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No ghost ship is more iconic than the Flying Dutchman. The legend of the Flying Dutchman is ingrained in history and popular culture with the idea of a phantom ship appearing across art and literature. Creepy stories abound about sightings of the famous and dreaded ghost ship and its doomed crew.
The stories say that the Flying Dutchman would appear inexplicably during storms and serve as a portent of doom for the seamen who encounter it. The ship appears silently and disappears just as spookily.
But was this a real ship or just the stuff of legend?
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Like many ghost stories, the Flying Dutchman story is inspired by real events. It may be an amalgamation of several stories and several ships. High-profile figures, including the future King George V in his youth and Prince Albert Victor of Wales, are on the list of those who have claimed to have witnessed it.
Getting to the bottom of the legend of the Flying Dutchman reveals why it has entered popular culture in such a profound way.
The True Story Of The Flying Dutchman
The Flying Dutchman usually refers to the name of the ship, but some people use the term to refer to the Dutch captain, saying that he was the Flying Dutchman. Some say that his name was Bernard Fokke while others say it was Van der Decken, both of whom were Dutch captains.
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The Flying Dutchman story most likely originated in the seventeenth century and refers to a ship captained by this Dutchman and chartered by the Dutch East India Company. The trading company was an instrument of the very powerful Dutch commercial empire, which had a fleet of ships carrying materials, dyes, spices and other items between Asia and Europe.
The Dutch captain travelled from Holland to the Indonesian island of Java in just three months. How did he manage the trip so fast? Some said that he must have made a deal with the devil.
The suggestion was “confirmed” when the Flying Dutchman vessel disappeared on its way back to Holland, leaving no trace of the captain or crew, but plenty of space for the Flying Dutchman legend to develop.
In another version of the story, the captain is so concerned by the plight of his crew that he doesn’t notice the approaching storm that leads to their demise.
A written mention of this legend from 1790 says that the ship attempted to enter port at the Cape of Good Hope during a powerful storm. However, the ship ultimately sank.
This tallies with a third popular version of the ghostly tale. In this version, the vessel was caught in a storm and in danger of capsizing, but he ordered his crew to continue, saying that he intended to round the Cape of Good Hope even if it meant sailing “until doomsday.” His words were said to be punished by the gods or lapped up by the devil.
Famous Sightings Of The Flying Dutchman Ghost Ship
Prince George of Wales
In 1881, the Duke of York, the future King George V, reported seeing the doomed captain from the British Royal Naval Vessel HMS Bacchante, on which the Duke served as a midshipman.
From: The Cruise of Her Majesty’s Ship “Bacchante”:
“July 11th.—At 4 A.M. the Flying Dutchman crossed our bows. A strange red light as of a phantom ship all aglow.“
Prince Albert Victor of Wales
His elder brother Prince Victor also claimed to have seen the Flying Dutchman, as did their tutor John Neill Dalton.
Shortly after this Flying Dutchman sighting, a watchman is said to have fallen to his death from the top of the mast.
More Accounts Of The Flying Dutchman
Many sailors have claimed to have seen the Flying Dutchman on their travels. In maritime folklore, the ghost ship’s appearance is invariably taken as a bad omen.
Some claim to have seen a ghostly ship on the water making headway going against the tide in rough water. In cases where the Flying Dutchman should have been dashed against the rocks, it is said to have disappeared into darkness.
Many cite the Cape of Good Hope as the location for the sightings, which is where the true ship disappeared during the extreme storm that signalled its doom.
Another significant theme of the Flying Dutchman legend is the passing of messages. It is sometimes said that the ghost crew would pass messages from the dead to their living relatives. Any crew opening those letters, however, would suffer a grisly fate.
A British vessel is said to have almost collided with the ghost ship during a stormy night in 1835. The boat was approaching under full sail but suddenly vanished.
As late as 1939, a group in Table Bay Cape Town claimed to see the ghost ship approaching the shore under full sail. As often is the case during these sightings, the ship disappeared.
The latest sighting of the Flying Dutchman was reported during the Second World War by a German submarine commanded by Nazi Admiral Karl Dönitz. The submarine encountered the Flying Dutchman while voyaging through the east of Suez.
The Legend Of The Flying Dutchman In Art, Cinema, And Literature
References to the story of the Flying Dutchman have appeared for more than two centuries, in everything from the poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge to episodes of Spongebob.
- The Rime of the Ancient Mariner—Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s epic poem draws on the elements of pride and recklessness in the Flying Dutchman’s folklore, presenting a seaman cursed to sail the ocean with his dead crew, telling his tale to those to whom he is drawn.
- Auguste Jal’s The Flying Dutchman—In a similar fashion to Coleridge, French writer Auguste Jal wrote of a glowing figure that cursed the sailboat and crew, dooming them to sail the oceans forever.
- Richard Wagner’s Opera: The Flying Dutchman—The Richard Wagner opera Der fliegende Holländer is based on the popular story of a ship doomed to sail forever, unable to make port. In this depiction of the Flying Dutchman, Captain Van der Decken plays dice with the devil for his soul.
- Pirates of the Caribbean—The Pirates of the Caribbean instalments Dead Man’s Chest (2006) and At World’s End (2007) feature the legendary ghost ship The Flying Dutchman and its forlorn captain sailing oceans forever seeking redemption.
- Man Ray’s Flying Dutchman—Many artists have been inspired by the tale of the Flying Dutchman. An interpretation by Man Ray was painted in oil from a photograph of sheets on a clothesline, which evidently made the artist think about ghost ships with their billowing sails in tatters.
- The Flying Dutchman by Albert Ryder—The Flying Dutchman (c. 1887) by Albert Pinkham Ryder is a suitably tumultuous rendition of a boat caught in a storm with the legendary ghost ship in the background. It’s among the most iconic artistic interpretations of this tale of ill luck and a ghostly crew.
- Spongebob (various episodes)—The legendary ship and its captain have appeared in several episodes of this animated series set in the sea.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Flying Dutchman based on a true story?
The legend of the Flying Dutchman has its roots in real people and events, namely Captain Van der Decken or Bernard Fokke, both of whom were captains for the Dutch East India Company. It’s unclear whether the legend came from the captains’ recklessness, speed, or just bad luck.
What happened to the Flying Dutchman ship?
There hasn’t been a recorded sighting of the ghost ship since the mid-20th century. Did the Captain finally find absolution? There is a Flying Dutchman, but it operates as a tourist boat. While respectful of its legendary name, it’s far removed from the grisly ghost ship. Those who see it are doomed only to wish they’d bought tickets.
A Voyage Into Unknown Seas
The Flying Dutchman was based on reality and became one of the most well-known tales of ghost ships, but there haven’t been any reported sightings of the Flying Dutchman for many years.
While paintings and poems are powerful depictions of this legend, perhaps more modern equipment could finally capture this mysterious ship or the phenomena that sailors claim to have seen on various oceans around the world.
