Legendary ghost ship who found fame again in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” film series.
The Flying Dutchman is also known under its German name Fliegender Hollander, name of one of Richard Wagner’s opera. The myth has been reused recently in the Pirates of the Carribean.
“Sailors of all nations believe in ...
Legendary ghost ship who found fame again in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” film series.
The Flying Dutchman is also known under its German name Fliegender Hollander, name of one of Richard Wagner’s opera. The myth has been reused recently in the Pirates of the Carribean.
“Sailors of all nations believe in a Dutch vessel whose crew had been condemned by divine justice for crimes of piracy and dire cruelty to sail the oceans forever. An encounter with the Flying Dutchman is a portent of doom.”
It is very difficult to find the facts upon which a legend is based. In this case, it could be the adventures of a Dutch Captain of the seventeenth century Bernard (or Barend) Fokke. Employed by the Dutch East India Trading Company, he was known for the incredible speed of his journeys between Europe and Asia – only three months and four days in 1678 from the Netherlands to Java. Rumours attributed those surprising records (he flew over the water) to the devil who helped him under the guise of a giant black poodle living onboard. Moreover, Fokke was remounted to be very ugly which could only be proof of his being in league with the devil. On a voyage, he disappeared without a trace. So, when a legend appeared about a famous flying Dutchman, his exploits came back to mind.
According to different sources, the Captain’s name was Van der Decken, even then different spellings and different first names have been used.
As a matter of fact, there is no proof as to when and where the myth came about but no doubt it was a long time ago.
