Mystery of the Lost Ships Terror and Erebus- and zombies.

You may have heard this story before as dramatized in sleeper television series, “The Terror” But the truth is always stranger than fiction. But first, how about a little background for you newbies out there? In 1845, famed British explorer Sir John Franklin led an expedition to chart the Northwest Passage in the Arctic with two robust ships - HMS Terror and HMS Erebus. But the voyage ended in tragedy when both vessels became trapped in ice and all 129 crewmembers perished, sparking an enduring nautical mystery. If franklin was able to pull this off it would’ve been meant glory for each and every member on bored. I can’t even begin to state what a big deal this was. It would have revolutionized trade route but the one problem remained, you had to get through it alive first.

At first this expedition was nothing too big to worry about after all, Terror and Erebus were state-of-the-art bomb vessels specially retrofitted for polar exploration by the Royal Navy. Erebus was named after the dark region in Hades from Greek mythology, Not the greatest of names when you see it as foreshadowing the fate of Franklin's expedition. Terror was fresh off Antarctic service with renowned explorer James Clark Ross. At 325 tons each, the massive ships were equipped with innovative steam engines and hulls reinforced to withstand heavy ice. Upon departure from England in 1845, Erebus and Terror constituted the most advanced polar exploration vessels of their day. But they would prove no match for the merciless Arctic conditions. By staying true to evidence of the time, were the harshest of environments in the world.

Picture of Inside The HMS Terror And The Doomed Franklin Expedition Of 1845 (allthatsinteresting.com)

For nearly 170 years after the expedition's disappearance, the final fate of Terror and Erebus remained unknown. The wrecks represented perhaps the most sought-after missing ships in history. Their discovery could unlock clues to the mystery of how Franklin's confident mission ended in disaster. Finally, in September 2014, a team using modern sonar and underwater drones located the HMS Erebus nearly 15 feet below the surface, incredibly well-preserved by the frigid waters. Two years later, Terror was found in even deeper waters further south in near-pristine condition. Exploration of the interior cabins revealed telling details about the crew's final days. Aboard Erebus, a lunch table was set with plates and wine glasses, indicating the demise was likely sudden. Skeletons of some crew members were also found, including a child. It’s been debated of what happened on the ship to cause mass casualties.

On Terror, the ship's propeller was retracted as if to traverse shallow waters, hinting the crew tried navigating southward in a last-ditch escape attempt before the hull was breached. Discovery of the wreaks provided poignant snapshots of the fear Franklin's men faced at the end. Most striking was how intact and imposing Terror and Erebus remained after over a century and a half buried in the frigid deep. They stand as tangible symbols of the hubris and heartbreak surrounding one of polar exploration's most notorious disasters. While mysteries linger, the lost ships of Franklin's expedition will continue captivating historians and adventurers alike.

picture from Inside The HMS Terror And The Doomed Franklin Expedition Of 1845 (allthatsinteresting.com) 

So where does it get weird?

The myth of the King William Island zombies refers to stories of the dead crews of the ill-fated Franklin expedition wandering the island as undead zombies. Forever doomed to death march to civilization. The expedition, led by Sir John Franklin, set out in 1845 aboard the ships Terror and Erebus to find the Northwest Passage through the Arctic. However, the ships became trapped in ice near King William Island and all 129 crew members ultimately died, many from starvation, hypothermia and lead poisoning from poorly canned food.  Inuit oral traditions told of sightings of emaciated white men staggering across the island long after the crews should have perished. These accounts led to myths that the desperate crews had resorted to cannibalism to stay alive, and the consumption of human flesh had turned them into zombies cursed to eternally wander the island. Supposed sightings of these zombie-like men continued for years after the expedition's disappearance, fueling the myth.

But oh yes , it gets weirder:

In 1854, explorer John Rae recorded Inuit testimony about sightings of around 40 white men traveling south along the west coast of King William Island. The men were described as thin, their mouths blackened, with some seen carrying guns and others dead bodies. This fueled rumors of cannibalism among the remaining crew members. In 1878, Frederick Schwatka interviewed Inuit who described finding a pile of human remains, including bodies with cutoff hands and skulls with saw marks. They also claimed to have seen the tracks of "white men" in the snow long after the expedition was lost.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, travelers to the Arctic recorded Inuit stories about sightings of animate white men who did not speak or act rationally. Some accounts described them as living among wild animals and refusing help. The zombie legend serves as a sobering metaphor for the horrific fate of the Franklin expedition crews. The Inuit accounts reflect the deep mystery surrounding their demise and the shocking discovery years later of the crews' remains on King William Island. The myth endures as a cautionary tale about the limits of human endurance and the dangers of Arctic exploration.