Does the ghost of Edward Teach,
alias the pirate Blackbeard, still haunt Old Fort Nassau in The
Bahamas?
Pirates and Ghosts of the
Caribbean
The Supernatural Caribbean
by Karen Joslin
With its vivid and violent
history, it's no surprise that ghost stories abound in the
Caribbean. Some believe that Blackbeard's ghost haunts the former
Old Fort Nassau in the Bahamas; others report strange incidents at
the Stirrup Cay Lighthouse. Some countries are home to a long
tradition of supernatural occurrences, such Haiti's well-known
apparitions of corpses that are said to appear in Port-au-Prince's
City Cemetery.
The Chase crypt in
Christchurch, Barbados, is home to one of the most famous hauntings
in the Caribbean, and perhaps the world. Owned by a wealthy sugar
plantation owner, its first confirmed occupant was Thomasina
Goddard, placed there in 1807. Ownership soon passed to another
plantation family, the Chases. Col. Thomas Chase, the head of the
family, was reputedly cruel to both his family and his slaves. Two
of his young daughters died (in 1808 and 1812), and their lead
coffins were also put in the crypt.
A month after his second
daughter, Dorcas' death, Col. Chase himself died. At his funeral,
when the pallbearers opened the crypt, they were shocked to see that
the coffins looked as though they had been thrown around the small
room. They rearranged the coffins, including the new addition of
Col. Chase, and replaced the heavy slab at the crypt's entrance.
Rumors spread that Dorcas had starved herself to death, driving
Chase to commit suicide. Over the next few years, every time the
crypt was opened, the coffins had moved, apparently with violent
force. Thomasina Goddard's wooden coffin even splintered into bits.
At first, people suspected
vandals because Mr. Chase had plenty of enemies, particularly among
his slaves. However, on two occasions the crypt was mortared shut,
even including an impression of the Governor's seal; the mortar was
never tampered with. Similarly, sand spread on the floor of the
crypt showed no signs of disturbance, even with the coffins in
complete disarray. A thorough examination of the crypt for secret
passageways, cracks, or other explanations yielded no answers. In
1820, the family removed all the coffins and reburied them
elsewhere. Although several natural theories have been proposed,
such as flooding or seismic activity, many believe that even after
death, the family simply couldn't get along. The crypt still remains
empty.
While no one knows exactly
what happened at the Chase crypt, there's no dispute about what's
haunting Rose Hall Plantation in Montego Bay. It's Annie Palmer, the
plantation's former mistress, and her victims. Still known as the
White Witch of Jamaica, Annie earned her nickname by practicing
voodoo, murdering several of her rich husbands, and treating her
slaves harshly. Meting out torture or death for minor infractions
was commonplace for her. Then she found a new way to entertain
herself, by enticing slaves to be her lovers and killing them when
she got bored.
Her slaves understandably
weren't fond of her. Legend has it that, unbeknownst to her, one of
her slaves was a powerful voodoo master. Deciding to take care of
her for good, he performed a voodoo ritual, creating a grave for
her. When he finished, he confronted her in her home. They battled
to both of their deaths. Afterward, other slaves who knew of his
plan buried her in the specially-prepared grave. While this story
may be embellished, there's no doubt that Annie Palmer met a
murderous end.
A Ritz-Carlton now stands on
part of the old plantation grounds, and its developer restored the
decaying Rose Hall great house to its former glory. During its
renovation, workers experienced numerous eerie occurrences. For
instance, the day after refinishing floors, they'd appear to be
damaged by old blood stains.
Now a museum offering guided
tours, the house's visitors report plenty of supernatural phenomena,
too. Whispers in the dungeon, old music, footsteps, and the sound of
crying babies have all been heard. Photographs showing an original
mirror and various rooms of the house often contain figures of
people who weren't there when the pictures were taken.
Of course, these are just a
few of the ghostly spots in the Caribbean. If you're ever lucky
enough to visit the islands yourself, keep your eyes and ears open.
You just might see a phantom ship sailing on the horizon, or hear
the raucous laughter of pirates in an old saloon.
About the author: Karen Joslin writes for
http://Barbados-Guide.info,
http://Anguilla-Guide.info, and other Segisys travel Web sites.
For more articles about
attractions in The Bahamas, visit
Bahamas Vacation Center.
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