Edinburgh Inspiring Capital

Halloween Competition Story

The Mystery of the Kerguelen Mistresses

Many have heard of the remote islands known as the Kerguelen Islands.

Situated in the middle of the Southern Ocean, they are a desolate place, where many have tried to venture and all but a few have failed and lived to tell the tale of its vast mysteries. The islands are vast landscapes of nothing but jagged rocks and inhospitable conditions and it is for this reason that many have tried to land on its shallow beaches and anchor alongside its towering cliffs. From explorers to adventures, scientists to geologists, each has had their reasons for visiting and nearly all have never returned. There have been stories surrounding these disappearances from freak accidents to undiscovered explanations but each story has held a common theme – the Kerguelen Mistresses. These are thought to be spirits of the women who haunt the cliffs in search of new bodies to live their lives once more and it is thought that they are descended from the Greek legends of Sirens, in their ability to entice both intended and unintended visitors to the islands. Although most of the disappearances do not mention these woman by name, many of them contain this desire or urge to visit the islands when within a certain distance of them, but when those rare survivors, most now contained in mental hospitals and other like facilities, are asked to describe them, none can do so.

One of the most famous stories comes from a weary sailing vessel, attempting to cross the ocean in a race towards Australia. In a bid to cross the line first, they ventured much further south than the rest of their competitors and came within 150 miles of the north point of the island. Whilst on watch one evening, a few of the crew heard a calling, almost singing in the distance and were all drawn in by the captivating voices.

Without realising what they were doing, the course had been changed and set directly for the islands, towards the unknown islands and what was awaiting them there. The skipper down below, felt the course change and came on deck to find out what was occurring and was equally drawn towards the noise and they headed toward the islands.

Once within sight of land, the vessel was directed by the spirits to a small bay on the east of the island, where they then stopped as suddenly as they had changed course earlier in the evening. Staring in wonderment at the vast cliffs and crevices that surrounded them, they began to wonder what had caused them to arrive at the island but their intrigue got the better of them, and the dingy was inflated and a few brave souls, the skipper included, ventured towards the island in search of answers. Landing ashore on a small deserted beach, the crew wandered deep into the valleys of the islands, observing the complete silence on the island, not the sounds of birds, insects or even the splashing of the waves on the beach. Those remaining on the vessel watched as their crew mates disappeared from view and they waited eagerly for their return and the descriptions that would ensue. But they never returned..... After a few days, the remaining crew decided to send a search party, this time armed with a hand-held radio, for constant contact. Again, they went ashore and disappeared from view, but this time with ongoing commentary of the surroundings.

As the group ventured deeper, the eeriness of the silence was even prominent on the radio and a few of the crew urged the search party back, but they ventured further in. As darkness fell the group were still walking, and most of the on board crew were dozing under the moonlight, only to be awoken by the most almighty high pitched scream. The crew stared at the radio, wondering if the noise occurred from the radio or closer by. Looking down at the water, a faint glow appeared from beneath the boat and all peered over the side to see the faces of their missing crew members, their blank faces with expression of horror and fright upon them. It was at this point that the crew of the vessel decided to leave the islands a quickly as possible to avoid further fatalities and they left the islands far behind them.

After arriving in Australia, with half the crew missing as well as the skipper, they recalled the tale and were subsequently subjected to psychoanalysis and most were institutionalised and never recovered from what they had seen. Others are haunted by the fact that they never recall seeing the skipper in the group of ghostly faces, and to this day it is still unknown what happened to not only him, but his crew as well.

This tale has dared others to venture towards the island and similar tales have been recalled, the silence surrounding the island, the blanket of mist that covers its tall, overbearing mountains and a the sound of a high pitch scream that haunts those who hear it for the rest of their lives.

Others have gone in search of the skipper and the crew, wondering if they survived on the island, waiting for another vessel to venture close enough to rescue them. Some have even said that they hear not only female voices but male voices too and it may be that the mistresses have enticed the crew and the skipper to remain on the island, until another sailing vessel dares to get close enough for them to board and set out to haunt those who deserted him. As we sail past the Kerguelen Islands, we dare not to venture too close and we keep our ears peeled for those deathly yet heavenly voices that draw us ever closer to the island and its mysteries.

Story by the Crew of Edinburgh Inspiring Capital