One name should not be omitted when discussing doomsday cults and prophecy: Nongqawuse.
She was the Ur-Greta and in the 19th century convinced the Xhosa tribe in modern-day South Africa to slaughter all the cattle. This would magic the white man away.
Unsurprisingly the ploy didn’t work, three quarters of the Xhosa starved to death and the rest succumbed to the British.
Nongqawuse of course survived and denied any responsibility.
I hadn’t heard of Nongqawuse before, and I’m so glad you brought her up. What a staggering (and haunting) story. It really adds another layer to the post’s theme — that every era, every culture, seems to have its own version of an apocalypse narrative, complete with charismatic “messengers,” blind faith, and tragic consequences.
The comparison to an “Ur-Greta” is sharp and provocative — it made me wince and grin at the same time. And it reinforces a strange human truth: we’re always looking for someone to either save or blame us. Preferably both.
Thanks for expanding the scope of the discussion — and for that closing detail. Of course she survived and denied everything. History does love its ironies.
Another name would be Margaret MacDonald. Her visions in 1830 convinced John Nelson Darby that his concept of the rapture was correct and by way of the Plymouth Brethren and the Scofield Bible have turned a large portion of US evangelicals into a doomsday cult. They have immantized the eschaton as Voegelin was wont warn about.
One name should not be omitted when discussing doomsday cults and prophecy: Nongqawuse.
She was the Ur-Greta and in the 19th century convinced the Xhosa tribe in modern-day South Africa to slaughter all the cattle. This would magic the white man away.
Unsurprisingly the ploy didn’t work, three quarters of the Xhosa starved to death and the rest succumbed to the British.
Nongqawuse of course survived and denied any responsibility.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nongqawuse
I hadn’t heard of Nongqawuse before, and I’m so glad you brought her up. What a staggering (and haunting) story. It really adds another layer to the post’s theme — that every era, every culture, seems to have its own version of an apocalypse narrative, complete with charismatic “messengers,” blind faith, and tragic consequences.
The comparison to an “Ur-Greta” is sharp and provocative — it made me wince and grin at the same time. And it reinforces a strange human truth: we’re always looking for someone to either save or blame us. Preferably both.
Thanks for expanding the scope of the discussion — and for that closing detail. Of course she survived and denied everything. History does love its ironies.
Another name would be Margaret MacDonald. Her visions in 1830 convinced John Nelson Darby that his concept of the rapture was correct and by way of the Plymouth Brethren and the Scofield Bible have turned a large portion of US evangelicals into a doomsday cult. They have immantized the eschaton as Voegelin was wont warn about.
Thank you again for expanding the lens — I always appreciate your sharp insights and historical depth. Keep them coming!