In the late 1930’s the elders on the island of Tanna in the Republic of Vanuatu were visited by a vision of a white man named John Frum, who told them to live more kastom and rebuke the Scottish Presbyterian Missionaries who have shut down their more bohemian life. But it only got more popular when World War 2 came to the South Pacific. After the war, the islanders decided to keep worshipping John Frum in the hope that he’ll one day return and make their cargo cult prominent.
Matt’s Thoughts:
The story of an indigenous tribe in the South Pacific being so heavily influenced by Americans during World War 2, feels like a comedy movie more than a real story.
Cargo Cults are a thing that happen from time to time, and its not surprising that it popped up in a community that wanted to reject Scottish Missionaries by taking more psychedelics, and then getting totally caught up by what the US Military brought to their island during WW2.
This story caught my eye because it seemed absurd. And even though it kinda is, it still makes you see how people can be influenced by the shock and awe of war, and what it brings to areas that never saw that kind of action before…and how they are when they are inevitably left behind.
About DEEP LORE
Deep Lore is a weekly history podcast hosted by Matt Jarbo. Each episode will go into scary True Crime stories, adventures of the unexplained, Pop Culture Lore, Internet Oddities, and even the occasional Reddit Story. This podcast is for people who are interested in the strange and obsessed with The Weird. The Wild. The WTF.
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