Manseren and Koreri

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Manseren and Koreri. Millennial cargo cults in N. Irian Jaya. These derive from the myth of Manseren. In a typical version, an ugly culture hero, Manamakerei, secured a wife and son by magical means, called himself Manseren Manggundi (‘the Lord himself’) and created the local peoples. They rebelled against him so he departed westwards but will return to begin a golden age or Koreri (‘we replace our old skins by new ones’).

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