When Capt. James Cook arrived on the island of Hawaii, he was mistaken for a sex god.

In 1778, the British explorer Captain James Cook (whose namesake would later be immortalized in the story "Mr. Popper’s Penguins") arrived off the coast of Hawaii. 

Though he did not immediately set foot on the island, in January of 1779, when he did, thousands of Hawaiians arrived, praising him and showering him with gifts.

Why? The natives thought the sails on Cook’s ships were identical to imagery of their sex god, Lono. Cook quickly realized what it was all about, but decided to play along. He allowed the Hawaiians to cover him in pig fat, and then used some fireworks he had in his boat. 

After that, he enjoyed the perks of being the sex god for a while before leaving. When he returned, however, things weren’t so great. Due to storms, Cook’s ships were pretty beaten up, which offended the Hawaiians so much that they attacked him. This is where it gets disturbing

He was “clubbed, repeatedly knifed, half-drowned and battered about the head with a rock.” After that, he was torn to pieces and eaten. 

(Source)