In the stomach or on the throne: the unusual story of a Swedish sailor who led a tribe of cannibals (6 photos)

Life - ordinary, gray, boring sometimes gives out such turns, before which the brightest works of art fade. It was and with this person.





Karl Emil Pettersson - a simple Swedish sailor wanted make bloodthirsty cannibals dinner. But the guy had about it your opinion. And he became their king.



Karl in his youth

The beginning of the last century, 1904. It seems that on the map of the Earth few white spots. But they were. And sometimes they were found clean chance. So it was with this hero. Cargo ship Herzog Johan Albrecht was sailing for Sydney, but the ship was caught in a severe storm. Element threw Karl on the island of Tabar. It is now part of New Guinea and at the beginning of the century a tribe of real wild cannibals lived there.



How do meetings with such guys usually end? nothing good, if you remember the same Cook. Unexpectedly in favor of the 31-year-old men played his appearance. Pettersson was a typical Scandinavian - white-skinned, with light blue eyes. For the savages it was a miracle, they such eyes have never been seen. And they did not immediately eat the find.

New life



The local king Lamri decided to save the sailor for the time being. Leave type of canned food in reserve. But the savvy Karl, while remaining with royal lady of the tribe as a toy, showed a keen interest in everything that happened, quickly learned, and then provided the savages with an invaluable help: showed how to properly cultivate the land and take care of plantings to get a normal harvest.



King with family

He also helped to establish trade with neighbors - residents nearby islands. In a word, the tribe prospered. The pleased king gave for Swede to his daughter and after a couple of years he left for another world. And Karl is legal foundation began to rule the island, living, by the way, with Queen Sindgo in love and harmony. The couple had children, as many as nine heirs. Later At 15, the Queen died of a fever.

Swedish pragmatism helped the white king make his wild people are really rich. On a neighboring island, he discovered a golden vein. And gold mining allowed to bring the islanders to a new level. TO In addition, Charles abolished cannibalism and made subjects more or less civilized citizens.

Homesickness



Carl and Jesse

Life on the island was almost heavenly. But the man was very bored by home country. And in 1922 he went to Sweden to stay. Found there new wife, Jessie Louise Simpson. And upon returning with her to the island repeated the wedding ceremony according to local customs, so that subjects recognized the queen.

True, a long and happy life did not work out: after Jessie died a year later, also of a fever. Saying goodbye to the graves of women, subjects and the island, the sailor handed over the throne to his eldest son and forever left Tabar.

Settled the king of cannibals retired in Sydney. Where and lived the rest of his days, passing away in 1937 and forever remaining in legends of the islanders as a wise and fair, albeit a white king.