Shall I Sing You a Ghost Story?
But of all the mysteries coming down through the ages there are some things that are still not easily explained. At least not explained to the satisfaction of all. One can see a shark or an octopus and know what it is. A scientist can study it and logically explain what it does and how it lives in the depths. But not all mysteries are so easily determined. There is not always a concrete object one can touch or have solidly engraved in a photograph. There are things that a sailor sees or a bit of lore that all sailor know. There are taboos that mustn't be broken or terrible things are likely to result.
Two similar traditions have followed the sailor no matter the land of origin. Those are the telling of tales and the singing of songs. Their topics can vary in all direction. Looking in a book of sea songs or seamen's tales would confirm it. Every storyteller or singer at sea can only confirm it if one were to press them to perform their arts. And, of course, among the favorite topics to be presented concern those things at sea that cannot easily be explained.
"Have you heard the tale told by...?" the teller might begin. It might be the tale of mysterious waters sailed through by others, or maybe sailed by the teller himself. When telling a tale the teller is usually speaking as though someone else did it. That being the case it could be a tale of the speaker's own life, but embellished beyond belief; for one's own life is often dull, making it necessary to add a little here and there.
A ghost at sea is among the favorite topics of the storyteller. There are different kinds of ghosts at sea. There are things like the spirits of dead sailors coming from their watering graves. There are ships themselves that make a phantom appearance, some that can be named and some that cannot; no matter the case the sight of them can inspire fear to any sailor, for tis seen as an ill omen to the sailors that see them. Then there are the birds in the skies, like the albatross, who are said to be the spirits of departed sailors. They can be said to be guides to lost ships to bring them to safety; but woe be unto he who should slay such a bird, for to him who slayeth the albatross disaster is nigh.
So what of the other tradition? The singing of songs to enlighten the hearts of those at sea? That is to uplift, to encourage all hands to work, or to terrify those hands when the work aboard is done. A song can be sung of about anything, but that of the ghost is what concerns me today. Sing a song of the ghosts at sea, or in other words, singing a ghost story.
Why is one ghost story at sea put to song and others not? For that one must ask the muses, for that concerns me not here. At times a song is of an event that can be pinpointed. There is a song concerning the ghost ship of the Mary Celeste. The ship found abandoned in the middle of the sea with no trace of what happened to the crew. There is also music about phantom ships like the Edmund FitzGerald that was lost in a storm in Lake Superior. Soon after its sinking beneath the waves the phantom image of the ship has been seen upon the lake's waters, only to vanish again as a passing mist.
Those two stories just mentioned are well known to those looking into ghost ships. One such story is not as well known, but has been taken up by the folk musicians of New England and the Maritime Provinces of Atlantic Canada. The song tells the tale of the ghostly visitors on a ship after it was involved in a disaster. The event leading up to this song's subject is basically this. A schooner named "Haskell" anchored at George's Bank near the port of Halifax lost her ground tackle which caused her to barrel down upon another schooner anchored nearby called the "Johnston". The Johnston was torn in two and sank to the bottom. The next time the Haskell returned to George's Bank it was haunted by the ghosts of that ship that had been sunk on the prior trip.
The event is reported to have taken place on March 7, 1866 and by the next decade its story had been put to song. Unlike the songs about the Edmund FitzGerald or the Mary Celeste, this song sprang up locally and spread out to many nearby regions through different singers, creating many versions of the song. The different versions not only have differing wording, but also have different tempos, speeds, terminology, numbers of verses (stanzas), and even different titles. As it has come to us today there are at least five different titles for the song with even more variations on some with the same title. Five of those titles are The Ghostly Crew, The Ghostly Fishermen, The Ghostly Sailors, Twelve Ghostly Fishermen, and The Spirit Song of Georges Bank. Of course, there is little difference in the meanings of these titles, but one can detect a shift of emphasis in a few areas before delving into the lyrics themselves.
So shall I sing you this song? What shall the people make of it when it is heard either in the fields, on the docks, in the pubs, or on board a ship? As is clear to those who ride the seas there is much superstition abounding about ghosts or living examples of ghosts returned from the grave. With this song there is an actual ship and general location to point to, and those who believe would not only fear nearing such a ship, but maybe even fear drawing near Georges Bank after the fall of darkness. As the purpose of such a song is to talk about what terrified the original teller of the tale, it is that part of the song that I shall here indulge.
First will come a version collected by Helen Creighton out of Nova Scotia (The Ghostly Sailors). The section is where the ghosts appear on the deck of the Charles Haskell and involves stanzas (verses) 5 and 6:
"Right over our rail there clambered
All silent one by one,
A dozen dripping sailors,
Just wait till I am done.
Their faces were pale and sea wan,
Shone through the ghostly night,
Each fellow took his station
As if he had a right.
They moved about before us
Till land was most in sight,
Or rather I should say so
The lighthouse shone its light.
And then those ghostly sailors
Moved to the rail again,
And vanished in an instant
Before the sons of men."
Another version is collected from Maine in a folklore book by Horace P. Beck. (It carries the name "The Ghostly Fishermen"). In this version this part of the story takes up stanzas (verses) 4, 5, and 6:
"When on deck that September
Came sailors one by one,
A dozen dripping sailors,
Just wait till I am done.
On the decks they 'sembled,
But not a voice was heard
They moved about together,
But neither spoke a word.
Their faces pale and sea-wet,
Shone ghostly through the night.
Each took his places as freely
As if he had the right,
And eastward steered the vessel
Until land was in sight,
Or rather I should say,
Saw the lighthouses towers alight.
And then those ghostly sailors,
Moved through the rail again
And vanished through the mist,
Where sun can shine on them.
I know that any reason
In truth why these should come
To navigate our vessel
Till land was just in sight."
Then I shall mention one more version by one named Pat Murphy out of Canada. This version is in the MacEdward Leach collection (The Ghostly Fishermen). As with Creighton's collected version this part of the song involves stanzas (verses) 5 and 6:
"When over her rail came climbing
So slowly one by one
A dozen ghostly seamen
Just wait till I am done.
Their faces being pale with seaweed
Shone ghastly through the night,
And each man took his station
As if they had the right.
Oh, we cruised around those foggy banks
For the space of that long night,
And rather than I'd say so till
The day has shown its light.
When these twelve ghostly spirits
To the rail again,
And vanished in an instant
Before the sons of men."
As indicated above the version written down by Beck is collected from a source from the United States (in Maine). The other two are from Canadian sources; the Creighton source in Nova Scotia and the MacEdward source in Newfoundland. Having said this one mustn't assume that a national boundary separated by a small waterway would make drastic changes in maritime culture. Maritime culture has a great deal in common throughout the world. The Canadian and American cultures in particular have many more commonalities than other maritime cultures because of their common origins. The Maritime Provinces of Canada could be said to have the same traditions as New England for many decades before the American Revolution. After the Revolution most of the common traditions of those at sea would remain the same, for the simple change of leaders on land would have minimal effect on how sailors understood the world they live in.
Geographically George's Bank is a region of elevated sea floor between the Gulf of Maine and the Atlantic Ocean. It is a water way that separates Massachusetts and Nova Scotia. That being the case there is no wonder that the song should be found in places like Massachusetts, Maine, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. According to Helen Creighton the story sung about starts with the Charles Haskell sailing out of Boston to head north and anchor somewhere in George's Bank. The Schooner the Andrew Jackson (or Johnston) was anchored there as well when the storm hit. Neither Creighton's account out of her book titled Bluenose Ghost nor the text of the songs themselves say where at Georges the ships had encountered each other. One version of the song does have a different time of year for the event than Creighton's book, but that detail isn't too important here.
In discussing these different versions, what do we notice about this supernatural part of the song? How do the ghosts appear? How many are there? Who are the ghosts? What is the crew reaction? What causes them to leave? These are but a few things to think of when going into the different versions. Whether consciously or not, many of the eleven versions take different turns when answering these questions. Let's have a look at a few.
How do the ghosts appear?
Creighton-
Right over our rail there clambered
All silent one by one,
A dozen dripping sailors,
Just wait till I am done.
Beck-
When on deck that September
Came sailors one by one,
A dozen dripping sailors,
Just wait till I am done.
Murphy-
When over her rail came climbing
So slowly one by one
A dozen ghostly seamen
Just wait till I am done.
As mentioned above, in Bluenose Ghost Creigihton tells us that the Haskell had set sail out of Boston in March, thus the ships crossing through George's Bank would also take place in that month. The song presented by Beck says "when on deck that September". A change from late winter to late summer (or fall depending on when in September Beck's song is referring to). The singer has a lot of leeway in deciding which words to put in the non-critical information. There are 12 (a dozen) ghosts (despite Beck's historical account stating there were 26), they arose out of the sea as darkness descended (most call it the 'grand-dog watch,' a nautical term dealing with a time soon after sun goes down), and the ghosts departing when a lighthouse shone its light (or dawn in one version).
Symbols arise to make their mark, to emphasize things that a sailors would notice, but non-sailors likely would not. As noted, all the versions of the song say a dozen sailors arose out of the water rather than 26. Twelve is a number that emphasizes the notion of completeness, like there being twelve signs of the zodiac, twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, or there being a twelve year cycle with the Chinese calendar. If we look at 26, it is thirteen times two, making it a number that a sailor may wish to avoid. Other numbers of significance do show up in the song. They are fifty and forty. In the first stanza of the song the narrator tells the number of years in which he has sailed, where this unusual event occurred.
Beck
Smile if you've got a mind to,
Or perhaps you'll lend and ear
For boy and man together,
Nigh on to forty years.
Both he and the musician Gordon Bok are out of Maine, and give the number of years as forty. Forty is symbolic number of significance. A sense of sacredness among those in the Middle East. The significance of this number is traced back to the Judeo-Christian symbolism. This number and its significance can be seen in things like the rain the fell for forty days and forty nights in the days of Noah, the Israelites wandering the wilderness for forty years, and Moses spending forty days on Mt. Sinai before descending with the Ten Commandments.
The other versions, however, use fifty as the number of years that the singer had contemplated the ghostly event. Harry L. Marcy, who's version is the oldest, says:
You may smile if you're a mind to
But perhaps you'll lend an ear;
Like men and boy together,
Well nigh for fifty years.
Like forty, fifty is a number of significance as well. It carries a more positive note symbolically than forty. Instances of this are Moses when he received the commandments, the number of days between Passover and the Pentecost, as well as a couple references with the prophet Elijah. When we see "nigh on forty years" one can get the impression of someone thinking of this as the worst thing that the singer had experienced; then when we hear fifty years, the connotation is on a less dreadful reflection. That this was a disturbing experience, but not necessarily the worst or most life changing.
While two, then, say forty years, the other nine say fifty, including the oldest version.
This gloom and reflection then continues as it reaches the end of the song. Mark Allen Lovewell has his final sentence say, "I believe in spirits, and for this I feel unled." Helen Creighton's version says, "I do believe in spirits until this very day." The conclusion is a sad reflection on a long life at sea. "You may smile if you mind to", but this event is true for it is something that the narrator experienced firsthand.
But then a few other things should be considered when coming across those who either have recorded it or still sing it today. Besides just words on a page that someone can read, the melody behind the song can convey its own meaning. There are five audio versions that I was able to pull out and listen to. Four of the five carry either a solemn or thoughtful tone. When hearing it it's clear that the song means to convey the nature of the sea and how one never knows what might be found.
Having actually communicated with Lovewell, I discovered that his reason for singing the song was his experience sailing through George's Bank and the nearby Shaols. When one hits that part of the sea there is a distinct change occurring that the sailing feels. The water currents act differently because of the submerged shelf that rising up above there significantly, even if it isn't visible to the sailor's eye. After traveling through the area the first time he searched through maritime ballads for one that spoke of the region. Of course what he found was this song. His version of the song is accompanied by a guitar and harmonica. Two instruments that work together really well in certain musical forms. One can tell that he is being reflective of his own experiences when singing the song. (I do have to say he never said anything about seeing actual ghosts, but the song just felt like something that related to him).
Now I want to contrast this with another version that I came across on a Youtube video. This version is sung by a man named Alan Mills, a Canadian folk singer. What sets his apart from the other four audio versions is the completely different feel that comes from his song. The instrument that accompanies it is an accordion. I don't know if you understand what an accordion can do with the attitude of a song, but it gives off the feel of carnival music. Sitting down and hearing:
Right over the rail they clambered
All silent one by one,
A dozen drippin sailors
Just wait till I have done.
Their faces pale and sea-worn
Shone ghostly through the night
Each fellow took his station
As if he had a right.
With the accordion music what might one think? Hearing this background tune it could easily be imagined seeing a group of children dancing to the happy tune. No one would think to sit and contemplate the words of the song or consider this as an important event in a sailor's life (despite the use of numbers here being the same as most other versions).
Besides what I have already discussed, there is a great deal more that can be said about the Ghostly Crew. This song touches me on several levels, which is why I had chosen it to deal with in my folklore studies. Its a ghost story that involves a historical event that someone put to song eight years afterward. Other versions then followed as it migrated the lands around George's Bank. The symbolism in this song comes out with each new version taken up by a new singer/writer. Then history gives way to symbolism in order for the singer's purpose to be achieved.
Symbols arise to make their mark, to emphasize things that a sailors would notice, but non-sailors likely would not. As noted, all the versions of the song say a dozen sailors arose out of the water rather than 26. Twelve is a number that emphasizes the notion of completeness, like there being twelve signs of the zodiac, twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, or there being a twelve year cycle with the Chinese calendar. If we look at 26, it is thirteen times two, making it a number that a sailor may wish to avoid. Other numbers of significance do show up in the song. They are fifty and forty. In the first stanza of the song the narrator tells the number of years in which he has sailed, where this unusual event occurred.
Beck
Smile if you've got a mind to,
Or perhaps you'll lend and ear
For boy and man together,
Nigh on to forty years.
Both he and the musician Gordon Bok are out of Maine, and give the number of years as forty. Forty is symbolic number of significance. A sense of sacredness among those in the Middle East. The significance of this number is traced back to the Judeo-Christian symbolism. This number and its significance can be seen in things like the rain the fell for forty days and forty nights in the days of Noah, the Israelites wandering the wilderness for forty years, and Moses spending forty days on Mt. Sinai before descending with the Ten Commandments.
The other versions, however, use fifty as the number of years that the singer had contemplated the ghostly event. Harry L. Marcy, who's version is the oldest, says:
You may smile if you're a mind to
But perhaps you'll lend an ear;
Like men and boy together,
Well nigh for fifty years.
Like forty, fifty is a number of significance as well. It carries a more positive note symbolically than forty. Instances of this are Moses when he received the commandments, the number of days between Passover and the Pentecost, as well as a couple references with the prophet Elijah. When we see "nigh on forty years" one can get the impression of someone thinking of this as the worst thing that the singer had experienced; then when we hear fifty years, the connotation is on a less dreadful reflection. That this was a disturbing experience, but not necessarily the worst or most life changing.
While two, then, say forty years, the other nine say fifty, including the oldest version.
This gloom and reflection then continues as it reaches the end of the song. Mark Allen Lovewell has his final sentence say, "I believe in spirits, and for this I feel unled." Helen Creighton's version says, "I do believe in spirits until this very day." The conclusion is a sad reflection on a long life at sea. "You may smile if you mind to", but this event is true for it is something that the narrator experienced firsthand.
But then a few other things should be considered when coming across those who either have recorded it or still sing it today. Besides just words on a page that someone can read, the melody behind the song can convey its own meaning. There are five audio versions that I was able to pull out and listen to. Four of the five carry either a solemn or thoughtful tone. When hearing it it's clear that the song means to convey the nature of the sea and how one never knows what might be found.
Having actually communicated with Lovewell, I discovered that his reason for singing the song was his experience sailing through George's Bank and the nearby Shaols. When one hits that part of the sea there is a distinct change occurring that the sailing feels. The water currents act differently because of the submerged shelf that rising up above there significantly, even if it isn't visible to the sailor's eye. After traveling through the area the first time he searched through maritime ballads for one that spoke of the region. Of course what he found was this song. His version of the song is accompanied by a guitar and harmonica. Two instruments that work together really well in certain musical forms. One can tell that he is being reflective of his own experiences when singing the song. (I do have to say he never said anything about seeing actual ghosts, but the song just felt like something that related to him).
Now I want to contrast this with another version that I came across on a Youtube video. This version is sung by a man named Alan Mills, a Canadian folk singer. What sets his apart from the other four audio versions is the completely different feel that comes from his song. The instrument that accompanies it is an accordion. I don't know if you understand what an accordion can do with the attitude of a song, but it gives off the feel of carnival music. Sitting down and hearing:
Right over the rail they clambered
All silent one by one,
A dozen drippin sailors
Just wait till I have done.
Their faces pale and sea-worn
Shone ghostly through the night
Each fellow took his station
As if he had a right.
With the accordion music what might one think? Hearing this background tune it could easily be imagined seeing a group of children dancing to the happy tune. No one would think to sit and contemplate the words of the song or consider this as an important event in a sailor's life (despite the use of numbers here being the same as most other versions).
Besides what I have already discussed, there is a great deal more that can be said about the Ghostly Crew. This song touches me on several levels, which is why I had chosen it to deal with in my folklore studies. Its a ghost story that involves a historical event that someone put to song eight years afterward. Other versions then followed as it migrated the lands around George's Bank. The symbolism in this song comes out with each new version taken up by a new singer/writer. Then history gives way to symbolism in order for the singer's purpose to be achieved.
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