Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-21
SPECTRAL SHIPS.
SOME ANCIENT AND MODERN LE-
GrNDs ABOUT PHANTOM VESSELS.
ships Of Mythology and SANITY Lore-The
Argo--changss Of Legends-The
Wandering Vessel.

Argo-changes Of Legends-TRe
Wandering Vessel.
The Church Magazine for March
contains an article on Legendary and
Spectral Ships :" by Lieutenant T. s.
Bassett. the author of Superstitious
of Sailors.n The subject is very
broad, and so numerous are the legends
of various maritiEe nations concerning
spectral vessels and their crews that
only a few Of the number have been
gathered up and preserved by the
writer. Ship superstitions existed even
| in the earliest times, long antedating the
| dawn ofIiterature or history and sim
liar fact in connection with this class
OF folklore is that striking similarity
between the legends Of widely-separated
nations may sometimes be observed.
Certain legends, greatly differing in de-
tail, but containing the same general
facts, are to be found in the lore Of
every nation that has much to do with
ships or sailors, just as every nation
has q legend Of the mother who returns
from the spirit land to comfort her sor-
rowing child, and also ghost story Of
| the lover who comes back from the
other world to censure or punish false
mistress. Several OF the legendary
| ships of ancient times are thus de-
scribed
| THE ARGO.
"The Argo is one Of the oldest myth
cal ships. 1t is not legend found in
the oldest Greek writings, Pindar first
giving it form. Jason claims his fathers
throne from an usurper, and is con-
strained to undertake the voyage to re-
cover the Golden Fleece, which he suo-
seeds in doing with the assistance Of
| Media. The Argo was built by Argus.
son OF Phryxus, an ancient navigator oil
| the Golden Fleece Ram, In itsprow was
inserted piece of the speaking oak
of Dodona, long an oracle in Northern
Greece, by Athena, a daughter of
the sea, and reputed inventor of
navigation. This famous ship, then,
first brayed the storms Of unknown
seas, and when in danger Of grounding
spoke and imposed upon the crew GER
tain rites. The ship was tifty-oared,
and carried as many Grecian heroes.
So of the ship Danaus and his fifty
daughters from Egypt. Deadalus and
Icarus in a mystic aerial ship. one story
says a real ship, voyaged in these early
times, and the latter lost his life by
falling overheard, or, says the poets,
by flying too high, thus melting the
wax which bound to him his wings.
Several legendary ships are named
in the northern Sagas. Skidblad-
mir was one of these, large enough
to contain all the gods and their
war equipment, but folding up like q
cloth. 1t belonged to Freyr, north
ern demi-god. This is very like the
cloud.ships Of the Vedas, where the
sky is a sea and the clouds are ships
navigating therein. But larger than
Skidbladnir was Naglfar, belonging to
Muspellheim, made of dead mems
bones, and carrying souls at the end
Of the world; Rymer her pilot, and
when one dies with uncut nails the
Sagas say he aids in the repairs of
this huge ship. Baldur's ship Hiring
horn, was the largest Of all. 1t could
not be foated at that giants death ex-
cept by the aid Of a giantess. This
ship is doubtless the world sailing in
the ether of space. Ellide, another
ship of the Sagas, was a great treasure.
She was shaped like a golden-headed
dragon, with a silver tail. Her planks
magically grew together, and were
probably Of ash, sacred to Ran, the
Amplitude of the North. She had
black nails, bordered with red, and
flies thus over the seas. She was sent
as a present to Egir, marine deity
who had been picked up at sea.
Fritbof sailed to the North in an
other legendary ship. The rigging froze
and the storm howled around them.
Two storm-spirits appeared. sent by
Helgi, riding on whale. The
noble ship rams, and thus overturns
the demons and the stormy waves are
stilled. In the Eddas the ship is horse
of the waves.
The middle ages left us many le-
gendary ships, sacred and profane. Sir
Tristram is challenged to play chess on
board of a ship by her captain. While
thus engaged he is kidnapped, and sail
made; but contrary winds arise, sails
split, and oars break, until the knight
is put on shore. In the legend Of the
Round Table, Sir Tristram is set ahoat
in ship, with a servsnt only as a com.
panion, Gouvernayl (Rudder), certainly
a trusty one. Tristram and Yesonde
voyage, and are wrecked, and he and
Yesonde embark in another ship, he
pulling against a head sea with great
success.
"Orendel, the would.be Queen oil
Jerusalem, set sail for that city. but
was windbound in the Kleber Meer
(Klabber Seal. The Virgin sent wind
| but the neet was afterWaru Wreckeu III
sight of the holy sepulchre, and only
Orendel saved"
HIND0O CLOUD SHIPS.
The Hindoo mythology abounds witt
tales Of cloud-lands, and in the sea
superstitions of many countries appear
accounts of ships which sail through
the clouds. These tales are usually
susceptible Of some symbolic interpre.
tation, and ingenious persons have la
bored to give them deep meaning
when the probability is that originally
they were merely play of fancy
meaning nothing, and the interpreta
tions are as fanciful and absurd as tn
stories themselves.
The Hindoo cloud ships we find in
the middle ages. They were then be-
Iieved to navigate the upper air, and 9
sea was supposed to exist there. Ger
vase of Tilbury, on dark, cloudy day
saw ships anchor in a pile Of stones
with cable reaching up above the clouds
Voices were heard from the aerial ship
and presently man slid down and cut
the cable, but lost his life in the close
.sNocpbara The apchnr ua ara nc