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As summer vacation begins, families will be heading for sandy getaways. And
wherever they go, superstitions or legends associated with sea serpents, ghost
ships, floating specters and unexplained sightings have been passed down for
generations. More important, perhaps, is helpful folklore—provided by
those who work the waters—about how to protect oneself from the spirits
of the deep.
This article (taken from our book Terrifying
Tales of the Beaches and Bays) features a few seafaring superstitions
and quirks that beachgoers should not leave home without. It might be useful
to save this article and attached it to the refrigerator of that summer rental
property . . . just in case.
If a crow flies across a boat, it’s a sign of bad luck.
• • •
But, if two or more happen to fly across a craft it means there will be a good catch on that day.Blackbirds on a windowsill or a bird flying in a house are sure signs of the upcoming arrival of death. A blackbird landing on boats approaching shore is a sign that bad luck is near.
• • •
Cats on a boat make many old mariners edgy; for they believe the animals--an alternative life form of a witch--will surely bring bad luck. In some cases, cats were taken to sea, but their activities were watched very carefully. It was believed that if the animal became agitated, disappeared or fell overboard it was a sign that a storm was approaching.
Some watermen on Maryland’s Eastern Shore still believe that blue is a bad luck color for a boat. Never paint blue on any part of a boat, they say. Some stories tell of fishermen turning their boats around and heading back to shore if they discover anything bearing the color blue on their boat.
It’s said the superstition associated with the color blue dates back to the days when American Indians paddled the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Indians who lived near the Choptank River would never paint the color blue on their canoes because that color belonged to the water gods. The Indians believed if they used blue, it would make the water gods jealous and unhappy.
• • •
Watermen are careful to avoid the use of walnut in the construction of boats. Traditionally, the wood was employed to make coffins. If walnut is used to make or repair a boat, they believe the craft is sure to experience bad luck.
For nearly two centuries, the “Weather Witch” would visit the Delaware Bay, stirring up a storm every time a salvage operation was close to raising the HMS DeBraak, which sank at Cape Henlopen near Lewes harbor on May 25, 1798. The submerged vessel was eventually raised in August 1988, and on that night the “Bad Weather Witch” made her final appearance, nearly disrupting the salvage effort.
• • •
To insure a steady supply of wind, some captains would hire a witch to sail on the voyage. This would ensure that if the sea winds failed for too long a period of time, the magician would be on board and available to conjure up a breeze to move the vessel along.
• • •
The Irish believed that the banshee could not cross water. On the Delmarva Peninsula, some also believe that ghosts cannot cross water. As a result, an abundance of spirits are trapped on the 14 counties nestled between the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. This also may account for the large number of sightings of apparitions at Fort Delaware, located on Pea Patch Island, and who knows what Cecil County ghosts are trapped and roaming the woods and shores of Garrett Island.
• • •
To keep ghosts out of a house, some dwellers in Eastern Shore water towns suggest that homeowner place a penny—with the head facing up—over the sills of the windows and doors. It’s also good practice to place a penny in each corner of each room in the house. This practice also has been used successfully to get rid of unwanted spirits.
• • •
Slaves and their immediate descendants were particularly fearful of dolphins. They believed dolphins would call out the names of those traveling on nearby ships, and, to satisfy the cries of these sea creatures, those named would be tossed overboard as a sacrifice to the sea. Even in the early 20th century, descendants of slaves on the Eastern Shore of Maryland have displayed great fear when schools of dolphins appear.
• • •
Pirates would leave behind a crewmember’s dead body atop a buried treasure chest to guard the hidden loot and keep hunters from stealing the precious booty. It was believed that anyone finding treasure would be horrified discovering the remnants of a dead sailor. If the hunter persisted in trying to reach the treasure, he would have to dig past and handle the bones of the dead sentry. Disturbing the rotted remains of the guard would antagonize the dead body’s spirit and deliver bad luck to the treasure hunter. For these reasons, the searcher usually gave up the hunt.
To get an indication of a child’s future, try this: Place a coin, a copy of The Bible and a bottle of whiskey in front of the baby. If the child touches the money first, he will become a banker or accountant. If he first selects The Bible, he will become a minister, priest or preacher. And if he grabs the bottle first, he will become a drunk.
• • •
Because Christ died during His Crucifixion on a Friday, most sea captains considered it a bad luck day to begin a journey. Therefore, many sailors preferred to leave from port on any other day of the week. Some, in fact, recalling Christ’s Resurrection, preferred to disembark on Sunday, the most holy day of the week.
When the sea winds died and the air was still, sailing ship mariners believed they could generate a breeze that would fill the sails by whistling. However, they had to be careful not to offer too spirited a tune, for they did not want a dangerous gale but only a steady wind that would send the wooden sailing ship along its way.
Sailors murdered at sea are said to be cursed and not rest until their killer has been found and punished.
• • •
Prehistoric looking water creatures have been sighted in modern times in several locales. Most famous is Scotland’s Loch Ness Monster, sometimes called Nessie. Other lesser-known sea monsters include Chessie of the Chesapeake Bay, Champ of Lake Champlain and Manipogo of Lake Manitoba.
• • •
Just as dwellers on the mainland reported seeing werewolves, witches and leprechauns, so too were there strange sightings at sea. Sailors who were on the water for months would tell stories of mermaids or merfolk. Depending upon the sea creature’s mood, these half human, half fish beings would either lure sailors into hazardous areas where ships would be lost or help mariners avoid dangerous shoals that would rip wooden vessels apart.
• • •
Occasionally, in historic water towns you can find the remnants of modest-sized bell towers standing beside gravesites. According to archaeologist and historian George Reynolds Sr. of Elk Mills, the term “saved by the bell,” did not originate during boxing matches, nor did it refer to students who were happy to hear the signal announcing the end of a school day.
In olden times, people who feared they might become unconscious from strange diseases and be mistaken for dead requested that a rope be placed in their hands inside their coffin. The cord was attached to a bell hanging outside the gravesite. If the body mistaken for a corpse awoke in the coffin, the unfortunate individual could yank on the rope, ring the bell, and avoid being buried alive.
About the author: For
information about Ed Okonowicz and
his books and programs, visit his web site at www.mystandlace.com.