The ''Flying Dutchman'' ( nl, De Vliegende

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former Provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

er) is a

legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess ...

ary ghost ship, allegedly never able to make port, but doomed to sail the seven seas forever. The

myth Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...

s and

ghost stories A ghost story is any piece of fiction, or drama, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or characters' belief in them."Ghost Stories" in Margaret Drabble (ed.), ''Oxford Companion to English Literature''. ...

were likely to have originated from the 17th-century Golden Age of the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...

(VOC) and of Dutch maritime power. The oldest known extant version of the legend dates from the late 18th century. According to the legend, if hailed by another ship, the crew of the ''Flying Dutchman'' might try to send messages to land, or to people long dead. Reported sightings in the 19th and 20th centuries claimed that the ship glowed with a ghostly light. In ocean lore, the sight of this phantom ship functions as a portent of doom. It was commonly believed that the ''Flying Dutchman'' was a

fluyt A fluyt (archaic Dutch: ''fluijt'' "flute"; ) is a Dutch type of sailing vessel originally designed by the shipwrights of Hoorn as a dedicated cargo vessel. Originating in the Dutch Republic in the 16th century, the vessel was designed to faci ...

Origins

Aernout Smit Table Bay, 1683 William Fehr Collection Cape Town

The first print reference to the ship appears in ''Travels in various part of Europe, Asia and Africa during a series of thirty years and upward'' (1790) by John MacDonald: The next literary reference appears in Chapter VI of ''A Voyage to Botany Bay'' (1795) (also known as ''A Voyage to New South Wales''), attributed to

George Barrington George Barrington (14 May 1755 – 27 December 1804) (real name Walden) was an Irish-born pickpocket, popular London socialite, Australian pioneer (following his transportation to Botany Bay), and author. His escapades, arrests, and trials ...

(1755–1804): The next literary reference introduces the motif of punishment for a crime, in ''Scenes of Infancy'' (Edinburgh, 1803) by

John Leyden John Caspar Leyden, M.D., (8 September 1775 – 28 August 1811) was a Scottish indologist. Biography Leyden was born at Denholm on the River Teviot, not far from Hawick. His father, a shepherd, had contrived to send him to Edinburgh Universi ...

(1775–1811):

Thomas Moore Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852) was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist celebrated for his ''Irish Melodies''. Their setting of English-language verse to old Irish tunes marked the transition in popular Irish culture from Irish ...

(1779–1852) places the vessel in the north Atlantic in his poem ''Written on passing Dead-man's Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Late in the evening, September 1804'': "Fast gliding along, a gloomy bark / Her sails are full, though the wind is still, / And there blows not a breath her sails to fill." A footnote adds: "The above lines were suggested by a superstition very common among sailors, who call this ghost-ship, I think, 'the flying Dutch-man'."

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy ...

(1771–1832), a friend of John Leyden's, was the first to refer to the vessel as a pirate ship, writing in the notes to '' Rokeby; a poem'' (first published December 1812) that the ship was "originally a vessel loaded with great wealth, on board of which some horrid act of murder and piracy had been committed" and that the apparition of the ship "is considered by the mariners as the worst of all possible omens". According to some sources, 17th-century Dutch

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Bernard Fokke is the model for the captain of the ghost ship. Fokke was renowned for the speed of his trips from the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...

and was suspected of being in league with the Devil. The first version of the legend as a story was printed in ''

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine ''Blackwood's Magazine'' was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by the publisher William Blackwood and was originally called the ''Edinburgh Monthly Magazine''. The first number appeared in April 1817 ...

'' for May 1821, which puts the scene as the Cape of Good Hope. This story introduces the name Captain Hendrick Van der Decken for the captain and the motifs (elaborated by later writers) of letters addressed to people long dead being offered to other ships for delivery, but if accepted will bring misfortune; and the captain having sworn to round the Cape of Good Hope though it should take until the day of judgment.

Reported sightings

There have been many reported or alleged sightings in the 19th and 20th centuries. A well-known sighting was by Prince George of Wales, the future

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

. He was on a three-year voyage during his late adolescence in 1880 with his elder brother

Prince Albert Victor of Wales Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (Albert Victor Christian Edward; 8 January 1864 – 14 January 1892) was the eldest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) and grandson of the re ...

and their tutor John Neill Dalton. They temporarily shipped into after the damaged rudder was repaired in their original ship, the 4,000-tonne corvette ''Bacchante''. The princes' log (indeterminate as to which prince, due to later editing before publication) records the following for the pre-dawn hours of 11 July 1881, off the coast of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

Nicholas Monsarrat Lieutenant Commander Nicholas John Turney Monsarrat FRSL RNVR (22 March 19108 August 1979) was a British novelist known for his sea stories, particularly '' The Cruel Sea'' (1951) and ''Three Corvettes'' (1942–45), but perhaps known best i ...

, the novelist who wrote '' The Cruel Sea'', described the phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean in his unfinished final book "Master Mariner", which was partly inspired by this tale (he lived and worked in South Africa after the war) and the story of the

Wandering Jew The Wandering Jew is a mythical immortal man whose legend began to spread in Europe in the 13th century. In the original legend, a Jew who taunted Jesus on the way to the Crucifixion was then cursed to walk the Earth until the Second Coming. Th ...

Explanations as an optical illusion

Probably the most credible explanation is a superior

mirage A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', meanin ...

or Fata Morgana seen at sea.

The news soon spread through the vessel that a phantom-ship with a ghostly crew was sailing in the air over a phantom-ocean, and that it was a bad omen, and meant that not one of them should ever see land again. The captain was told the wonderful tale, and coming on deck, he explained to the sailors that this strange appearance was caused by the reflection of some ship that was sailing on the water below this image, but at such a distance they could not see it. There were certain conditions of the atmosphere, he said, when the sun's rays could form a perfect picture in the air of objects on the earth, like the images one sees in glass or water, but they were not generally upright, as in the case of this ship, but reversed—turned bottom upwards. This appearance in the air is called a mirage. He told a sailor to go up to the foretop and look beyond the phantom-ship. The man obeyed, and reported that he could see on the water, below the ship in the air, one precisely like it. Just then another ship was seen in the air, only this one was a steamship, and was bottom-upwards, as the captain had said these mirages generally appeared. Soon after, the steamship itself came in sight. The sailors were now convinced, and never afterwards believed in phantom-ships.Round-about Rambles in Lands of Fact and Fancy
by
Frank R. Stockton Frank Richard Stockton (April 5, 1834 – April 20, 1902) was an American writer and humorist, best known today for a series of innovative children's fairy tales that were widely popular during the last decades of the 19th century. Life Born i ...

Another optical effect known as

looming ''Looming'' is a term found in the study of perception, as it relates directly to psychology. Looming occurs when an object begins moving closer to the eye. As the resulting image becomes increasingly larger on the perceiver's retina The re ...

occurs when rays of light are bent across different refractive indices. This could make a ship just off the horizon appear hoisted in the air.

Adaptations

In literature

The 1797–98 poem by

Samuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge (; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lak ...

, ''

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner ''The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'' (originally ''The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere'') is the longest major poem by the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, written in 1797–1798 and published in 1798 in the first edition of '' Lyrical Ball ...

'', contains a similar account of a ghost ship, which may have been influenced by the tale of the ''Flying Dutchman''. One of the first ''Flying Dutchman'' short stories was titled "Vanderdecken's Message Home; or, the Tenacity of Natural Affection" and was published in ''Blackwood's'' during 1821. Dutch poet

J. Slauerhoff Jan Jacob Slauerhoff (15 September 1898 – 5 October 1936), who published as J. Slauerhoff, was a Dutch poet and novelist. He is considered one of the most important Dutch language writers. Youth Slauerhoff attended HBS (secondary school) in ...

published a number of related poems, particularly in his 1928 volume '' Eldorado''.

John Boyle O'Reilly John Boyle O'Reilly (28 June 1844 – 10 August 1890) was an Irish poet, journalist, author and activist. As a youth in Ireland, he was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, or Fenians, for which he was transported to Western Australi ...

wrote a poem titled ''The Flying Dutchman'' (1867). It was first published in ''

The Wild Goose ''The Wild Goose: A Collection of Ocean Waifs'' was a hand-written newspaper created in late 1867 by Fenian prisoners aboard ''Hougoumont'', the last ship to transport convicts to Australia. Seven issues of the newspaper were produced, and ea ...

'', a handwritten newspaper produced by

Fenian The word ''Fenian'' () served as an umbrella term for the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and their affiliate in the United States, the Fenian Brotherhood, secret political organisations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries dedicate ...

convicts being transported to

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to t ...

. British author

Brian Jacques James Brian Jacques (, as in "Jakes"; 15 June 1939 – 5 February 2011) was an English novelist known for his ''Redwall'' series of novels and ''Castaways of the Flying Dutchman'' series. He also completed two collections of short stories entit ...

wrote a trilogy of fantasy/young adult novels concerning two reluctant members of the ''Dutchman''s crew, a young boy and his dog, whom an angel charges to help those in need. The first novel was titled '' Castaways of the Flying Dutchman'' (2001); the second was titled '' The Angel's Command'' (2003), and the third was titled ''

Voyage of Slaves Voyage(s) or The Voyage may refer to: Literature *''Voyage : A Novel of 1896'', Sterling Hayden * ''Voyage'' (novel), a 1996 science fiction novel by Stephen Baxter *''The Voyage'', Murray Bail * "The Voyage" (short story), a 1921 story by K ...

'' (2006). The comic fantasy '' Flying Dutch'' by

Tom Holt Thomas Charles Louis Holt (born 13 September 1961) is a British novelist. In addition to fiction published under his own name, he writes fantasy under the pseudonym K. J. Parker. Biography Holt was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel H ...

is a version of the ''Flying Dutchman'' story. In this version, the Dutchman is not a ghost ship but crewed by immortals who can only visit land once every seven years when the unbearable smell that is a side-effect of the

elixir of life The elixir of life, also known as elixir of immortality, is a potion that supposedly grants the drinker eternal life and/or eternal youth. This elixir was also said to cure all diseases. Alchemists in various ages and cultures sought the mean ...

wears off.

Ward Moore Joseph Ward Moore (August 10, 1903 – January 29, 1978) was an American science fiction writer. According to ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'', "he contributed only infrequently to the field, uteach of his books became something of a clas ...

's 1951 story "Flying Dutchman" used the myth as a metaphor for an automated bomber which continues to fly over an Earth where humanity long since totally destroyed itself and all life in a nuclear war.

In opera and theatre

Wagner - Der fliegende Holländer - Maurice Renaud as the Dutchman - Berger - The Victrola book of the opera

The story was adapted into the English

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exce ...

''The Flying Dutchman; or the Phantom Ship: a Nautical Drama, in three acts'' (1826) by

Edward Fitzball Edward Fitzball (20 March 179327 October 1873) was a popular English playwright, who specialised in melodrama. His real surname was Ball, and he was born at Burwell, Cambridgeshire. Fitzball was educated in Newmarket, was apprenticed to a Nor ...

, with music by

George Rodwell George Herbert Buonaparte Rodwell (1800–1852) was an English composer, musical director, and author. Life The brother of James Thomas Gooderham Rodwell (died 1825), playwright and lessee of London's Adelphi Theatre, was born in London, 15 Novem ...

. The 48-page text, published c.1829, acknowledges the ''Blackwood's'' story as the source.

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

's opera ''

The Flying Dutchman The ''Flying Dutchman'' ( nl, De Vliegende Hollander) is a legendary ghost ship, allegedly never able to make port, but doomed to sail the seven seas forever. The myth is likely to have originated from the 17th-century Golden Age of the Dut ...

'' (1843) is adapted from an episode in

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of '' Lied ...

's satirical novel ''The Memoirs of Mister von Schnabelewopski'' (''Aus den Memoiren des Herrn von Schnabelewopski'') (1833), in which a character attends a theatrical performance of ''The Flying Dutchman'' in Amsterdam. Heine had first used the legend in his ''Reisebilder: Die Nordsee'' (''Pictures of Travel: the North Sea'') (1826), which simply repeats from ''Blackwood's Magazine'' the features of the vessel being seen in a storm and sending letters addressed to persons long since dead. In his 1833 elaboration, Heine introduced the chance of salvation through a woman's devotion and the opportunity to set foot on land every seven years to seek a faithful wife. It was once thought that Heine may have based the episode on Fitzball's play, which was playing at the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receivin ...

in London, but the run had ended on 7 April 1827 and Heine did not arrive in London until the 14th; it was not published until its revival in 1829. Unlike Fitzball's play, which is set off the Cape of Good Hope, Heine's account is set in the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian ...

off Scotland. Wagner's opera was similarly planned to take place off the coast of Scotland, although during the final rehearsals he transferred the action to another part of the North Sea, off Norway.

Pierre-Louis Dietsch Pierre-Louis-Philippe Dietsch (also ''Dietch'', ''Dietzch'', ''Dietz'') (17 March 1808 – 20 February 1865) was a French composer and conductor,Cooper & Millington 1992. perhaps best remembered for the much anthologized Ave Maria 'by' Jacques A ...

composed an opera ''Le vaisseau fantôme, ou Le maudit des mers'' (''The Phantom Ship, or The Accursed of the Sea''), which was first performed on 9 November 1842 at the

Paris Opera The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be ...

. The libretto by

Paul Foucher Paul-Henri Foucher (21 April 1810 – 24 January 1875) was a French playwright, theatre and music critic, political journalist, and novelist. Biography Early career Foucher was born in Paris and began his career as an employee in the offices of t ...

and H. Révoil was based on Walter Scott's '' The Pirate'' as well as Frederick Marryat's novel ''

The Phantom Ship ''The Phantom Ship'' (1839) is a Gothic novel by Frederick Marryat which explores the legend of the '' Flying Dutchman''. Plot introduction The plot concerns the quest of Philip Vanderdecken of Terneuzen in the Netherlands to save his father ...

'' and other sources, although Wagner thought it was based on the scenario of his own opera, which he had just sold to the Opera. The similarity of Dietsch's opera to Wagner's is slight, although Wagner's assertion is often repeated. Berlioz thought ''Le vaisseau fantôme'' too solemn, but other reviewers were more favourable.Cooper & Millington 1992.Cooper & Millington 2001. ''Dutchman'' (1964), a short play by

Amiri Baraka Amiri Baraka (born Everett Leroy Jones; October 7, 1934 – January 9, 2014), previously known as LeRoi Jones and Imamu Amear Baraka, was an American writer of poetry, drama, fiction, essays and music criticism. He was the author of numerous bo ...

, uses the legend as a symbol of entrapment.

In art and design

The ''Flying Dutchman'' has been captured in paintings by

Albert Ryder Albert Pinkham Ryder (March 19, 1847 – March 28, 1917) was an American painter best known for his poetic and moody allegorical works and seascapes, as well as his eccentric personality. While his art shared an emphasis on subtle variations of ...

, now in the

Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum (commonly known as SAAM, and formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds ...

, and by

Howard Pyle Howard Pyle (March 5, 1853 – November 9, 1911) was an American illustrator and author, primarily of books for young people. He was a native of Wilmington, Delaware, and he spent the last year of his life in Florence, Italy. In 1894, he began ...

, whose painting of the ''Flying Dutchman'' is on exhibit at the Delaware Art Museum.

In television

In "The Buccaneers" 1956, episode 22 of Season 1 features a ghost ship known as "The Dutchman", ultimately, it is found that a crew of pirates had taken the ship after thr previous captain was hanged, and used it in lucrative business, drawing other ships in, stealing their cargo, then scuttling them, all while haunting the crews. This is ultimately thwarted by Dan Tempest and crew, when they attempt to take the ship to harbor. In "Judgment Night", a 1959 episode of

Rod Serling Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter, playwright, television producer, and narrator/on-screen host, best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his anthology television series ...

's ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

'', the U-boat captain who sank an Allied passenger ship in World War II finds himself doomed to forever relive the experience as a "Flying Dutchman" passenger of the torpedoed ship. Two other ''Twilight Zone'' episodes, " The Arrival" and " Death Ship" also refer to the legend. The ''Flying Dutchman'' was also featured in "Cave of the Dead", a 1967 episode of ''

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' is a 1961 American science fiction disaster film, produced and directed by Irwin Allen, and starring Walter Pidgeon and Robert Sterling. The supporting cast includes Peter Lorre, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden, M ...

''. In the 1967 ''

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the Si ...

'' cartoon "Return of the Flying Dutchman", the ship appears as an illusion created by Mysterio. In the 1976 '' Land of the Lost'' episode "Flying Dutchman", the ship appears captained by Ruben Van de Meer, who attempts to take Holly with him to give him company on his endless voyage. In the kids' show ''

SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American Animated series, animated Television comedy, comedy Television show, television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It ...

'', the

Flying Dutchman The ''Flying Dutchman'' ( nl, De Vliegende Hollander) is a legendary ghost ship, allegedly never able to make port, but doomed to sail the seven seas forever. The myth is likely to have originated from the 17th-century Golden Age of the Du ...

appears as a ghostly sailor (rather than the ship of the same name) and an enemy of SpongeBob. In the anime/manga series

One Piece ''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine '' Weekly Shōnen Jump'' since July 1997, with its individual chap ...

, the Flying Dutchman appears captained by Van der Decken and is recognized as a ghost ship.

In comics

Carl Barks Carl Barks (March 27, 1901 – August 25, 2000) was an American cartoonist, author, and painter. He is best known for his work in Disney comic books, as the writer and artist of the first Donald Duck stories and as the creator of Scrooge McD ...

wrote and drew a 1959 comic book story where

Uncle Scrooge ''Uncle Scrooge'' (stylized as ''Uncle $crooge'') is a Disney comic book series starring Scrooge McDuck ("the richest duck in the world"), his nephew Donald Duck, and grandnephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and revolving around their adventures in Du ...

Donald Duck Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor shirt and cap with a bow tie. Donald is known fo ...

and

Huey, Dewey, and Louie Huey, Dewey, and Louie are triplet cartoon characters created by storyboard artist (screenwriter) Carl Barks for The Walt Disney Company from an idea proposed by cartoonist Al Taliaferro and are the nephews of Donald Duck and the grand-neph ...

meet the "Flying Dutchman". Barks ultimately explains the "flying" ship as an optical illusion.

In film

The story was dramatised in the 1951 film '' Pandora and the Flying Dutchman'', starring

James Mason James Neville Mason (; 15 May 190927 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was the top box-office attraction in the UK in 1944 and 1945; his British films inc ...

and

Ava Gardner Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' attention in 1946 with her perform ...

. In this version, the ''Flying Dutchman'' is a man, not a ship, and the main action takes place on the Mediterranean coast of Spain during the summer of 1930. Centuries earlier the Dutchman had killed his wife, wrongly believing her to be unfaithful. At his trial he was unrepentant and cursed God. Providence condemned him to roam the seas until he found the true meaning of love. In the only plot point taken from earlier versions of the story, once every seven years the Dutchman is allowed ashore for six months to search for a woman who will love him enough to die for him, releasing him from his curse, and he finds her in Pandora, played by Gardner. The ''

Pirates of the Caribbean ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' is a Disney media franchise encompassing numerous theme park rides, a series of films, and spin-off novels, as well as a number of related video games and other media publications. The franchise originated with the ...

'' franchise features a ship named the ''Flying Dutchman''. It first made appearances in '' Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'' (2006) and '' Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'' (2007), captained by Davy Jones until his heart was stabbed by

Will Turner William Turner Jr. is a fictional character in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' films. He appears in '' The Curse of the Black Pearl'' (2003), '' Dead Man's Chest'' (2006), '' At World's End'' (2007), and '' Dead Men Tell No Tales'' (2017). He ...

, who became the new captain of the ''Dutchman''. In a story partly inspired by

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

, he can step on land once every ten years, and that at any time, if he finds a love that is true then his attachment to the ship is broken. Although it was believed Will's curse was lifted 10 years after the events of ''At World's End'', Will was still cursed aboard the ''Dutchman'' in '' Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales'' (2017). The ''Flying Dutchman'' also made appearances in the video games ''

Disney Infinity ''Disney Infinity'' is an action-adventure sandbox toys-to-life video game series developed by Avalanche Software. The setting of the series is a giant customizable universe of imagination, known as the Toy Box, populated with toy versions o ...

'', ''

Kingdom Hearts III is a 2019 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch. It is the twelfth installment in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series, and serves as a conclusion of the ...

'', and '' Sea of Thieves: A Pirate's Life''.

In video game

Sea of Thieves ''Sea of Thieves'' is a 2018 action-adventure game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft Studios. The player assumes the role of a pirate who completes voyages from different trading companies. The multiplayer game sees players explore ...

In the "A Pirate's Life" tall tale, the player has to fight with the Flying Dutchman to progress. In the "Dark Brethren" tall tale the player has to defend the vessel against non-player enemies. In this section the player is free to wander inside the ship and can play the iconic

Organ pipe An organ pipe is a sound-producing element of the pipe organ that resonates at a specific pitch when pressurized air (commonly referred to as ''wind'') is driven through it. Each pipe is tuned to a specific note of the musical scale. A set o ...

In music

In 1949 RCA Victor, inventors of the single 45 RPM format, released as one of their first singles a recording of the legend in song in bandleader Hugo Winterhalter's "The Flying Dutchman", sung as a

sea shanty A sea shanty, chantey, or chanty () is a genre of traditional Folk music, folk song that was once commonly sung as a work song to accompany rhythmical labor aboard large Merchant vessel, merchant Sailing ship, sailing vessels. The term ''shanty ...

. Dutch

symphonic black metal Symphonic black metal is a subgenre of black metal that emerged in the 1990s and incorporates symphonic and orchestral elements. Notable symphonic black metal bands include Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, and Carach Angren. History ...

band

Carach Angren Carach Angren is a Dutch symphonic black metal band, founded in 2003 by two members of the now-defunct bands Inger Indolia and Vaultage. Their style is characterized by prominent usage of orchestral arrangements, black (sometimes death) metal vo ...

wrote a

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Some ...

about the ''Flying Dutchman'' entitled ''

Death Came Through a Phantom Ship ''Death Came Through a Phantom Ship'' is the second studio album by Dutch symphonic black metal band Carach Angren, It was released in 2010. This album tells the legend of a ghost ship (an interpretation of the ''Flying Dutchman'') from its begin ...

''.

Tin Machine Tin Machine were a British–American rock band formed in 1988, and fronted by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. The band consisted of Bowie on lead vocals, saxophone and guitar; Reeves Gabrels on guitar and vocals; Tony Fox Sales on ba ...

, fronted by

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

, mentions it in their song 'Amlapura' on the

Tin Machine II ''Tin Machine II'' is the second and final studio album by Anglo-American rock group Tin Machine, released on 2September 1991 through Victory Music in association with London Records. The band, composed of English singer-songwriter David Bowie, ...

(1991) album. "The Flying Dutchman" is a song by the pirate themed music group The Jolly Rogers. Its lyrics narrate the encounter of a ship crew with the titular ghost ship. "Flying Dutchman" is a B-side from Tori Amos's 1992 debut album ''

Little Earthquakes ''Little Earthquakes'' is the debut solo album by the American singer-songwriter Tori Amos, featuring the singles "Silent All These Years", "China", "Winter" and "Crucify". After Atlantic Records rejected the first version of the album, Amos bega ...

.'' "Flying Dutchman" is a track on Jethro Tull's 1979 twelfth studio album ''

Stormwatch Stormwatch may refer to: * ''Stormwatch'' (album), a 1979 album by Jethro Tull * Stormwatch (comics), a fictional superhero team in the Wildstorm and DC Universes * ''Storm Watch'', a 2002 American science fiction film See also * Storm warning ...

.''

In radio drama

The story was adapted by Judith French into a play, ''The Dutch Mariner'', broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 13 April 2003.

In leisure

The

Efteling Efteling () is a fantasy-themed amusement park in Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands. The attractions reflect elements from ancient myths and legends, fairy tales, fables, and folklore. The park was opened on May 31, 1952. It evolved from a nature p ...

amusement park in the Netherlands has a

roller coaster A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are ...

called

De Vliegende Hollander De Vliegende Hollander ("The Flying Dutchman" in English) is a combination of a water coaster and a dark ride in amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands. The ride is based on the legend of Dutch man of war the '' Flying Dutchman''. Ride ...

("The Flying Dutchman" in English), which features a captain named Willem van der Decken ( nl).

In aviation

KLM Flying Dutchman Poster (19290401110)

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, legally '' Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V.'' (literal translation: Royal Aviation Company Plc.), is the flag carrier airline of the Netherlands. KLM is headquartered in Amstelveen, with its hub at nearby Ams ...

references the endless traveling aspect of the story by having ''The Flying Dutchman'' painted on the rear sides of all its aircraft with regular livery.

In sailing

There is a design of 20-foot one-design high-performance two-person racing

dinghy A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or towed by a larger vessel for use as a tender. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor. Some are rigged for sailing but they differ from sailing dinghies, whic ...

named the

. It made its Olympic debut at the 1960 Summer Games competitions in the

Gulf of Naples The Gulf of Naples (), also called the Bay of Naples, is a roughly 15-kilometer-wide (9.3 mi) gulf located along the south-western coast of Italy ( province of Naples, Campania region). It opens to the west into the Mediterranean Sea. I ...

and is still one of the fastest racing dinghies in the world.Portsmouth tables

People

Several people have been nicknamed the "Flying Dutchman", including

Anthony Fokker Anton Herman Gerard "Anthony" Fokker (6 April 1890 – 23 December 1939) was a Dutch aviation pioneer, aviation entrepreneur, aircraft designer, and aircraft manufacturer. He produced fighter aircraft in Germany during the First World War suc ...

. Dutch football player

Dennis Bergkamp Dennis Nicolaas Maria Bergkamp (; born 10 May 1969) is a Dutch professional football coach and former player. Originally a wide midfielder, Bergkamp was moved to main striker and then to second striker, where he remained throughout his playin ...

was nicknamed "the Non-Flying Dutchman", because of his

fear of flying Fear of flying is a fear of being on an airplane, or other flying vehicle, such as a helicopter, while in flight. It is also referred to as flying anxiety, flying phobia, flight phobia, aviophobia, aerophobia, or pteromechanophobia (although a ...

. American baseball player Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner was nicknamed the ''Flying Dutchman'' because of his speed and German heritage. Famous Dutch football player

Robin van Persie Robin van Persie (; born 6 August 1983) is a Dutch football coach and former professional footballer who played as a striker. Regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation, Van Persie was known for his excellent technique and ball c ...

also got the nickname "the Flying Dutchman" after his goal against Spain in the

2014 World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting righ ...

because of the way he scored with the header. In the 1970s, the British and American press often dubbed the Dutch rock band

Golden Earring Golden Earring (originally known as The Tornados) was a Dutch rock band, founded in 1961 in The Hague as The Golden Earrings. They achieved worldwide fame with their international hit songs "Radar Love" in 1973, which went to number one on t ...

"The Flying Dutchmen" because of their exuberant stage act, which included drummer

Cesar Zuiderwijk Cornelis Johannes "Cesar" Zuiderwijk, (born 18 July 1948) is a Dutch drummer. He is best known as the drummer of the Dutch rock band Golden Earring from 1970 until their retirement in 2021. Biography When Zuiderwijk was twelve he started play ...

leaping over his drum kit and guitarist

George Kooymans George Jan Kooymans (born 11 March 1948, The Hague, Netherlands) is a Dutch guitarist and vocalist. He is best known for his work with the Dutch group Golden Earring. Kooymans wrote " Twilight Zone", the group's only Top 10 Pop Single on the US ' ...

performing high jumps.

Horse racing

The 13th Earl of Eglinton owned a racehorse named

Notes

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

''Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine'', May 1821

Mainly about Wagner's possible sources

Melodramatic Possessions: ''The Flying Dutchman'', South Africa and the Imperial Stage ca. 1830

''The Phantom Ship'' by Marryat at Project Gutenberg

''The Death Ship'' by W. Clark Russell at Project Gutenberg

USA premiere of 1841 critical edition of Wagner's ''The Flying Dutchman'' at Boston Lyric Opera, April & May 2013

"The ''Flying Dutchman'', Harbinger of Watery Doom" article on Atlas Obscura
* * :nl:Willem van der Decken {{DEFAULTSORT:Flying Dutchman, The Maritime folklore Curses Supernatural legends Superstitions Optical illusions Ships of the Netherlands Legendary ghost ships Richard Wagner Ships of the Dutch East India Company Dutch legends Dutch folklore