The Ghost of Blackbeard
Here at Astonishing Legends, we’re no strangers to pirates and their lore. So, we’re not surprised legenders are intrigued by their strange tales and lore. So, when the tale of Blackbeard’s ghost came across as a suggestion for this year’s blogstonishing, I was thrilled. If you don’t know who Blackbeard is (or anything about pirates) let me give you a quick overview. Some believe that Blackbeard may just be the most infamous pirate ever know. His real name was Edward Teach, but he gained his nickname thanks to his scruffy black beard and long hair. While not much is known before his life as a pirate, he was born in England and operated largely in the West Indies and the North American colonies, particularly North Carolina. Interestingly enough, despite being so well-known he was only well known as a pirate from 1716 until his death in 1718. His last battle took place on Ocracoke Island, when he was shot five times and stabbed over 20…just to make sure he really stayed dead. Of course, he seemed to have a way of coming back.
If the shooting and stabbing wasn’t enough, Lieutenant Maynard who fought the final fight, ordered Blackbeard’s head to be fully removed and hung from Maynard’s ship. His body was thrown unceremoniously into the sea. But, of course, that all sounds like a good recipe to make a restless spirit.
Less than a hundred years after his death, the return of Blackbeard was sighted. In the early 1800s, locals began to report ghostly ships and sounds of war by Bath Creek. In fact, massive balls of fire were often reported moving back and forth across the water.
It wasn’t long before those along the coasts of Bath, Ocracoke, Albemarle, and more claimed that anytime a storm was about to rage, you’d see Blackbeard’s ghost. Clusters of sightings occur around particularly brutal storms. Some believe he is hunting in the storms for his head, hoping the storms rile up his skull. Often, his ghost is seen with a strange light near where his head would be, often referred to as “Teach’s Light.”
Others claim that, in addition to the ghostly sights of ships and Blackbeard, you can hear an old, tired voice saying “where’s my head?”
So, if it’s a dark and stormy night on the Carolina coast…keep an eye out for Teach’s Light.
The blog image is Capture of the Pirate, Blackbeard, 1718 depicting the battle between Blackbeard the Pirate and Lieutenant Maynard in Ocracoke Bay and it is in the Public Domain.
Thanks to EM for this 2022 blogstonishing suggestion!