"The Johnson Cult"

The February 2005 Fortean Times (issue 192) has an interesting article about a purported cargo cult on New Hanover that alledgedly wanted to buy Lyndon Johnson to be their president. No, really, that's how the story was told... at the time.

Apparently this was due to a cultural misunderstanding by the Austrailians when the natives sarcastically told them in effect "we'd rather have the Americans run things here rather than you chuckleheads".

Anyhow, it's pp50-52. Fortean Times magazine puts selected articles from previous issues on their website, hopefully this will be one of them. (FT has recently run other articles relating to Polynesian lore.)

more

[UPDATE:]
The article is now available on the Fortean Times website.

[ Edited by: PhiloT on 2005-04-18 09:32 ]

Philot,

I love you bruddah, but I think your post lost something in the translation...

I learned about the John Frum Cargo Cult while reading up on Vanuatu before the Survivor tv show went there last season. As much as that show is into "themes" related to the local island legends, they curiously never mentioned the Frum cult. In any event, it's a fascinating story.

The short write-up on your linked page doesn't go into the division that occured on the island between those who believed and those who didn't. Apparently it led to a great social divide that exists to this day.

I love the Fortean Times magazine, but haven't seen it for a while, and have never been to the website.

Thanks for the link! it's now bookmarked.

Fortean Times have the "Johnson Cult" article online now..

http://www.forteantimes.com/articles/192_johnson1.shtml

Sorry if the link doesn't work, I’m a savvy carver not computer savvy, I'm sure you guys will figure it out. It's an interesting story none the less, part cargo cult, part Christianity and some menstrual blood!

My very best alohas,

Bosko

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051103/od_nm/papua_sorcery_dc;_ylt=Aju5iprTebMXkZ8tnc.C.vEuQE4F;_ylu=X3oDMTA4cmUwbnA1BHNlYwMxNzAy

There was an episode of "Stranded with Cash Peters" recently on the Travel channel where he was on Tanna Island in Vanuatu. There was brief mention of the John Frum cult.

(Honestly, that show, much like Monster Garage, you know how the last episode will play out. That Cash Peters is SO annoying.)