The Monomoy Island Ghost Horse

On Monomoy Island, located off the coast of Cape Cod, a ghostly black stallion is said to sometimes appear swimming around the island.

The sightings and legend are most likely inspired by the island’s dark history. Mooncussers, or land pirates, would use lights to trick ship captains into thinking it was safe to come ashore. 

Fun fact: The term mooncussers came from the fact that they curse the moon because they need darkness to do their evil deeds.

Check out another ghostly horse tale… Muller’s Haunted Carousel Horse.

These tricksters would craft “Judas Lanterns” by hooking a light around a horse’s neck. While the horse grazed, the light would appear to bob up and down, resembling the bobbing motion of a ship at the harbor.

Believing there were other ships parked safely at the harbor convinced many captains to seek solace there, too, thus falling into the mooncussers’ trap. The area surrounding the island is dotted with jagged rocks, and many a ship got caught in its rocky jaws, wholly stuck and vulnerable. The land pirates took full advantage of that vulnerability by pillaging the ships and slaughtering their crews.

Monomoy Island is now a National Wildlife Refuge, where guests can take tours. Keep an eye out for the phantom stallion swimming around if you’re ever there at night. His only mission is to warn wayward boats of the perilous conditions surrounding the island.