I just learned about this the other day. I love learning about stuff like this that I’ve never heard of before (it’s a guilty pleasure of mine). My thread title and the first few lines of the Wikipedia article sum it up nicely, so I won’t rehash any of it; however, my question is, how many people still believe in Sebastianism today (I’m willing to bet it’s a greater number than zero), and do those believers spread their faith or make Facebook posts or Youtube videos about it to get the word out?
Don’t know about that, but I think Salazar may have thought he was the second coming. He set Portugal back about 30 years, or basically froze it in time in the 30s. They were hopelessly behind the curve when he finally croaked, and it took them a very long time to come up to modern standards and ideas.
That’s ridiculous, who would believe that? Everyone knows the true monarch who will return to save his nation in its direst hour of need is King Arthur who is sleeping beneath Glastonbury Tor.
Also coughs points at pretty everything that has happened in England in the last decade… Hey Artie, sure you aren’t sleeping in?
There was also a belief that the Emperor Nero would return, and fix the anarchy that occurred during the Year of the Four Emperors. I’m not sure I’d be keen on that idea.
No, no, no, first Kaiser Barbarossa (Frederick I) will wake up and return from the Kyffhäuser mountains to unite Germany! (wait, did anybody see him around Nov 9 1989?)
The King Asleep in the Mountain is a widespread trope
some surprisingly modern variations:
Alexander Suvorov (Russia), Russian generalissimo, sleeps in a deep cave where prayer is heard and icon lamp burns. The legend says Suvorov will come back to save his country from a mortal danger.[18]
Emperor Norton is claimed by several defunct civil rights groups to have been destined to return to the US when the unity of the Republic is at its nadir.[citation needed]
Some adherents of the QAnon conspiracy theory believe that American figure John F. Kennedy Jr. will one day return to purge corruption from the American government.[23]
I spent several weeks in Portugal last year and heard nothing about Sebastianism. Then again, their crackpots don’t seem to be compelled to share their weird beliefs with complete strangers like Americans do.
If we talk about John Frum, we must at least mention the Prince Philip Movement. Although I’m not sure they’ve since changed the doctrine of their faith towards expecting Philip’s return.
Kirk Huffman, an anthropologist familiar with the group, said that after their period of mourning the group would probably transfer their veneration to Prince Charles (now King Charles III),
The probably there is pretty scathing. I imagine KC got a reply “thank you for applying to be supreme divine being of our cult. Unfortunately after careful consideration of your resume we have decided to go with ‘prince Philip is just sleeping beneath windsor castle and will return in our hour of need’. wishing you all the best in your future endeavors”
That strikes me as the most obvious parallel. Rastafarianism is a religion that developed in Jamaica in the 1930s. They believe that Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia was the second coming of Jesus. You can read about it in Rastafari - Wikipedia .
(it’s a guilty pleasure of mine). My thread title and the first few lines of the Wikipedia article sum it up nicely, so I won’t rehash any of it; however, my question is, how many people still believe in Sebastianism today (I’m willing to bet it’s a greater number than zero), and do those believers spread their faith or make Facebook posts or Youtube videos about it to get the word out?
