Apart from inspiring Richard Wagner to write an opera on the subject, The
Flying Dutchman is a name that has come to be feared by mariners across the
globe. It represents bad luck and is often considered to be a portent of doom.
This is the reason why...
Vanderdecken's Mistake: In the year 1729, a Dutch ship called the Flying
Dutchman, captained by the infamous Vanderdecken, set sail towards the Cape of
Good Hope, Africa's southernmost tip which has long been associated with
difficult sailing conditions and shipwrecks. Vanderdecken was a violent and
disturbed captain who feared nothing and refused to back away from any
situation. As the ship approached the Cape a violent storm broke out. The
fierce winds, gigantic waves and terrible lightening threatened to sink the
Flying Dutchman, but the twisted and fearless captain had a threat of his own.
There and then, Vanderdecken swore an oath to the Devil that he would round
the Cape even if it took him until Doomsday (the day that the world will come
to an end). This foolish act brought a terrible curse down upon the captain,
his crew and his ship. From that moment forth they were forced to roam the
mighty seas for all eternity as a ghost ship.
From that fateful day to the present, many sailors claim to have seen the
Flying Dutchman haunting the seas. It is believed that anyone who sees the
ship will have misfortune fall upon them. So powerful is this belief that King
George V of England himself, as a young prince during his naval days, purported
to have encountered it, although a prince is not someone who immediately
springs to mind when considering unfortunate people. One method used by
mariners to ward off the curse of the Flying Dutchman was to nail horseshoes
to the masts of their ships, as this was supposed to bring good luck. Many
people would be skeptical of the existence of a 'ghost ship' and quite rightly
so. No conclusive evidence for any type of ghost has ever been gathered and
most scientists refuse to believe that they exist at all. To this end they
have come up with an explanation for the supposed sightings and even those
people who do believe in ghosts would have to admit that it is
quite a good one...
The theory goes that the ghost ship is nothing more than an optical illusion.
Apparently modern day mariners are used to the sight of hazy-looking ships
appearing over the horizon; they are simply mirages caused by the refraction of
light rays. Although the existence of the Flying Dutchman and Captain
Vanderdecken is known, it is likely that the stories of a phantom ship were
started by superstitious sailors who saw exactly this kind of mirage.
Nevertheless, no definitive proof exists either way so it would be advisable
for anyone going on a cruise to steer clear of glowing ships with billowing
sails, hovering several feet above the water.
source : bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A591365
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