The legend of The Flying Dutchman is said to have started in 1641 when a Dutch ship sank off the coast of the Cape of Good Hope:
Vanderdecken’s Mistake
In the year 1729, a Dutch ship called the Flying Dutchman1, 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.
Omen of Disaster
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.
The Flying Dutchman - an Explanation
Many people would be sceptical 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.
Provided by: www.bbc.co.uk
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Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: · cape_of_good_hope, conclusive_evidence, curse, disturbed, dutch_ship, flying_dutchman, ghost_ship, gigantic_waves, masts, sailing_conditions, sceptical, set_sail, Uncategorized, violent_storm
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The Flying Dutchman is now a Western expat in Beijing « Under the Jacaranda Tree
[...] 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. [...]
0 Vote up Vote down Captain Cutlass · 54 weeks ago
And so once again GOd himself is responsible for the creation of a true horror and a scourge of the 7 sea's.
Makes you wonder what he was thinking.
Then again, legends say His curse also brought about the creation of Vampires and other monsters.... Reply 0 replies · active 54 weeks ago 0 Vote up Vote down Captain Cutlass · 54 weeks ago
And so once again GOd himself is responsible for the creation of a true horror and a scourge of the 7 sea's.
Makes you wonder what he was thinking.
Then again, legends say His curse also brought about the creation of Vampires and other monsters.... Reply 0 replies · active 54 weeks ago Ghost Ship Wrecks Bali Surfing Contest | gCaptain.com
[...] check out some of our previous posts on ghost ships HERE and [...]
0 Vote up Vote down Christine Pia · 35 weeks ago
This is really quiet a famous legend especially to the fans of Spongebob Squarepants. This is a scary legend, and can teach a good lesson to all the readers. Reply 0 replies · active 35 weeks ago 0 Vote up Vote down Beth · 34 weeks ago
Can you tell me where did you get the image? please it's a huge favour Reply 0 replies · active 34 weeks ago 0 Vote up Vote down gcaptain · 34 weeks ago
Hmmm... I'm not sure (It was published by one of our contributers) but
it looks to come from http://www.adoceric.com/AboutMe.htm
-John
Captain John Konrad
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Unofficial Networks LLC
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www.gCaptain.com Reply 0 replies · active 34 weeks ago 0 Vote up Vote down gcaptain · 34 weeks ago
Hmmm... I'm not sure (It was published by one of our contributers) but
it looks to come from http://www.adoceric.com/AboutMe.htm
/>
-John
Captain John Konrad
Co-Founder | CEO
Unofficial Networks LLC
p: +1.805.456.8644
www.gCaptain.com Reply 0 replies · active 34 weeks ago 0 Vote up Vote down grace · 2 weeks ago
Mca ch???????????????????????????? Reply 0 replies · active less than 1 minute ago Post a new comment
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