The Phantom Ship of the North Atlantic in modern folklore scholarship

Record summary

Folklore scholarship during the period revisited phantom-ship traditions, especially the Flying Dutchman, as narratives shaped by maritime danger, colonial travel, literary adaptation, and reports of luminous or mirage-like vessels. The tradition is not evidence for a recurring supernatural ship; it is a layered legend whose forms changed across sailor testimony, travel writing, theater, and fiction. It offers a strong comparison with Antarctic and Arctic “ghost ship” motifs, while requiring attention to transmission rather than assuming that every reported sighting belongs to one continuous tradition.