Tuesday, February 3, 2009

7. The Flying Dutchman


Title: Storr, Catherine. The Flying Dutchman. Milwaukee, WI: Raintree Children's Books, c1985.
Summary: A proud sea captain is doomed to sail the ocean forever because of a bargain made with the Devil. A young girl, Senta, hears the legend of the Ghost Ship from her grandfather, who tells her that the captain can only come ashore once every seven years, and then only for one day and one night. The Devil's curse can only be broken if the captain finds a woman to love him. Senta believes she could love the Flying Dutchman. Seven years later, Senta is a young woman. She has refused all suitors seeking her hand. One day, the Ghost Ship sails into the harbor. Senta meets a tall, pale Dutchman and knows who he is--the captain of the Ghost Ship. She loves him and the captain shouts out to the Devil to set him free. The story ends ambiguously: "Some people say that Senta's love saved the Dutchman. Others say that the Devil would not give up his prey."
Cultural origins and how identified: From the book's colophon: "The story and illustrations have been based on original historical sources. The most famous version of the story is found in Der Fliegende Hollander, an opera by Richard Wagner first performed in 1843." From cataloging information in the colophon: "Folklore--Netherlands".
Audience: I would tell this tale to older children, 3rd grade and up, due to the somewhat scary themes. It would make a nice spooky evening story time at the library, or a good classroom tale for Halloween.
Notes on adaptation for telling: The text version of this tale (at least this one) is dry as a bone. I think telling it aloud would vastly improve it. It should be told in a spooky voice. The uncertain ending should be emphasized to send chills up the listeners' spines.
Cover image note: I could not find an actual picture of this book; this is an alternate rendering of The Flying Dutchman.

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