Is the Flying Dutchman a real ship?
No ghost ship is more famous than the Flying Dutchman. The legend of the Flying Dutchman is rooted in history and popular culture, and the concept of ghost ships also appears in art and literature. Sighting stories of this infamous ghost ship and its shipwrecked crew abound.
The Flying Dutchman is said to mysteriously appear during storms, acting as a bad omen to sailors who encounter him. Ships appear and disappear without a sound.
But is it a real ship or just a myth?
Like many ghost stories, the story of the Flying Dutchman is inspired by real events. It is likely a combination of several stories and several ships. Famous figures who have claimed to have witnessed the phenomenon include a young King George V and Albert Victor, Prince of Wales.
Exploring the legend of the Flying Dutchman can reveal why it is so deeply rooted in popular culture.
The True Story of the Flying Dutchman
The Flying Dutchman is often referred to as the name of the ship, but some use the term to refer to the Dutch captain they claim was the Flying Dutchman. Some say his name was Bernard Fokke, others say it was van der Decken; both were Dutch leaders.
The story of the Flying Dutchman likely originated in the 17th century and refers to a ship captained by the Dutchman and chartered by the Dutch East India Company. This trading company was a tool of the powerful Dutch trading empire, which had a fleet of ships that transported materials, dyes, spices, and other goods between Asia and Europe.
The Dutch captain made it from the Netherlands to the Indonesian island of Java in just three months. How did he make the journey so quickly? Some say he must have made a pact with the devil.
This hypothesis was confirmed when the Flying Dutchman’s ship disappeared en route to the Netherlands, leaving no trace of the captain and crew, but leaving plenty of room for the legend of the Flying Dutchman to develop.
In another version of the story, the captain was so concerned about the fate of his crew that he failed to notice the approaching storm that led to their destruction.
A written account of this legend from 1790 states that the ship attempted to enter the Cape harbor during a severe storm, but it eventually sank.
This is consistent with the third popular version of this ghost story. In this story, the ship was hit by a storm and was in danger of capsizing, but he ordered his crew to continue sailing, saying that he intended to round the Cape of Good Hope, even if it meant “sailing to the end of the world.” His words were said to be punished by the gods or absorbed by the devil.
Famous Ghost Ship Sightings of the Flying Dutchman
Prince George of Wales: In 1881, the Duke of York (later King George V) claimed to have seen the doomed captain of the British Royal Navy ship HMS Bashant, where the Duke was serving as a lieutenant.
From: Queen Elizabeth Voyage: July 11 – At 4 am, the Flying Dutchman passed in front of our ship. A strange red light, like a ghost ship, glowed all over.
Albert Victor, Prince of Wales:His brother, Prince Victor, and their teacher, John Neil Dalton, also claimed to have seen the Flying Dutchman. It is said that a guard fell from the masthead and died shortly after the Flying Dutchman was spotted.
More Flying Dutchman Novels
Many sailors claimed to have seen the Flying Dutchman during their voyages. In seafaring lore, the appearance of a ghost ship was considered a bad omen.
Some claimed to have seen a ghost ship on the water, sailing against the current in the rough seas. It is said that the Flying Dutchman disappeared into the darkness when it hit the rocks.
Many believe the Cape of Good Hope to be the site of the sightings, where the real ship disappeared in a severe storm that foreshadowed its destruction.
Another important theme of the Flying Dutchman legend is the passing of messages. It is said that the crew of the ghost ship sometimes conveys messages from the dead to their living relatives. However, any crew member who opened these messages met a terrible fate.
It is said that one stormy night in 1835, a British ship nearly collided with the ghost ship, which was approaching with sails spread, but suddenly disappeared.
In late 1939, a group of people in Table Bay, Cape Town, claimed to have seen a ghost ship heading towards the coast at full speed. As is common with sightings, the ship disappeared.
The last sighting of the Flying Dutchman was reported by a German U-boat commanded by Nazi Admiral Karl Dönitz during World War II. The submarine encountered the Flying Dutchman while sailing east of the Suez Canal.
The Legend of the Flying Dutchman in Art, Film, and Literature
For more than two centuries, stories about the Flying Dutchman have been everywhere, from the poems of Samuel Taylor Coleridge to episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants.
The Old Sailor: Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s epic poem draws on the pride and recklessness of the Flying Dutchman tradition to tell the story of a cursed sailor who sails the seas with his dead crew, telling his story to those who are drawn to him.
Auguste Galle, The Flying Dutchman: Like Coleridge, French writer Auguste Galle wrote about a flamboyant character who curses a sailing ship and its crew, punishing them with an eternity of sailing the seas.
Richard Wagner’s Opera: The Flying Dutchman – Richard Wagner’s opera The Flying Dutchman is based on a folk tale about a ship doomed to sail forever, unable to reach port. In this depiction of the Flying Dutchman, Captain van der Decken plays dice with the devil to win his soul.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The sequels Dead Man’s Chest (2006) and At World’s End (2007) tell the story of the legendary ghost ship the Flying Dutchman and its grieving captain who sails the oceans forever in search of redemption.
The Flying Dutchman by Man Ray: The story of the Flying Dutchman has inspired many artists. Man Ray based a painting on a photograph of sheets hanging on a clothesline, which apparently reminded the artist of a ghost ship with tattered sails.
The Flying Dutchman by Albert Ryder: Albert Pinkham Ryder’s The Flying Dutchman (c. 1887) is a raucous depiction of a ship caught in a storm, with the legendary ghost ship in the background. This is one of the most popular artistic interpretations of the story of this unfortunate and ghostly crew.
SpongeBob SquarePants (multiple episodes) – The legendary ship and its captain appear in several episodes of this animated series set at sea.
FAQ
Is the Flying Dutchman based on a true story?
The legend of the Flying Dutchman is based on real people and events, such as Captain van der Decken and Bernard Fokke, leaders of the Dutch East India Company. It is unclear whether the legend stems from the leaders’ recklessness, speed, or just bad luck.
What happened to the Flying Dutchman?
No one has seen the ghost ship since the mid-20th century. Was the captain eventually forgiven? The Flying Dutchman did exist, but it operated as a tourist ship. While it lives up to its name, it is far from a terrifying ghost ship. Anyone who sees it will regret not buying a ticket.
Journey to the Unknown Seas
The story of the Flying Dutchman is based on reality and became one of the most famous ghost ship stories, but no one has seen it for many years.
While paintings and poems powerfully represent the legend, perhaps more modern equipment will eventually be able to depict this mysterious ship or the phenomenon that sailors claim to have seen in oceans around the world.
