Distant tribal communities are mourning the death of Prince Philip, who they have long revered as a god-like figure.
Two villages on the Vanuatu island of Tanna, which is located in the South Pacific, are preparing a period of mourning as groups of tribespeople gathered on Monday to commemorate the Duke of Edinburgh.
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“The connection between the people on the island of Tanna and the English people is very strong. … We are sending condolence messages to the Royal Family and the people of England,” Chief Yapa of Ikunala village told Reuters.
The looming ceremony is expected to have a ritualistic dance, a procession, displayed memorabilia of Prince Philip, and serve kava, a ceremonial drink that’s a mixture of water and crushed roots of the kava plant.
There are several theories about where the devotion to Philip stems from, including a local legend about a pale-skinned son of a mountain god who came across the ocean in search of a rich and powerful woman to marry.
Another theory is that villagers may have seen a photo of him with Queen Elizabeth II on the walls of the British outposts when Vanuatu was still a colony administered by Britain and France.
Vanuatu-based journalist Dan McGarry told the BBC that yet another theory is that the reverence may come by a way of taking back colonial power by associating with someone who sits at the right hand of the ruler of the Commonwealth.
Yapa and four others from his village visited England in 2007 to participate in a three-part British documentary titled Meet the Natives. They met Philip at Windsor Castle and took photos with him, which they cherish.
Kirk Huffman, an anthropologist who is familiar with the ‘Prince Philip Movement,’ told the Independent it’s likely the tribe will now transition their devotion to Prince Charles, who visited the island of Tanna in 2018. During his visit, Charles was appointed honorary chief and drank kava.
Philip died at the age of 99 on Friday after spending weeks of this year in the hospital, though Buckingham Palace said it was a precautionary measure.
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Philip was the longest-serving spouse of a reigning monarch and the oldest man in the British royal family. He was married to Queen Elizabeth for more than 70 years.
