He was a sailor, but became the king of the cannibals: the story of Emil Petterson (6 photos)

A simple Swedish sailor named Emil Petterson lived in an era when almost all the great geographical discoveries had already been made. But this did not stop the adventure lover from the opportunity to travel the seas and distant countries. Not alone, of course, but on cargo ships.





One of these trips, which, in fact, was another working flight to the port of Sydney, brought our hero to the island of the Bismarck Archipelago. And all because on Christmas Eve 1906, a serious storm broke out off the coast of Australia. The ship, called the Duke Johan Albrecht, was wrecked.



Emil Peterson managed to survive. Although the sailor himself, finding himself on the island of a God-forsaken archipelago, might have thought differently. He looked at the local aborigines surrounding him and understood that he was in trouble. After all, there were legends among travelers about Australian cannibals.





Emil was already mentally preparing to become a “kebab” for the cannibals, but then His Majesty Chance intervened. One of the aborigines saw in the bottomless blue eyes of the sailor nothing other than a sign from above. Still, the island tribes had a strong craving for the occult, the worship of deities and the search for secret meaning in everything.



In general, Emil Pettersen's blue eyes saved his life. Then the sailor began to think how else he could earn the trust of the natives. Knowing how far European culture had advanced by the beginning of the 20th century, this was not so difficult to do. Therefore, when representatives of the cannibal tribe took their “unexpected guest” to the king, a plan had already matured in Emil’s head.

It will offer locals a path to a comfortable and prosperous life. Surprisingly, the king of the island of Tabar agreed with the “business plan” proposed by the traveler. Lamri probably also believed in providence and signs. On the other hand, the natives did not lose anything. After all, if the alien cannot lead them to prosperity, as promised, they will simply eat him.

Fortunately, Petterson was well versed in the intricacies of agriculture and trade. He managed to set up a small coconut plantation, and then began supplying dried coconut to the neighboring islands of the archipelago. The sailor's business acumen impressed King Lamri. So much so that he hastened to marry his beloved daughter to a native.



It can be said that Lamri officially made Emil his successor. After his marriage to the king's daughter, the status of the sailor on the island changed. The young people lived, business flourished.

When the king unexpectedly left for his forefathers in 1918, no one on the island objected to his son-in-law becoming the new ruler. By the way, Emil Petterson took the status name Karl at his coronation.



However, in 1921, the wife of the newly made king of the island died of fever. In marriage, the prolific Sindgo managed to give birth to her husband nine healthy children. And although Karl sincerely loved his dark-skinned wife, he did not intend to remain alone for a long time. My status didn't allow it. Having endured mourning, the former sailor from Sweden, and now the king of the island of Tabar, went to the “mainland” in search of a new betrothed.

And again, none of the cannibalistic aborigines objected to the will of their leader. Moreover, the blood of their beloved king Lamri flowed in the veins of his children.

A new wife for Karl was found in Sweden. So in 1923, young Jessie Louise Simpson became queen of a distant island off the coast of Australia. But this time too, the lucky sailor outlived his younger wife. After ten years of living on the island of Tabar as queen, the woman died of malaria.

By that time, Karl's eldest son Frederick had already become an adult. The former sailor was tired of royal concerns and decided to hand over the reins of the island of cannibals to the hands of his eldest son. The adventurous man became an ordinary man again when he moved to Sydney. But the former sailor and leader of the cannibal tribe did not live there long - only 6 years. In May 1937, Emil Petterson died of a heart attack.

The fate of the islands is also noteworthy. In 1975, the Bismarck Archipelago came under the jurisdiction of New Guinea.