A village elder from Tanna island, Vanuatu, in the South Pacific, holds a picture of Britain's Prince Philip, who died on Friday. He is worshiped as a deity in the village of Younanen. Reuters
A village elder from Tanna island, Vanuatu, in the South Pacific, holds a picture of Britain's Prince Philip, who died on Friday. He is worshiped as a deity in the village of Younanen. Reuters
Village chief Jack Malia, right, from Tanna island holds pictures of Britain's Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, next to other villagers in Younanen. Reuters
Village chief Jack Malia, right, from Tanna island holds pictures of Britain's Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, next to other villagers in Younanen. Reuters
Villagers from Younanen show pictures of Prince Philip. A religious sect there, the Prince Philip Movement, is centred around the prince. Reuters
Villagers from Younanen show pictures of Prince Philip. A religious sect there, the Prince Philip Movement, is centred around the prince. Reuters
Village chief Jack Malia, centre, holds a picture of Prince Philip in Younanen. Villagers pray to the prince, asking for his blessing on their crops. Reuters
Village chief Jack Malia, centre, holds a picture of Prince Philip in Younanen. Villagers pray to the prince, asking for his blessing on their crops. Reuters
Sikor Natuan, the son of the local chief, shows two portraits of Prince Philip in the remote village of Younanen. AFP
Sikor Natuan, the son of the local chief, shows two portraits of Prince Philip in the remote village of Younanen. AFP
Chief Jack Naiva on Tanna shows a photograph that Prince Philip sent him, in which the prince is posing with a nal-nal war club the islanders sent to him in the 1970s. Shutterstock
Chief Jack Naiva on Tanna shows a photograph that Prince Philip sent him, in which the prince is posing with a nal-nal war club the islanders sent to him in the 1970s. Shutterstock
Albi Nagia poses with photographs of Prince Philip on Tanna. He is part of a movement that worships the prince as a diety. Shutterstock
Albi Nagia poses with photographs of Prince Philip on Tanna. He is part of a movement that worships the prince as a diety. Shutterstock
Chief Jack Naiva and some of his tribe, who worship Prince Philip. With the death of the prince, Tanna islanders may turn to his son, Prince Charles. Shutterstock
Chief Jack Naiva and some of his tribe, who worship Prince Philip. With the death of the prince, Tanna islanders may turn to his son, Prince Charles. Shutterstock

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Prince Philip mourned by tribe who may now worship Prince Charles

Prince Philip appears to have been singled out for deification by an isolated Pacific island tribe because of a local myth

Robert Tollast
Robert Tollast

April 11, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

After the news of the UK's Prince Philip's death on Friday, the village of Younanen on Tanna Island has gone into mourning.

Tanna is part of an island chain which makes up the nation of Vanuatu in the Pacific, 1,750 kilometres north-east of Australia.

But why Vanuatu?

A casual observer could be forgiven for thinking the islanders had been visited by the prince on his many travels during his time in the Royal Navy.

But the truth is somewhat stranger.

The duke is revered as a god by some residents in the South Pacific island.

The local cult, known as the Prince Philip Movement, is a religious sect followed by the Kastom people, centred on one village.

"I imagine there will be some ritual wailing, some special dances," anthropologist Kirk Huffman told The Telegraph.

"There will be a focus on the men drinking kava – it is the key to opening the door to the intangible world," he said.

As to why residents of Tanna island revere Prince Philip as a deity-like figure, nobody is entirely sure.

One theory focuses on a local myth, which told how a spirit left a nearby mountain, flew to a distant land and married a queen.

The pale-skinned son of a mountain god had ventured across the seas to look for a rich and powerful bride.

Anthropologists believe Prince Philip became linked to the legend in the 1960s when Vanuatu was an Anglo-French colony known as the New Hebrides.

Villagers at the time were likely to have seen portraits of Prince Philip and the queen at government offices and police stations.

The cult grew with Prince Philip's visit to Vanuatu in 1974, when he appeared in his white naval uniform.

Prince Philip sent the villagers three official portraits over the years, including one of him posing with a nal-nal war club they had sent him.

Villagers prayed to the prince daily, asking for his blessing on the banana and yam crops that make their primitive and extremely poor community self-sufficient.

“If he comes one day the people will not be poor, there will be no sickness, no debt and the garden will be growing very well,” said village chief Jack Malia in 2017.

But now Mr Huffman believes the islanders may turn to Prince Charles as the successor to Prince Philip – at least according to the cult.

Prince Charles has already visited the island in 2018, where he was appointed an honorary chief, and took part in a local ritual to confirm his new status.

Mr Huffman believes that based on the villagers' warm reception of Prince Charles – a shrine was built in his honour – the tradition of worshipping a British royal may continue.

Additional reporting by agencies

Reaction to Prince Philip's death – in pictures

The Honourable Artillery Company fires a gun salute at the Tower of London, with Tower Bridge in the background, to mark the death of Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at the age of 99. Getty Images
The Honourable Artillery Company fires a gun salute at the Tower of London, with Tower Bridge in the background, to mark the death of Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at the age of 99. Getty Images
The Death Gun Salute is fired by the 104th Regiment Royal Artillery to mark the death of Prince Philip, at Cardiff Castle in Wales. AFP
The Death Gun Salute is fired by the 104th Regiment Royal Artillery to mark the death of Prince Philip, at Cardiff Castle in Wales. AFP
Britain's Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex arrive at Windsor Castle, England. AP Photo
Britain's Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex arrive at Windsor Castle, England. AP Photo
Members of the Household Cavalry ride past Buckingham Palace, London. Reuters
Members of the Household Cavalry ride past Buckingham Palace, London. Reuters
Members of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery arrive at the Parade Ground, Woolwich Barracks, London. AFP
Members of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery arrive at the Parade Ground, Woolwich Barracks, London. AFP
Members of the Honourable Artillery Company in advance of a gun salute to mark the death of Prince Philip, at the Tower of London. AFP
Members of the Honourable Artillery Company in advance of a gun salute to mark the death of Prince Philip, at the Tower of London. AFP
A well-wisher waits in line to lay a floral tribute to Britain's Prince Philip, outside Buckingham Palace, London. AFP
A well-wisher waits in line to lay a floral tribute to Britain's Prince Philip, outside Buckingham Palace, London. AFP
A cyclist rides past a digital display commemorating Prince Philip, in Glasgow, Scotland. Getty Images
A cyclist rides past a digital display commemorating Prince Philip, in Glasgow, Scotland. Getty Images
Rugby players observe a minute's silence in tribute to Prince Philip before the European Challenge Cup Quarter Final match between Bath Rugby and London Irish, in Bath, England. Reuters
Rugby players observe a minute's silence in tribute to Prince Philip before the European Challenge Cup Quarter Final match between Bath Rugby and London Irish, in Bath, England. Reuters
Copies of the 'Courier Mail' at a news stand in Brisbane, Australia, with news of Prince Philip's death. Getty Images
Copies of the 'Courier Mail' at a news stand in Brisbane, Australia, with news of Prince Philip's death. Getty Images
Flags on Sydney Harbour Bridge fly at half-mast, in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images
Flags on Sydney Harbour Bridge fly at half-mast, in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images
Flags at half-mast outside the Senedd, home of the Welsh Parliament, in Cardiff, Wales. Getty Images
Flags at half-mast outside the Senedd, home of the Welsh Parliament, in Cardiff, Wales. Getty Images
Members of media near a community gate at the home of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex in Montecito, California, US, after the announcement of the death of Britain's Prince Philip. AP Photo
Members of media near a community gate at the home of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex in Montecito, California, US, after the announcement of the death of Britain's Prince Philip. AP Photo
Actor Sir Ian McKellen looks at floral tributes outside Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England. Getty Images
Actor Sir Ian McKellen looks at floral tributes outside Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England. Getty Images
The big screen inside the stadium displays a commemorative message on the death of Prince Philip, at Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground, in Manchester, England. Getty Images
The big screen inside the stadium displays a commemorative message on the death of Prince Philip, at Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground, in Manchester, England. Getty Images
The British Columbia Legislature flies the Canadian flag at half-mast in Victoria, as piper Ken Wilson plays the 'Heights of Dargai'. AP Photo
The British Columbia Legislature flies the Canadian flag at half-mast in Victoria, as piper Ken Wilson plays the 'Heights of Dargai'. AP Photo
Floral tributes outside Buckingham Palace in London. Getty Images
Floral tributes outside Buckingham Palace in London. Getty Images
Floral tributes outside Windsor Castle. Getty Images
Floral tributes outside Windsor Castle. Getty Images
A mourner draped in a British Union Jack flag takes pictures of flowers placed outside Windsor Castle. Reuters
A mourner draped in a British Union Jack flag takes pictures of flowers placed outside Windsor Castle. Reuters
Miniature Schnauzer dog Lady Trixie of Linfield sits in front of tributes to Prince Philip at Hillsborough Castle, Northern Ireland, during the midday 41 gun salute. Getty Images
Miniature Schnauzer dog Lady Trixie of Linfield sits in front of tributes to Prince Philip at Hillsborough Castle, Northern Ireland, during the midday 41 gun salute. Getty Images
Naomi Armstrong and her daughters Lily and Essie leave a bunch of flowers at the gates of Hillsborough Castle, Northern Ireland, in tribute to Prince Philip. Getty Images
Naomi Armstrong and her daughters Lily and Essie leave a bunch of flowers at the gates of Hillsborough Castle, Northern Ireland, in tribute to Prince Philip. Getty Images
The Union Jack flag flies at half-mast at Buckingham Palace, London. Getty Images
The Union Jack flag flies at half-mast at Buckingham Palace, London. Getty Images
Members of The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery fire a gun salute to mark the death of Prince Philip, at the Parade Ground, Woolwich Barracks, London. Reuters
Members of The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery fire a gun salute to mark the death of Prince Philip, at the Parade Ground, Woolwich Barracks, London. Reuters
A member of the public person holds a floral tribute to Prince Philip outside Buckingham Palace, London. Reuters
A member of the public person holds a floral tribute to Prince Philip outside Buckingham Palace, London. Reuters
A girl lays flowers as tribute to Prince Philip outside Buckingham Palace, in London. Getty Images
A girl lays flowers as tribute to Prince Philip outside Buckingham Palace, in London. Getty Images
Soldiers from 206 Battery, 105 Royal Artillery, take part in a gun salute to the Duke of Edinburgh at Hillsborough Castle in Hillsborough, Northern Ireland. Getty Images
Soldiers from 206 Battery, 105 Royal Artillery, take part in a gun salute to the Duke of Edinburgh at Hillsborough Castle in Hillsborough, Northern Ireland. Getty Images
Britain's Prince Charles addresses the media, outside Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, England, following the death of his father, Prince Philip. AP Photo
Britain's Prince Charles addresses the media, outside Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, England, following the death of his father, Prince Philip. AP Photo
A big screen displays an image commemorating Prince Philip, before the Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea at Selhurst Park, London. Reuters
A big screen displays an image commemorating Prince Philip, before the Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea at Selhurst Park, London. Reuters

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