Here
is the prototypical “ghost ship” that other ghost ship stories are based
on. The Mary Celeste departed from New York on November 7, 1872 on its way
to Italy. On board were the experienced Captain
Benjamin Briggs (how great a name is that?), his wife, their two-year-old
daughter, and eight crew members.
Less
than a month later, a passing British ship happened to sight the Mary Celeste adrift off the Azores. The Mary
Celeste was in full sail and with all of its cargo on board, but all of the
people and one lifeboat were missing. …and
no one knows what became of them!
I
know, I know, this is a factual historical event, and I’m writing for a blog about
fiction. Here’s the thing. This story sparked massive fictional outburst
from all over the world as people tried to explain what happened to the
ship. Even Conan Doyle weighed in with a
short story about a former slave seeking vengeance. And there's a 1935 film starring Bela Lugosi. More recently, Valerie Martin (who brought us
Mary Reilly) wrote a novel with her
own exploration in The Ghost of the Mary
Celeste. Check out any of the book
or film explorations, or see what
the Smithsonian has to say on the topic.
How
to Commemorate:
- Choose a great captain name for yourself. (#MyCaptainNameIs)
- Hide without telling anyone.
- Find a local mystery near you and see what you can learn about it.
Share
your photos and celebrations on our Facebook or twitter pages.
Works
Cited
The Ghost of the Mary Celeste
