild. It is a religious movement and this 18 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 2: guy was highly revered in it. 19 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 1: Let's roll the tape. Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. 20 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:43,119 Speaker 1: Recently on Twitter, I was asking some friends about which 21 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 1: books we find ourselves rereading again and again in this 22 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: sort of inevitable way, Like you read this, you know 23 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 1: a few years later, you're going to reread it for me. 24 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 1: One of my favorite books in the world is a 25 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: book called The Atlas of Remote Islands. Talked about this book. 26 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 2: I don't think so, Ben. My name is Nola by. 27 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: The way, Oh yes, and I'm Ben. And we are 28 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: joined with our guest super producer, Paul Michigan controlled Decan, 29 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: who you may recognize for another show stuff they don't 30 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:14,919 Speaker 1: want you to know. Paul, do you have a sound 31 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 1: Do we have a sound effect? Paul is nodding, Oh, 32 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: there it is, and as always, shout out to our 33 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 1: super producer, Casey Lebouche Pegram, who is pursuing his double life. 34 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 2: I just think it's a delight that he's able to 35 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 2: do that, you know, and only receive mild ragging from us. 36 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: Ragging, No, say it ain't so. I have immense respect 37 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 1: for anyone who can kaiser SoSE to that degree. Let's 38 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 1: just hope his French friends never listened to this English 39 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: language podcast where it's all over for Lebouche. One thing 40 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:56,360 Speaker 1: about this book now, I'll get you a copy because 41 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:58,359 Speaker 1: it's a tremendous book. It's one of those books that 42 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:02,640 Speaker 1: I end up having to buy copy of repeatedly because 43 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 1: they keep giving it away. One thing about this book 44 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: is it's an atlas and an anthology of short true 45 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:15,519 Speaker 1: stories that happen on some of the world's most remote islands. 46 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 1: And when we think here in the States of traveling, 47 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:25,679 Speaker 1: we think of places like, you know, Europe, maybe Africa, 48 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 1: South America, Asia, But we often and there's not a 49 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,360 Speaker 1: ding on us. I'm just saying the general we people 50 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: in the US, we often forget about the thousands and 51 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: thousands and thousands of tiny islands around the globe, you 52 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: know what I mean. They have their own distinct, rich, 53 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 1: amazing history that you will not find anywhere else on 54 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 1: the planet. 55 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, and a bunch of them are in the South Pacific. 56 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, oh yeah, I know if you've seen the 57 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 2: musical South Pacific. But it's very accurate about the life 58 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 2: on these islands. 59 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 1: In that they're in the South Pacific. 60 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 2: That's right. And they sing constantly. Everything's in song form, 61 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 2: with occasional snatches of dialogue. Everyone's washing men out of 62 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 2: their hair. You know. Their showers are these little stalls 63 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 2: with little coconut thing. Everything's made of coconuts. It's like 64 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 2: Iligan's Island, kind of situation. 65 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: You know, right, I have to say I have not 66 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 1: I have not seen the musical South Pacific. 67 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 2: Well, the most famous song I think is the Balia 68 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:27,480 Speaker 2: We'll call you ballyt Highs, like the kind of shangri law. 69 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:29,160 Speaker 2: It's like the sort of like Paradise. 70 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,359 Speaker 1: Yeah, maybe I'll check it out. Yeah. 71 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 2: Yeah. 72 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 1: The thing about this area of the world is that 73 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: it is populated with thousands and thousands of islands grouped 74 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: in different places, you know, Micronesia, Malaysia, Indonesia where our 75 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: good pow Christopher Hasiotis has spent some time Indonesia, Indonesia. 76 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 2: Yeah. 77 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, he's deep in the Indonesia game. We should ask 78 00:04:56,400 --> 00:05:00,480 Speaker 1: him about it one day. Today's story it takes us 79 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 1: to the South Pacific. We are traveling to Melanesia e 80 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 1: l A n e Sia, and we're examining a religious 81 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:18,679 Speaker 1: movement that may be familiar to some and completely out 82 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: of the blue for others. We're going to Tana, a 83 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: small island in the southern part of the Vanuatu Archipelago 84 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: where devoted believers await the second coming of a god, 85 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: an American god, a US god who will bring divine 86 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:43,719 Speaker 1: gifts and their specific. 87 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, there's a pigeon English word that I didn't know this, 88 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:49,679 Speaker 2: but cargo is Pigeon English for like stuff. 89 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:56,600 Speaker 1: Basically, right, this god will bring televisions, refrigerators, Coca cola. 90 00:05:56,680 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 1: This belief system, this religious movement is often referred to 91 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:05,279 Speaker 1: as a cargo cult. And the idea, just like you said, Noel. 92 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:08,599 Speaker 1: For a lot of us, cargo means like something you 93 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: would haul on a ship, but here it means stuff gifts. 94 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:16,599 Speaker 1: So there will be in this belief a new age 95 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 1: of blessing and it will be signaled by the arrival 96 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: of a special cargo of goods from supernatural sources. 97 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:27,720 Speaker 2: But Ben, this god doesn't have a particularly godlike name. 98 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 1: Does he in when there is John from Frum, so. 99 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 2: It's an odd name for a god. 100 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:39,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, so this there's a documentary called Waiting for John, 101 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: an Island's cult worships American materialism, and it's about the 102 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:48,839 Speaker 1: John From movement on Tanna. This is commonly called a 103 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 1: cargo cult, which may seem like an advisive word for people, 104 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 1: but in the belief system, John From is a soldier 105 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 1: who visited Tanna during World War Two bringing. 106 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 2: So what this is to me and to many anthropologists 107 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 2: that have examined this phenomenon is sort of a clashing 108 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 2: of modern culture with indigenous culture, right, Ben. 109 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, there's real there's syncretism of a type going 110 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: on here. So the John From movement has its greatest 111 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: stronghold in a village called Lama Kara, and many villagers 112 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: have still according to a Great Slate article written in 113 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen, many villagers in this area have left the 114 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: movement for other religions, typically Christian alternatives. The idea becomes 115 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 1: becomes sticky because it is a real thing, right, and 116 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: it is a genuine belief system. But also there's a 117 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: little bit of othering that occurs when we're talking about this. 118 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 1: You know, it's very easy perhaps for people to be 119 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: condescending about this, but we know that the cargo cults 120 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: existed before World War Two. One of the first occurrences 121 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 1: was the Tuka movement that began in Fiji in eighteen 122 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: eighty five around the British colonial plantation era. And it's 123 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 1: kind of the same Grand Theater written out, there's going 124 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 1: to be a there's going to be a stranger who 125 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:27,800 Speaker 1: has tremendous power who is going to bring these this 126 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: unending cycle of goods and gifts. And usually when we 127 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 1: talk about cargo cults. Today, we're talking about the Melanesian 128 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:41,840 Speaker 1: Islanders in the years during and after World War Two, 129 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: because these people were not living you know, globally connected lives. 130 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:52,880 Speaker 1: And then in the because of the tragedy of World 131 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:57,680 Speaker 1: War Two, they see the largest war ever fought by 132 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 1: you know, high tech nations. Right, I see Japan bringing 133 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:05,079 Speaker 1: a great deal of supplies and then later the Allied forces. 134 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 1: So what would you think, you know what I mean 135 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 1: if you wake up one day people dressed in a 136 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:12,240 Speaker 1: way you've never seen. Right, They're coming out of machines 137 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:14,560 Speaker 1: that you have never seen. Are they machines? It's tough 138 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: to know. And then they're bringing tons. Tons are really 139 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 1: cool stuff, really cool stuff. 140 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:25,320 Speaker 2: And they not only sought the blessings and the largesse 141 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:27,720 Speaker 2: of these items that would rain down from the sky 142 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 2: and theory they had to sacrifice some stuff, or at 143 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 2: least they created this system that was again this kind 144 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 2: of East meets West or kind of you know, clashing 145 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 2: of cultures where they were able to kind of adapt 146 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 2: their traditional beliefs into this kind of new sort of 147 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:48,680 Speaker 2: hybridized religion and some of it involved sacrificing. 148 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: Right, Like what kind of sacrifices. 149 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 2: Well, some of the native folks would want to butcher 150 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:57,560 Speaker 2: all of their pigs because they knew they were going 151 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:01,080 Speaker 2: to receive a blessing of grit eight pigs that would 152 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 2: rain down from the sky. So they would hoard food 153 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 2: and firewood, and they would stockpile all these things for 154 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 2: the arrival of the great pigs that they would then 155 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:13,320 Speaker 2: use to feed them. This is my favorite part, and 156 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:16,120 Speaker 2: this is really fascinating. All that gear we were talking about, 157 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:19,440 Speaker 2: all that stuff that they would see. They built their 158 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 2: own kind of like stand ins for some of these things, 159 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 2: like radio towers may have bamboo and rope. 160 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:30,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, and would dress in ways that were reminiscent 161 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 1: of the what they believed these other people had looked like. 162 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 1: I think you're talking specifically about when the Australian government 163 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:43,720 Speaker 1: went into New Guinea right in the nineteen forties, nineteen 164 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:47,439 Speaker 1: forty six, and people went nuts. Can you imagine how 165 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: surreal the situation would because they were slaughtering all their pigs, right, 166 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 1: that was the sacrifice before the They thought, because they 167 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:58,199 Speaker 1: saw these forces, that it was a signed the world 168 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:01,800 Speaker 1: was going to end right three days of Darkness millennium. Yeah, 169 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 1: and then as you said, no great pigs appear from 170 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: the sky. And what's interesting about this is that there 171 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 1: are multiple versions of these of these religions, and they 172 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 1: appear to have arisen independently as sort of a parallel 173 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:26,720 Speaker 1: response to social stress and strain. There's the Taro cult 174 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 1: and New Gueni, the Vii Laala Madness of Papua, the 175 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 1: Naked cult of Espiritu Santo, the John From movement which 176 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 1: you mentioned earlier, and the Touka cult from the late 177 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:42,760 Speaker 1: eighteen hundreds. It's strange that this applied to troops on 178 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 1: either side of World War Two. So Axis forces land 179 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:49,800 Speaker 1: somewhere on an island and boom, it's a sign of 180 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:52,920 Speaker 1: the apocalypse. Allied forces arrive, boom, it's a sign of 181 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:57,439 Speaker 1: the same. And there's a story about Gis who were 182 00:11:57,480 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 1: moving toward the conflict on Guadalcanal. When they arrived in 183 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:05,719 Speaker 1: the New Hybrides, they found native people preparing these airfields, 184 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 1: these roads, and these docks that you mentioned, and they said, 185 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 1: we're preparing for the ships and planes that were coming 186 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:18,720 Speaker 1: from Rusfel, which was their word for Roosevelt. They thought 187 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 1: he was the King of America. 188 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 2: But they also saw him as a benevolent king, didn't they, Ben, 189 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:23,960 Speaker 2: They did. 190 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:28,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's true he was. If the preparations were made correctly, 191 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 1: then this King of America would show favor to people 192 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:36,240 Speaker 1: who kept the faith the lack of. 193 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:45,959 Speaker 2: A better word, how about the Japanese, Ben, They had 194 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 2: their own kind of encounter with this sort of thing, 195 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 2: didn't they They did? 196 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:54,359 Speaker 1: They did. No, So here's one of the stranger instances 197 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:59,559 Speaker 1: in Dutch New Guinea. Japanese forces had to be turned 198 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 1: against the local Papuan inhabitants of the Guilvink Bay region. 199 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:08,800 Speaker 1: At first, they had been received with great joy because 200 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:12,280 Speaker 1: the native people living there saw them as harbingers of 201 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:15,439 Speaker 1: a new world that was dawning, and they saw the 202 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:18,320 Speaker 1: arrival of the Japanese forces as a sign that the 203 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:22,679 Speaker 1: creator of their islands and their people, named Mansren, would 204 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:26,960 Speaker 1: now return, bringing with them the great ancestral dead. And 205 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 1: the religious leaders said that this was all not this 206 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 1: was all public knowledge. But the Dutch were trying to 207 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:35,920 Speaker 1: control the island, and they had torn out the first 208 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:38,959 Speaker 1: page of the Bible where the true story was inscribed, 209 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:42,960 Speaker 1: and when Mansarin returned, the existing world order would be 210 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:49,000 Speaker 1: entirely thrown on its head. People would change skin color, 211 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:52,560 Speaker 1: broot crops would grow in trees, coconuts, and fruits would 212 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:56,679 Speaker 1: grow on the ground like tubers. And then they started 213 00:13:56,720 --> 00:14:01,680 Speaker 1: getting together in large towns and renaming their villages. Even 214 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:09,720 Speaker 1: they adopted military uniforms, they imitated military drills. This turned 215 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 1: the tide against the Japanese forces. How so they became 216 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:21,640 Speaker 1: very unpopular. They were trying to disarm and disperse these communities, 217 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 1: and eventually canoe loads of fanatics sailed out to attack 218 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 1: Japanese warships. They believed they were invulnerable because of the 219 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 1: Holy water they had sprinkled themselves with. 220 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 2: Power belief, right, the power of belief. 221 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:45,040 Speaker 1: Let's go. You know what's interesting here. I think we 222 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:47,640 Speaker 1: should go back to John Frum. So we've shown that 223 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 1: there are multiple iterations of this thing. 224 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,320 Speaker 2: And John Frum wasn't the only deity. It was sort 225 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 2: of parallel thinking, right. 226 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:58,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. So there is a rich folkloric ecosystem, 227 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:00,840 Speaker 1: which is probably the most protect thing I've said in 228 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 1: a while. 229 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 2: But you know what, Ben, it had to be that. 230 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 2: I'm glad that's the one. It was because that is 231 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:07,400 Speaker 2: a very smart sounding, pretentious thing you just said. 232 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:14,280 Speaker 1: Great, Thanks, thanks so much so. John From is still celebrated. 233 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 1: Every year on February fifteenth, natives of Tanna Island hold 234 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:23,360 Speaker 1: a celebration in honor of From. People clue themselves in 235 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 1: US Army pants, they paint USA on their chest. They 236 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 1: have a replica of a US flag alongside the Marine 237 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:34,840 Speaker 1: Corps emblem. And then the celebrants of this, dressed as soldiers, 238 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 1: march in the shadow of the island's active volcano and 239 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 1: they have replica rifles, red tipped bamboos slung over their shoulder. 240 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:48,520 Speaker 1: This is considered the holiest religious service that followers of 241 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:55,280 Speaker 1: the John From religious movement can do. And it's so difficult. 242 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:57,120 Speaker 1: This is a big topic. We talked about this a 243 00:15:57,120 --> 00:15:58,880 Speaker 1: little bit off. Era is a big topic that we 244 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 1: could probably return to. There are so many incredible cultural 245 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:08,040 Speaker 1: impacts that were made by these encounters with US and 246 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:15,240 Speaker 1: Allied forces. Islanders were First off, they were astonished that 247 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 1: these that these visitors, at least from the Ally side, 248 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 1: were way better than the British missionaries had been. And 249 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 1: then imagine their surprise too when they saw wait, some 250 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 1: of these soldiers have skin like hours and they're getting 251 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:30,560 Speaker 1: all the benefits of this cargo, you know what I mean, 252 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 1: the food, the medicine, the treats, the shelter, the technology. 253 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:38,120 Speaker 1: And in the past, because of their skin colored people 254 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: who lived on these islands had been denied any of 255 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 1: these benefits by the British and by other European powers. 256 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 1: So of course they see this, there's something aspirational about it, 257 00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:57,000 Speaker 1: and we see human propensity to create religion. But we 258 00:16:57,040 --> 00:16:59,520 Speaker 1: should go you know what, we would be remiss if 259 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:04,720 Speaker 1: we didn't cover one of the most infamous examples of 260 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:08,720 Speaker 1: a quote unquote cargo cult. That's the story of Prince Philip. 261 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,320 Speaker 2: The infamous Prince Philip Movement. 262 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:14,440 Speaker 1: No, no, no, is that the Prince Philip? 263 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:17,400 Speaker 2: Oh, yes, yes it is, Yes, it has been. It's 264 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:22,080 Speaker 2: the Prince Philip. So the Prince Philip Movement began on 265 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:23,720 Speaker 2: that very island we talked about at the top of 266 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:26,600 Speaker 2: the show, a Tana in the nineteen sixties. They believed 267 00:17:26,840 --> 00:17:32,119 Speaker 2: that the Prince was some sort of deity unto himself, 268 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 2: a god among men, right like, brought to this earth 269 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:39,640 Speaker 2: to fulfill some sort of ancient prophecy. He was the 270 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 2: son of some kind of mountain spirit who would take 271 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 2: the form of a very conveniently pale skinned man. As 272 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:52,200 Speaker 2: we know, Prince Philip was you know, a little pasty 273 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:54,320 Speaker 2: oh that worked out a little bit on the pasty side, 274 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:59,479 Speaker 2: a little ghostly in his you know, visage, right, And 275 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:04,359 Speaker 2: that this man would travel abroad, marry a powerful woman, 276 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:08,560 Speaker 2: check check, and eventually returned to the island. And when 277 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 2: the villagers saw this portrait of Prince Philip, I'm quite 278 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:16,480 Speaker 2: sure how they happened upon said portrait, Ben, Have you 279 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:17,320 Speaker 2: heard this part of the story? 280 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:21,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, So, so we know that this belief probably 281 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:25,880 Speaker 1: arose sometime in the fifties or sixties, nineteen fifties or sixties, 282 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:29,000 Speaker 1: and it really picked up steam when the Royal couple 283 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:32,880 Speaker 1: visited the island in nineteen seventy four and some villagers 284 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:36,800 Speaker 1: were able to see physically see Prince Philip from a distance. Right. 285 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:40,919 Speaker 1: He was not aware, by the way, of any of this. 286 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:44,919 Speaker 1: He did not know what was happening until later a 287 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:49,240 Speaker 1: guy named John Champion, the British Resident Commissioner of the area, 288 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:53,639 Speaker 1: informed him about this belief system. And Champion is the 289 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 1: one that said, hey, Prince Philip, you should send them 290 00:18:56,600 --> 00:19:00,439 Speaker 1: a picture of you that makes sense. So he sends 291 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:04,840 Speaker 1: the picture and he signs it. The villagers respond by 292 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:09,320 Speaker 1: sending him a traditional club used to kill livestock. It's 293 00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:12,680 Speaker 1: called a null null and he complies with their request 294 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 1: to send them a picture of himself posing with the club. 295 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:18,479 Speaker 1: So he sends it, and I think there was another 296 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:22,440 Speaker 1: photograph that was sent as recently as the year two thousands. 297 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:25,760 Speaker 1: It was recently as nineteen years ago. 298 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:32,600 Speaker 2: And there's a really great mental Fluss article. You know 299 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:35,000 Speaker 2: how much we love Mental Fluss articles. It doesn't have 300 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 2: a writing credit on it, which is strange. I guess 301 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:39,240 Speaker 2: it's just the staff writer. Maybe it was written by committee. 302 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 2: Who knows, I'll have to ask Will and mangsh But 303 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:44,320 Speaker 2: it is about the cult of Prince Philip, and it 304 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:50,800 Speaker 2: talks about how so many world movements, machinations of you know, 305 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:55,720 Speaker 2: cultural shifts, were attributed by these native folks to Prince 306 00:19:55,760 --> 00:20:00,879 Speaker 2: Philip and his influence, his spiritual kind of web of influence. 307 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:04,760 Speaker 2: They actually claimed that his powers gave black men the 308 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 2: ability to become president of the United States, and that 309 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:12,679 Speaker 2: he possessed a kind of magic that allowed the US 310 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:15,640 Speaker 2: forces to locate Osama bin Laden. 311 00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:20,679 Speaker 1: Interesting. Interesting. He was also said at times to be 312 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:25,440 Speaker 1: a brother to John Frum. What I think will startle 313 00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:30,480 Speaker 1: many people is to know that this continued so far 314 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:36,040 Speaker 1: into the modern age. In two thousand and seven, BBC's 315 00:20:36,119 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 1: Channel four broadcast a reality show called Meet the Natives, 316 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 1: which I think is a tone deaf name. Five men 317 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:49,359 Speaker 1: from the Prince Philip movement went on a visit to 318 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:55,520 Speaker 1: Britain and their trip culminated in an audience with Prince Philip. 319 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 1: They actually met, physically met him, talked to him, They 320 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 1: got a new photoph the exchanged some gifts. 321 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 2: Can you imagine how cool that must be if you 322 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 2: really believed this stuff. It'd be like meeting Jesus Christ. 323 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:09,640 Speaker 1: That's the amazing thing. Yeah, it's It kind of makes 324 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:13,400 Speaker 1: you think about the ideas of various ancient civilizations where 325 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,680 Speaker 1: there were god emperors. How powerful is it to meet 326 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:21,440 Speaker 1: someone who has at the center of your religion. Now, 327 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:24,399 Speaker 1: this also goes into an ethical thing that I wanted 328 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:27,600 Speaker 1: to I wanted to ask everybody listening about if you 329 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 1: found out that there was some part of the world 330 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:33,240 Speaker 1: where you had never been, maybe even never thought about visiting, 331 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:37,160 Speaker 1: and that people in this part of the world knew 332 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:40,920 Speaker 1: about you and worshiped you. What would you do? Would 333 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:43,600 Speaker 1: you go, would you allow yourself to be worshiped? Or 334 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:46,960 Speaker 1: would you say, Hey, I'm just a person, you know 335 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:50,640 Speaker 1: what I mean? I you know, I burned my bell 336 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:53,200 Speaker 1: bottoms one leg at a time, like everybody else in 337 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:54,120 Speaker 1: the post disco era. 338 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:57,440 Speaker 2: That's right. I put my sacrificial robes on with a drawstrain, 339 00:21:57,600 --> 00:21:58,880 Speaker 2: just like the rest of you. Mm hmm. 340 00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:02,240 Speaker 1: I too love Tushy Bidetz and Miller like. 341 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, and piniccolatas and occasionally walks in the rain. 342 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 1: So what would you do? It's an interesting question. It's 343 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:10,200 Speaker 1: an ethical dilemma. We know what Prince Philip did. 344 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:12,040 Speaker 2: He kind of leaned into it a little bit, it 345 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:14,719 Speaker 2: really did. Yeah, that's almost got a problematic, is it not. 346 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:17,879 Speaker 1: It's I would say, I would say almost kind is 347 00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:21,280 Speaker 1: a good qualifier. He has other stuff he's done and 348 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: things that he said that were very racist. Yeah, way 349 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:26,160 Speaker 1: more offensive. 350 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:28,399 Speaker 2: That's also true. But here's the thing, though, Ben is 351 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:33,200 Speaker 2: it more or less offensive if it's truly these people's 352 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:37,600 Speaker 2: belief to like reign on their belief, party on their 353 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:39,160 Speaker 2: faith parade? 354 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:39,240 Speaker 1: Yeah? 355 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:41,920 Speaker 2: Or is it more respectful just to go along with it, 356 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:43,719 Speaker 2: even if you happen to be at the center of it. 357 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:45,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't know. It's I mean, it's a quandary. 358 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 1: It's a quagmire. I'm not sure what the right thing 359 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:52,639 Speaker 1: to do would be. If somebody has such tremendous faith 360 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 1: in you, you don't want to let them down, you know, 361 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:59,280 Speaker 1: So we want to hear from you. Let us know 362 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:02,000 Speaker 1: what you think, let us know what your decision would be. 363 00:23:02,119 --> 00:23:05,680 Speaker 1: You can tell us, along with your fellow listeners on Instagram, 364 00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 1: on Twitter, on Facebook, and as always, we look forward 365 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:14,120 Speaker 1: to hearing your takes and to hearing your discussions. These 366 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:18,440 Speaker 1: are active religious movements. They're still around, so let's all 367 00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:20,400 Speaker 1: be respectful of people's beliefs. 368 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:22,600 Speaker 2: What would you do, though, if folks worshiped you and 369 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:24,840 Speaker 2: revered you and held you up as a god, would 370 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:27,840 Speaker 2: you burst their bubble? Or would you go with it? 371 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:30,600 Speaker 2: Let us know. You can write to us at Ridiculous 372 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:36,680 Speaker 2: at iHeartRadio dot com. The aforementioned Facebook page we recommend 373 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:39,879 Speaker 2: you joining is called Ridiculous Historians. I think all you 374 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:41,879 Speaker 2: have to do is name one of our names or 375 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:43,720 Speaker 2: say something clever that lets us know you actually seen 376 00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:45,080 Speaker 2: on the show, and then you can be part of 377 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:48,919 Speaker 2: a really cool group of like minded history buffs that 378 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:51,240 Speaker 2: post a lot of memes and ask a lot of 379 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:53,639 Speaker 2: fun questions, and we lurk in there occasionally and pop 380 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:56,120 Speaker 2: into threads from time to time. You can also find 381 00:23:56,119 --> 00:24:01,240 Speaker 2: me and Ben collectively individually rather at our Instagram handles. 382 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:03,600 Speaker 2: Mine is at how Now Noel Brown. 383 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 1: Mine is at Ben Bolin tune In. I don't remember 384 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: when this episode will come out, but I'll probably be 385 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:15,720 Speaker 1: on some more strange shenanigans and misadventures, so so let 386 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:17,879 Speaker 1: me let me know. I'll also be asking for some 387 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:22,520 Speaker 1: travel advice. And if you if you log into that Facebook, honestly, 388 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:26,560 Speaker 1: just like make us laugh, do something make us laugh. 389 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:29,800 Speaker 1: We're in a big thanks to our guest super producer 390 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: Paul Mission Control Deck and Paul Invisible Air High five 391 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:37,560 Speaker 1: Up Top Boom, and as always, a big big thanks 392 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 1: to Casey LaBouche Hegrim, Thanks. 393 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:42,959 Speaker 2: To Alex Williams who composed our theme. Thanks to our 394 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:47,160 Speaker 2: reach associate Gabe Lusier, and thanks to Chris fhrasiotis here 395 00:24:47,359 --> 00:24:51,159 Speaker 2: in spirit as per usual, and Ben, thanks to you, buddy. 396 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:57,159 Speaker 1: Thanks to you, no I almost called you Buckaroo. But 397 00:24:57,200 --> 00:24:59,200 Speaker 1: those are fighting words for people over. 398 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:01,520 Speaker 2: No fighting here, sir. 399 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:02,480 Speaker 1: We're all about peace. 400 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:27,640 Speaker 2: See you next time. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit 401 00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:30,840 Speaker 2: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 402 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 2: your favorite shows.