John Frum

A John Frum gathering area

John Frum (also called Jon Frum,[1] John Brum,[2] and John Prum[3]) is a figure associated with cargo cults on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu. He is often depicted as an American World War II serviceman who will bring wealth and prosperity to the people if they follow him. Quoting David Attenborough's report of an encounter: "'E look like you. 'E got white face. 'E tall man. 'E live 'long South America."[4]

In the 1990s, there were still reportedly over 5,000 members of the John Frum movement. Belief in John Frum is in decline, however; as of 2022, there are fewer than 500 practitioners. Currently, only the village of Lamakara is faithful to the John Frum faith on the island of Tanna. The rest of the island has been mostly converted by Christian missionaries based in Sulphur Bay.[5][better source needed]

  1. ^ "Jon Frum". jonfrumartfoundation.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Guiart was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ BBC (1991). "The Fantastic Invasion". Event occurs at 34:25. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  4. ^ Attenborough, David (1960). People of Paradise. New York: Harper & Brothers.
  5. ^ Waiting for John Frum: Cargo Cult of the South Pacific | When God is An American Soldier Documentary, retrieved 2023-02-07

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