The Flying Dutchman
Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
What happened
THIS IS A LEGEND, NOT A REAL SHIP. The Flying Dutchman is a story about a ghost ship that can never reach port. Sailors told of seeing it in stormy weather. The first version of the legend as a story was printed in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine in May 1821 and set the scene at the Cape of Good Hope.
Why it matters
The first known printed mention is from 1790, in a travel book by John MacDonald. The story went on to inspire poems, plays, operas and films.
What came next
Wikipedia says the most credible explanation for sightings is a mirage called a Fata Morgana, which can make ships appear to float in the air. Richard Wagner's opera The Flying Dutchman was first performed in 1843.
Did you know?
The log of a Royal Navy ship for 11 July 1881 records seeing the Flying Dutchman off the coast of Australia.
Timeline
- 1790John MacDonald prints the first known mention.
- 1795A Voyage to Botany Bay describes the ghost ship.
- May 1821Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine prints the legend as a story.
- 1843Wagner's opera is first performed.
- 11 July 1881A ship's log records a sighting off Australia.