The
Legendary Kraken
In the pirate era, many people who stepped foot on a
ship feared the terrifying Kraken. This huge monster used to frequently raid and
destroy ships, leaving nothing behind. The supernatural creature was said to
rule the waters, but, as time passed by, people slowly started to believe that
it was just a story invented by drunken pirates and sailors. However, Mark
McMenamin, a paleontologist, claims that he has discovered proof of a
Kraken-like creature as he was analyzing the remains of an ichthyosaur, a sea
dinosaur. Namely, McMenamin detected that the creature was similar to an
octopus or squid, and pointed out that it lived almost at the bottom of the
ocean. However, what struck him the most was an enormous fossilized beak that
he discovered.
Haunted
Pirate House
In the 1750s, pirates often stopped at Savannah,
Georgia to take a break and rest. The pirates who arrived used to frequent and
drink at one particular house. Apparently, there was a tunnel built underneath
the house which pirates would use to secretly sneak into it. After a night of
heavy drinking, the pirates were smuggled through the tunnel and taken to their
ship. However, the place was notorious for violent crimes that happened inside
which led people to believe that the house was haunted. Due to the frequent
reports of mysterious voices coming from inside, the tunnel was sealed off.
Later, the house was named 'Pirates' House' and today, it is one of the most
popular tourist attractions in Georgia.
Libertatia
Libertatia was a free colony established by pirates
in the 1600s on Madagascar, founded by Captain James Misson. Even though it's
existence has not been proven, it is said that the pirates who were part of
Libertatia invented their own language, economy and democratic values which
strictly opposed the constructs of the time. On one journey, Misson encountered
Caraccioli, a priest whose greatest inspiration was “Utopia” written by Thomas
More. The friar had radical but at the same time progressive ideas about the
establishment of this new pirate utopia, which were soon adopted by Misson
himself. The essence of their ideas was equal rights and liberties; thus, all
the duties and responsibilities were equally divided among 200 pirates who
joined the colony. The legend also states that the pirates were strictly
opposed to slavery and that they captured many slave ships on their missions.
Treasure
Island
In 1795, Daniel McGinnis was exploring Oak Island,
located close to the Canadian province of Nova Scotia when he stumbled across a
large dip in the soil. McGinnis started to dig, only to discover something
strange. At every 10 feet, planks of oak were set into the ground. Upon
removing some of them, he found a rock and saw some strange carvings on it. The
carvings indicated a path to a buried treasure that was hidden in the ground
below. Supposedly, as he tried to remove more planks, water started to fill up
the hole and he couldn't reach the treasure. Unfortunately, neither McGinnis
nor anyone else has managed to find the treasure to this day.
Cornish
Cave Ghost
Cornish Cave in Cornwall, England is said to hide a
ghost who is lurking for an opportunity to terrify anyone who dares to come
near it. Allegedly, the ghost was identified as Willy Wilcox, an infamous
pirate and smuggler who vanished while he was hiding in the cave’s passages.
This creepy legend says that the tide trapped Wilcox inside as he attempted to
hide and flee from the authorities. A recent photo from 2015 caused a lot of
speculation when the man who took it claimed that Wilcox' ghost can be seen on
the picture and in the cave.
Green
Flash Anomaly
Ever since the 1600s, a befuddling phenomenon has
been spotted by both pirates and sailors. A strange beam dubbed the "Green
Flash" often appeared on a clear horizon right after sunset. The pirates
who saw it believed that any person who spotted the green beam would be given a
supernatural ability of reading people's souls.
Olivier
Levasseur’s Cryptogram
Olivier Levasseur was a famous pirate from the 1700s
who often went by the nickname "The Mouth" or "The Buzzard"
due to his brutal and quick ways of raiding victims and eliminating enemies.
According to the legend, Levasseur managed to conceal the largest treasure in
the history of pirates, and after he hid it, he made a complicated cryptogram
which contained the treasure's location. Levasseur inserted this cryptogram
into a necklace, and just before his death, he threw it into a crowd of
spectators who were watching his execution. Before he was about to die, the
notorious pirate shouted: “Find my treasure, the one who may understand it.”
However, no one has managed to decode the cryptogram yet.
Blackbeard's
Ghost Ship
Back in the pirate era, Topsail Island was among the
favorite locations for pirates, as it enabled them to stay hidden as long as
necessary, then ambush and attack their shocked victims. Blackbeard, whose full
name was Edward Teach, was among the most infamous pirates to attack this way.
Even though he died a long time ago, most modern sailors who happen to pass
close to Topsail Island have claimed that their radar detected a ship, but no
one actually managed to spot it. When they sailed closer to the island, the
radar blip started to close in on them at increasing speed, only to disappear
as if nothing had happened. The legend says that Blackbeard's ship is still out
there, restlessly haunting the area.
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