Whom do the Kastom people of Vanuatu worship as a god?

“Kastom” is a pidgin word used to refer to traditional culture, including religion, economics, art and magic in Melanesia. The term “Kastom people” is used in connection with villagers of the Yaohnanen tribe, who live i on Vanuatu's Tanna island, and continue to practise their ancestral customs. Wearing traditional dress is still common, and while they maintain strong links with society, money and modern technology such as mobile phones are seldom used within their own community. Although they live only several kilometres from the nearest airport, in their daily life they just made an active choice to disavow the modern world.

One intriguing feature of their way of life is that they believe in the divinity of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921–2021), consort to Queen Elizabeth II (1926–2022). The people of the area had seen the respect accorded to Queen Elizabeth II by the colonial officials and concluded that her husband, Prince Philip, must be the son referred to in their legends.

It is unclear when this belief came about, but it was probably during the 1950s or 1960s. It was strengthened by the royal couple's official visit to Vanuatu in 1974, when a few villagers had the opportunity to actually see Prince Philip from a distance. The Prince was not then aware of the sect, but it was brought to his attention several years later by John Champion, the British Resident Commissioner in the New Hebrides.