The inhabitants of South Pacific Island are worshipping the spirit of a World War-II soldier as they belive he will bring Coca-Cola and Radios, TVs, trucks, boats, watches, iceboxes, medicine and many other wonderful things.’
Every February a cult gathers at the base of an active volcano in the South Pacific in a religious tribute to a dead American soldier.
The elders wear American military uniforms jangling with medals, the rest paint ‘USA’ in red paint on their bare chests.
They march around a rickety pole in military formation before raising the American flag.
They are the followers of John Frum and on February 15 every year they pay homage in this way to a divine spirit ‘more powerful than Jesus’.
The followers of John Frum live in a small village at the base of Mount Yasur, an active volcano on the island of Tanna, Vanuatu.
To them John Frum is a god-like spirit most commonly depicted as an American soldier from the World War II.
The cult believes the almighty John Frum will one day return to Tanna bringing wealth, good luck and gifts from America.
The World War II had an enormous and positive impact on Vanuatu and the people of Tanna.
The sleepy island heaved with some 300,000 American servicemen preparing for the brewing Pacific conflict with Japan.
New airstrips and hospitals were built and the islanders prospered from the flood of food and supplies.
The name ‘John Frum’, or ‘John From’, comes from the way the soldiers would introduce themselves: ‘Hi, I’m John from New York’ or, ‘Nice to meet you, I’m John from Miami’.
When the war ended and these John Frums left Vanuatu, the bounty of food and cargo dried up.
Recognising that the soldiers were responsible for the island’s brief wealth, a large portion of the islanders took to worship in the hope they would return.
They ploughed imitation runaways and built ramshackle observation towers to try and coax back their departed luck.
Soon they were also donning discarded military uniforms and raising the American flag in increasingly elaborate rituals.
Since its beginnings in the 1940s the John Frum ‘cargo cult’ has swollen to number as many as 6,000 believers, according to the BBC.
In 2006 a reporter from Smithsonian Magazine travelled to Vanuatua to speak to the cult and stay in their village.
John Frum’s then leader, a man known as Chief Isaac, explained that the cult was both a spiritual and cultural movement.
He said: ‘If we keep praying to John, he’ll come back with plenty of cargo.
‘John Frum came to help us get back our traditional customs, our kava drinking, our dancing, because the missionaries and colonial government were destroying our culture.
‘John is a spirit. He knows everything. He’s even more powerful than Jesus.’
Another village elder told the Smithsonian that John Frum would one day return to the island bringing ‘wonderful’ things from America.
He said: ‘John promised he’ll bring planeloads and shiploads of cargo to us from America if we pray to him.
‘Radios, TVs, trucks, boats, watches, iceboxes, medicine, Coca-Cola and many other wonderful things.’
Vanuatu was settled by British and French missionaries in the late 19th Century and the two nations ruled together from 1906.
By the late 1930s their colonial rule was seen by many on Tanna as increasingly oppressive as it slowly smothered their ancient traditions.
Anthropologist Ralph Reganvalu said that John Frum emerged in this context as a ‘cultural preservation movement’ which revived many dying customs.
He told the BBC: ‘There was a whole period in history known as Tanna Law where the missionaries put in this series of rules about what people weren't supposed to do and the movement emerged because of this oppression.’
HE CARGO CULTS OF TANNA
John Frum is not the only cargo cult in the Pacific and is one of three living on the island of Tanna.
Although each cult began under similar circumstances, there are stark differences in their rituals and beliefs.
The Tom Navy cargo cult is similar to John Frum in that it worships a long-departed American naval officer who lived on the island during World War II.
Tom Navy is believed to be Thomas Beatty, a missionary from Mississippi who served in the Navy during the war.
The Prince Philip Movement began in the late 1950s or early 1960s and believes that the Queen’s husband is a divine spirit. One explanation for the movement is that islanders saw how much respect colonial officials gave to the Queen, and concluded her husband must be a powerful man.
The cult was brought to Prince Philip’s attention in the 1980s. He has since sent them photographs and met members of the movement when they travelled to England.
(Ben Bohane is a journalist and photographer who lives in Vanuatu and has covered the Pacific for more than 25 years)
Every February a cult gathers at the base of an active volcano in the South Pacific in a religious tribute to a dead American soldier.
The elders wear American military uniforms jangling with medals, the rest paint ‘USA’ in red paint on their bare chests.
They march around a rickety pole in military formation before raising the American flag.
They are the followers of John Frum and on February 15 every year they pay homage in this way to a divine spirit ‘more powerful than Jesus’.
The followers of John Frum live in a small village at the base of Mount Yasur, an active volcano on the island of Tanna, Vanuatu.
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| Every February the cult gather at the base of an active volcano |
To them John Frum is a god-like spirit most commonly depicted as an American soldier from the World War II.
The cult believes the almighty John Frum will one day return to Tanna bringing wealth, good luck and gifts from America.
The World War II had an enormous and positive impact on Vanuatu and the people of Tanna.
The sleepy island heaved with some 300,000 American servicemen preparing for the brewing Pacific conflict with Japan.
New airstrips and hospitals were built and the islanders prospered from the flood of food and supplies.
The name ‘John Frum’, or ‘John From’, comes from the way the soldiers would introduce themselves: ‘Hi, I’m John from New York’ or, ‘Nice to meet you, I’m John from Miami’.
When the war ended and these John Frums left Vanuatu, the bounty of food and cargo dried up.
Recognising that the soldiers were responsible for the island’s brief wealth, a large portion of the islanders took to worship in the hope they would return.
They ploughed imitation runaways and built ramshackle observation towers to try and coax back their departed luck.
Soon they were also donning discarded military uniforms and raising the American flag in increasingly elaborate rituals.
Since its beginnings in the 1940s the John Frum ‘cargo cult’ has swollen to number as many as 6,000 believers, according to the BBC.
In 2006 a reporter from Smithsonian Magazine travelled to Vanuatua to speak to the cult and stay in their village.
John Frum’s then leader, a man known as Chief Isaac, explained that the cult was both a spiritual and cultural movement.
He said: ‘If we keep praying to John, he’ll come back with plenty of cargo.
‘John Frum came to help us get back our traditional customs, our kava drinking, our dancing, because the missionaries and colonial government were destroying our culture.
‘John is a spirit. He knows everything. He’s even more powerful than Jesus.’
Another village elder told the Smithsonian that John Frum would one day return to the island bringing ‘wonderful’ things from America.
He said: ‘John promised he’ll bring planeloads and shiploads of cargo to us from America if we pray to him.
‘Radios, TVs, trucks, boats, watches, iceboxes, medicine, Coca-Cola and many other wonderful things.’
Vanuatu was settled by British and French missionaries in the late 19th Century and the two nations ruled together from 1906.
By the late 1930s their colonial rule was seen by many on Tanna as increasingly oppressive as it slowly smothered their ancient traditions.
Anthropologist Ralph Reganvalu said that John Frum emerged in this context as a ‘cultural preservation movement’ which revived many dying customs.
He told the BBC: ‘There was a whole period in history known as Tanna Law where the missionaries put in this series of rules about what people weren't supposed to do and the movement emerged because of this oppression.’
HE CARGO CULTS OF TANNA
John Frum is not the only cargo cult in the Pacific and is one of three living on the island of Tanna.
Although each cult began under similar circumstances, there are stark differences in their rituals and beliefs.
The Tom Navy cargo cult is similar to John Frum in that it worships a long-departed American naval officer who lived on the island during World War II.
Tom Navy is believed to be Thomas Beatty, a missionary from Mississippi who served in the Navy during the war.
The Prince Philip Movement began in the late 1950s or early 1960s and believes that the Queen’s husband is a divine spirit. One explanation for the movement is that islanders saw how much respect colonial officials gave to the Queen, and concluded her husband must be a powerful man.
The cult was brought to Prince Philip’s attention in the 1980s. He has since sent them photographs and met members of the movement when they travelled to England.
(Ben Bohane is a journalist and photographer who lives in Vanuatu and has covered the Pacific for more than 25 years)
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