It the cold North Sea, there is a ghost ship where the crew plays for your soul with dice. That is what happened to Baron Falkenberg.
In the seas outside the shores of Germany, there is also a Captain of a ghost ship, haunting the dark waters, collecting souls and trapping them there. It goes into the European tradition of ghost ships and a cursed crew, just like The Flying Dutchman. That is the base of the legend of the story of Baron Falkenberg.
Baron Falkenberg
The Baron was invited to a wedding to his long lost brother who had just come back home as a new man. When the brother returned, he was a very wealthy man, unlike the Baron, who had very little money to his name.
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The Baron had long had his eyes set on a girl he wanted to marry from the village, but hadn’t dared to declare his love for. But to his horror, he found that the wedding of this girl and his brother he was going to attend. Not only was his brother now a much richer man than the Baron himself, he was going to marry the love of his life.
Still, the Baron thought they should live in peace. It was after all her choice, and he had no real money to offer her, so he shouldn’t hold a grudge.
The Wedding Violence
The wedding went as smoothly as one could expect and there were lots of champagne, songs and festivities that night. It all was well until his brother touched the Baron the wrong place or way as it says in the legend. The Baron went mad after this and grabbed a champagne bottle and smashed it into his brother’s head.
The brother fell dead to the ground and the bride fled screaming away as she had seen it all. The Baron chased her to explain himself. He declared his love and tried to persuade her to escape with him, but she told him that she would rather die than be with him. The Baron took her word for it and stabbed her with a knife, also killing the girl he loved.
The sound of the fighting didn’t go unnoticed by the rest of the guests and they came to investigate and soon found the tragedy that had unfolded to the newlyweds. The Baron fled the scene and went for a walk, trying to clear his head and figure out what to do next. He found himself at the beach nearby and found a man was sitting there, almost like he was waiting for the Baron.
“The Captain expects you, Baron,” the boatman said to the Baron and extended his hand to help him into the boat right next to them. The Baron had nowhere to go, no one to go to and accepted and got into the boat rowed further out to sea where a ship was waiting.
And when the Baron first entered the ship, he didn’t get off for the next 600 years. The ship can sometimes be seen on wild winter nights in the North Sea going north. The ship is painted gray and sailed under a yellow flag. You can see the Baron sitting there with the devil, playing dice for his soul and cursed to sail the ship forever.
Outside the shores of Chile, there a tales of a ghost ship that will take you away if it gets you to make you one of their crew. Could you join to sail the sea forever with The Caleuche?
Outside of the Chiloé Archipelago,the group of islands outside of mainland Chile, rich folklore and mystical myths of the sea that surrounds the islands thrives. Here they believe in the great battle of the two serpents of earth and sea that created the area.
Fishing and sailing were the main thing the locals did for a living, and the mythology of the place reflects it. And when the fog comes creeping up to the shores of the canals, bright lights and the sound of jolly music can be heard from the sea. Just a fishing boat passing playing loud music? Or can it be The Caleuche, a ghost ship that collects the drowned and enslaves people to work on the ship forever?
Background of the Mythology
The Caleuche is a ghost ship from Chiloé mythology in southern Chile that has a pretty distinct mythology different from the rest of Chile as a mixture of the indigenous people and the Spanish settlers. It in particular reflects just how important the sea is in the life of Chilotes.
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The word Caleuche comes from the Mapuche word Kalewtun, meaning to transform or to change and che, meaning people. It is also called The Enchanted Ship, Barcoiche or The Warlock Ship and has many different variations to the legend.
It has many similarities to the Flying Dutchman in the sense of being a ghost ship you can sail with for an eternity.
According to Chiloé mythology, it is Millalobo that is both the creator and owner of the ship, the second most important being of the sea after Caicai, God of water.
Ghost Ship of Never Ending Partying
The Caleuche is a ghost ship of music and light that sails along Chiloé canals. It has an extraordinary speed. You can not always see the ship, but in certain weather, like on a foggy day, you can both sense as well as see the ship.
People have always had a fear of being captured by The Caleuche and there are particular trees that you can hide behind that will give protection of being spotted, such as the Chilean wineberry and the olivillo. The reason being that in some versions of the legend, you can be enslaved and cursed to work on the ship forever.
The Caleuche: From the fog light can be seen and the sound of music can be hears. According to Chiloé mythology and folklore it is the ghost ship The Caleuche, filled with enslaved sailors, drowned bodies or evil sorcerers depending on what version you hear.
One of the things the ship is known for is the music and sound of partying. In some legends, it is to lure the people to them so that they can be forced to work as a crewmember for eternity.
It is not always for a sinister reason that the party music is so loud from the ship however. In many of the versions it is a ship that recovers the dead bodies from those who drowned at sea, and offers them a place as a crewmate on the ship. They will then be able to spend the rest of eternity partying and celebrating.
Making Pacts with Sorcerers
Another version of the tale is that it is in fact a ship that transports the sorcerers. It is said that they make a voyage every 3 months to gain more power. It is from this legend the idea of merchants trading with these sources to gain wealth quickly, and explaining when a person in Chiloé becomes rich quickly, they have made a pact with the crew on The Caleuche.
It is not a very old myth that never gets told anymore. In the 1960 Valdivia earthquake, or the Great Chilean earthquake, there were many fires, landslides, tsunamis and floods in the area after the initial shock of the quake. Many houses were left untouched by the natural disasters and rumors and talks about a pact having been made with The Caleuche were told.
In the same decade stories about the sound of an anchor being dropped outside of the houses of many prosperous and rich merchants in the area. According to the legends they would lend out their houses to The Caleuche for a party location and other dark purposes. Although many could probably put the blame and the reason for getting rich on normal and mortal smugglers.
What does the Appalachian range, the Scottish Highland, the Scandinavian mountains and Nick Cave have in common? Filled of the sub genre murder ballads. A strange phenomenon we don’t hear much in songs anymore. Often a man killing his girlfriend or a mother killing her children, these bone chilling songs have lasted centuries, growing and changing according to the time and place. But one thing remains, someone is murdered.
Child Owlet
Most likely Scottish. This creepy and bloody tale of a woman’s desire turned to a crime is bone chilling when you read behind the jolly tune.
Lyric
Lady Erskine sits intae her bower, a-sowing a silken seam, A bonny shirt for Child Owlet as he goes out and in His face was fair, long was his hair, she’s called him to come near “Oh, you must cuckold Lord Ronald for all his lands and gear.”
“Oh, lady, hold your tongue for shame for such should ne’er be done. How can I cuckold Lord Ronald and me his sister’s son?” Then she’s ta’en out a small penknife that lay beside her head She’s pricked herself below her breast which made her body bleed.
Lord Ronald’s come into her bower where she did make her moan. “Oh, what is all this blood,” he said, “That shines on your breast bone?” “Young Child Owlet, your sister’s son, is new gone from my bower. If I’d not been a good woman I’d have been Child Owlet’s whore.”
Then he has taken Child Owlet, thrown him in prison strong And all his men a council held to judge Child Owlet’s wrong Some said, Child Owlet he should hang, some said that he should burn, Some said they would he Child Owlet between wild horses torn.
“Ten horses in my stable stand, can run right speedily. It’s you must to my stable go and take out four for me.” They tied a horse unto each foot and one unto each hand. They’ve sent them out o’er Elkin Moor as fast as they could run.
There was no stone on Elkin Moor, no broom nor bonny whin But’s dripping with Child Owlet’s blood and pieces of his skin. There was no grass on Elkin Moor, no broom nor bonny rush But’s dripping with Child Owlet’s blood and pieces of his flesh.
Down in the Willow Garden
You click on an Everly Brother’s song and expect it to be a sugar sweet song about eternal love. Little did you know you were getting a well known bloody murder-ballad about a guy murdering his girlfriend.
Lyric
Down in the Willow garden Where me and my love did meet As we sat a-courtin’ My love fell off to sleep I had a bottle of Burgundy wine My love she did not know So I poisoned that dear little girl On the banks below
I drew a sabre through her It was a bloody knife I threw her in the river Which was a dreadful sign My father often told me That money would set me free If I would murder that dear little girl Whose name was Rose Connolly
My father sits at his cabin door Wiping his tear-dimmed eyes For his only son soon shall walk To yonder scaffold high My race is run, beneath the sun The scaffold now waits for me For I did murder that dear little girl Whose name was Rose Connelly
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The Maid and the Palmer
I don’t know what the deal is with mixing happy folk tunes with the grimmest of lyrics. But it does give it an extra dimension of creepiness.
Lyric
HE maid shee went to the well to washe, Refrain: Lillumwham, lillumwham! The mayd shee went to the well to washe, Refrain: Whatt then? what then? The maid shee went to the well to washe, Dew fell of her lilly white fleshe. Refrain: Grandam boy, grandam boy, heye! Leg a derry, leg a merry, mett, mer, whoope, whir! Driuance, larumben, grandam boy, heye! While shee washte and while shee ronge, While shee hangd o the hazle wand. There came an old palmer by the way, Sais, ‘God speed thee well, thou faire maid!’ ‘Hast either cupp or can, To giue an old palmer drinke therin?’ Sayes, ‘I have neither cupp nor cann, To giue an old palmer drinke therin.’ ‘But an thy lemman came from Roome, Cupps and canns thou wold find soone.’ She sware by God & good St. John, Lemman had shee neuer none. Sais, ‘Peace, faire mayd, you are forsworne! Nine children you haue borne. ‘Three were buryed vnder thy bed’s head, Other three vnder thy brewing leade. ‘Other three on yon play greene; Count, maid, and there be 9.’ ‘But I hope you are the good old man That all the world beleeues vpon. ‘Old palmer, I pray thee, Pennaunce that thou wilt giue to me.’ ‘Penance I can giue thee none, But 7 yeere to be a stepping-stone. ‘Other seaven a clapper in a bell, Other 7 to lead an ape in hell. ‘When thou hast thy penance done, Then thoust come a mayden home.’
‘SEVEN years ye shall be a stone, Refrain: . . . . . For many a poor palmer to rest him upon. Refrain: And you the fair maiden of Gowden-gane ‘Seven years ye’ll be porter of hell, And then I’ll take you to mysell.’ * * * * * ‘Weel may I be a’ the other three, But porter of hell I never will be.’
Long Lankin
I mean. If you can listen to the Wainwright sister’s version of this murder ballad, I don’t know what will affect you.
Lyric
Said the Lord unto his Lady as he rode over the moss “Beware of Long Lankin that lives amongst the gorse Beware the moss, beware the moor, beware of Long Lankin Be sure the doors are bolted well Lest Lankin should creep in” Said the Lord unto his Lady as he rode away “Beware of Long Lankin that lives amongst the hay Beware the moss, beware the moor, beware of Long Lankin Be sure the doors are bolted well Lest Lankin should creep in” “Where’s the master of the house?”, says Long Lankin “He’s ‘way to London”, says the nurse to him “Where’s the lady of the house?”, says Long Lankin “She’s up in her chamber”, says the nurse to him “Where’s the baby of the house?”, says Long Lankin “He’s asleep in the cradle”, says the nurse to him “We will pinch him, we will prick him We will stab him with a pin And the nurse shall hold the basin For the blood all to run in”So they pinched him and they pricked him Then they stabbed him with a pin And the false nurse held the basin For the blood all to run in”Lady, come down the stairs, ” says Long Lankin “How can I see in the dark?”, she says unto him “You have silver mantles”, says Long Lankin “Lady, come down the stairs by the light of them” Down the stairs the lady came, thinking no harm Lankin, he stood ready to catch her in his arms There was blood all in the kitchen There was blood all in the hall There was blood all in the parlor Where my lady she did fall Now Long Lankin shall be hanged From the gallows, oh, so high And the false nurse shall be burned In the fire close by Said the Lord unto his Lady as he rode over the moss “Beware of Long Lankin that lives amongst the gorse Beware the moss, beware the moor, beware of Long Lankin Make sure the doors are bolted well Lest Lankin should creep in”
Where the Wild Roses Grow
Most of the songs on this list is older ballads. But murder ballads is not a died out genre. The king of creepy songs, Nick Cave, wrote Where the wild roses grows in 1996. He said in an interview: “Where The Wild Roses Grow” was written very much with Kylie in mind. I’d wanted to write a song for Kylie for many years. I had a quiet obsession with her for about six years. I wrote several songs for her, none of which I felt was appropriate to give her. It was only when I wrote this song, which is a dialogue between a killer and his victim, that I thought finally I’d written the right song for Kylie to sing. I sent the song to her and she replied the next day.”
They call me The Wild Rose But my name was Elisa Day Why they call me it, I do not know For my name was Elisa Day
From the first day I saw her, I knew she was the one She stared in my eyes and smiled For her lips were the colour of the roses That grew down the river, all bloody and wild
When he knocked on my door and entered the room My trembling subsided in his sure embrace He would be my first man, and with a careful hand He wiped at the tears that ran down my face
They call me The Wild Rose But my name was Elisa Day Why they call me it, I do not know For my name was Elisa Day
On the second day, I brought her a flower She was more beautiful than any woman I’ve seen I said, “Do you know where the wild roses grow So sweet and scarlet and free?”
On the second day, he came with a single red rose He said, “Give me your loss and your sorrow” I nodded my head as I lay on the bed If I show you the roses, will you follow?
They call me The Wild Rose But my name was Elisa Day Why they call me it, I do not know For my name was Elisa Day
On the third day, he took me to the river He showed me the roses and we kissed And the last thing I heard was a muttered word As he knelt above me with a rock in his fist
On the last day I took her where the wild roses grow She lay on the bank, the wind light as a thief And I kissed her goodbye, said, “All beauty must die” And lent down and planted a rose between her teeth
They call me The Wild Rose But my name was Elisa Day Why they call me it, I do not know For my name was Elisa Day My name was Elisa Day For my name was Elisa Day
An online magazine about the paranormal, haunted and macabre. We collect the ghost stories from all around the world as well as review horror and gothic media.
