(in the Melanesian Islands) a system of belief based around the expected arrival of ancestral spirits in ships bringing cargoes of food and other goods.
‘The belief in a mythical messianic figure named John Frum was the basis for an indigenous cargo cult (a movement attempting to obtain industrial goods through magic) promising Melanesian deliverance.’
‘In the Lihir Islands, the discovery of gold was viewed by many local people as the fulfilment of prophecies made in the context of a cargo cult which had attracted numerous adherents during the previous decade.’
‘He is the supposed messianic figure of the cargo cult, a white man in disguise (the title is ‘Kargo Kult Kulture’), a trader whose blank expression calmly signifies the done deal.’
‘As an anthropologist, however, Brunton's first research was a library-based study of Melanesian cargo cults and his doctoral thesis concerned kava drinking in a restricted location in far northern Australia.’
‘By ‘cultic,’ I am referring to the vast literature on so-called cargo cults in Melanesia (Worsley 1957; Burridge 1960; Lawrence 1964; Williams 1976; Lattas 1998, to list a few).’
‘Masnick refers to Melanesian cargo cults as the actions and beliefs of people who were ‘a bit confused’ and who ‘never understood what was really happening.’’
‘These include cargo cults, which believe that wealth can be obtained through religious ceremonies.’
‘Indeed, it is hard to imagine why such a movement should have been saddled with the ‘cult’ label, were it not for the fact that it occurred in Melanesia, well known for its many sensational cargo cults.’
‘Early colonialist mentality labeled cargo cults and their participants as ‘mad’ and ‘hysterical’.’
‘There is a lack of material related to missionary work, or cargo cults such as John Frum, still active on Tanna; and little explicitly national material.’
‘Sure enough, I am being told that while gravity does work everywhere, ‘some cultures created airplanes by using gravity creatively and other cultures created cargo cults when they saw their first airplanes.’’
‘And yes, I do know about John Frum, cargo cults and all…’
‘I've read Richard Feynman's famous description of the cargo cults, of which here's a choice snippet.’
‘Far from being modernity, this sounds more like the cargo cults of the pacific islanders.’
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