Who does not know the famous Flying Dutchman? Probably, everyone at least once in their life heard of this legendary ship, plowing the expanses of the seas and oceans and scaring horror at passing ships. The history of this ship originates from the 16th century. It was at that time that the famous legend of the ghost ship was born. There are many options for the occurrence of this story, and we will give here two of the most popular versions of the appearance of this myth.
According to the first of them, the ship of the same name really existed. It was a fast merchant ship, whose captain was a drunkard, an atheist and a blasphemer named
Van der Straaten. The Flying Dutchman was famous for its speed, and one day the arrogant captain promised (not least because of the influence of alcohol) that he would be able to go around the
Cape of Good Hope, even if for this he had to lead the ship until the very end of the world. After these words, the whole team was punished by the devil himself, and until now the terrible ghost of the ship floats in the sea, not giving rest to sailors and passengers of many ships.
The second version is no less exciting. According to this legend, the Flying Dutchman was struck by an epidemic, and no port agreed to let him in, fearing the spread of the disease. After several failures, the ship disappeared. Since then, restless, not
finding a place for
himself , he walks on ocean waters and takes revenge on people.
It is worth noting that these stories have the right to life, because the "Flying Dutchman", a legend about which has been alive for many centuries, according to people, really appeared before many ships. Is this falsification or mass hysteria? And perhaps a misunderstanding? One way or another, many sailors, being superstitious, really believe in the legend of this ship. According to sea beliefs, any ship on the way of which the Flying Dutchman meets is doomed to wreck, and all its crew members and passengers will necessarily lose their minds. In addition to the ghosts already described, sailors and residents of some coastal settlements have often seen ships - empty, without a soul, without a hint of the remains of the crew. Was there a real “Dutchman” among such ships? Or are they all victims of a ghost ship, and the people on these ships, frightened by it, were thrown overboard in horror?
The Flying Dutchman, a ghost ship that still excites the minds of many sailors, has become popular in art. Probably, in the most suitable series of films on the subject - “Pirates of the Caribbean” - this topic is very well beaten. This object appears along with its ominous captain and in the famous animated series about the sponge Bob in square pants ("SpongeBob"). A lot of literary works also contain references and references to the legendary ship. And today, this legend excites the minds of millions of people around the world. And what is most striking, from time to time there are still, according to eyewitnesses, real evidence of the existence of this mystical ship.