#the captain of the demeter

[barghesthowls]

Now I don't personally believe that Dracula was for real terrified of Mina, however, he did flee after seeing this dainty girl (who saw him in the graveyard with his red eyes and immense figure) not faint or scream or freeze or flee despite her obvious fear but run straight at him.

Dracula is at his worst when something he wasn't anticipating happens. He wasn't expecting Jonathan to pick himself up and literally crawl up the castle walls and dare try to kill him. If he was expecting that, he'd not be having a scar now. He wasn't expecting the Captain of the Demeter to defy him by tying himself up on the wheel with a crucifix. If he did, the logs would have been gone now.

Mina woke up and ran into the night defying every fear, convention, risk, to save Lucy from man or beast. That wasn't on his Bingo card. He was forced to stop hurting Lucy and fled.

Then Mina wakes up again, sensing something wrong, and goes to the window and spots him. He flies closer a couple of times but she remains there. He's forced to flee again. Mina believes she scared the 'bat'.

To me, these two scenes establish a few things.

-Bravery as a core trait for Mina.

-Mina as the one who hunts Dracula down.

Jonathan wounded him in his box, the Captain denied him apotheosis, but Mina made him run.

[ezkezpez]

I am captain, and I must not leave my ship. But I shall baffle this fiend or monster, for I shall tie my hands to the wheel when my strength begins to fail, and along with them I shall tie that which He, It, dare not touch. And then, come good wind or foul, I shall save my soul, and my honour as a captain. I am growing weaker, and the night is coming on.

- Bram Stoker’s Dracula

1/? Illustrations

[treespen]

art by Becky Cloonan

[thegoatsongs]

On 13 July passed Cape Matapan. Crew dissatisfied about something. Seemed scared, but would not speak out.

On July 13th, the crew of the Demeter gets their very first dark premonition while passing Cape Matapan. The next day the first incident among them happens, followed by the first disappearance.

Cape Matapan, aka Cape Tainaron, is the southernmost place in continental Greece, and gateway to Hades.

There was a sanctuary of Poseidon there (ancient captains sailing past the Cape would stop to ask for a smooth sail), and a Nekromanteion (death oracle) or a Psychopompeion, because the Cape was a threshold to the Underworld.

Greek sailors have been traditionally using the phrase "Stay forty miles away [meaning as far as possible] from Cape Matapan" ("Από τον Κάβο Ματαπά σαράντα μίλια μακρυά"), likely due to it once being a pirate hideout, as it's associated with bad luck.

[burekstation]

Lucy hiding her letter at her breast is how Dracula couldn't find any evidence to destroy.

His victims keep managing to hide information that exposes him on the nick of time, even when he has ruined their minds or killed them.

Jonathan saved nothing but his journal, the captain saved nothing but his log, Lucy saved her memorandum.

[raethereptile]

[captainsvscaptains]

Prelims

Poll I

[catacomb-rats]

ohhhhh noooo bro i'm thinking about how no one knows the name of the captain of the Demeter again. Yeah it's the way he wanted to leave a record of what happened to the crew but never mentioned his own name bro. Duuuude one of his last things he said was "But I am captain. And I must not leave my ship" and "Captain" is the only name we remember him by. Yeah bro it's like messing me up

[iamnotcrying-iamallergictolife]

'If we are wrecked, mayhap this bottle may be found, and those who find it may understand...' I love how every remotely likeable character in this book, even Seward, understands so deeply the importance of understanding, of knowledge. And that is what makes them so good, in my opinion.

[charonnyxtides]

"The owners of more than a hundred boats have already given in their names as wishing to follow [the captain] to the grave."

This foreign captain being hailed as a real hero by the locals while resting far away from his homeland is so so touching...

[anony-geist]

How I picture the captain

(He's wearing a prayer rope)

[barghesthowls]

Still fog,

which the sunrise cannot pierce.

I know there is sunrise

because I am a sailor

[treespen]

Even with four men left, who we know would be no match for him due to his terrifying strength and uncanny abilities, Dracula still relies on psychological warfare. He thrives on isolated environments. He utilizes people's ignorance and doubt. It's like he's feeding on fear and hopelessness even more than on blood. He inflicts terror, restlessness, conflict, and all that without even showing himself. There's no need for bloody carnage, he's made himself a personification of fear and ruin to them, and that's what the Captain's will and faith has been facing.

Maybe he is deliberately leaving the Captain untouched for now because he wants to push him to despair first. Break his will and make him beg on his knees for his mercy. Make him feel like a Lord over humanity.

[thegoatsongs]

Later.—By the kindness of the Board of Trade inspector, I have been permitted to look over the log-book of the Demeter, which was in order up to within three days,

So Dracula got rid of the crew, not even a drop of blood left behind but the Captain's body, but he failed to destroy the Captain's log of the events.

A journalist, a profession that Mina loves, reports the contents, and Mina preserves them.

The events now are pasted on Mina's journal in full. It's like the first piece of the puzzle.

Of course my statement must be taken cum grano, since I am writing from the dictation of a clerk of the Russian consul, who kindly translated for me, time being short.

Confirmation that the Captain wrote in Russian. The correspondent also says to take their previous statement about that Captain's mania with a grain of salt, as the log has been translated by a clerk from Russian to English.

[raethereptile]

[catacomb-rats]

omg I'm so glad the Demeter finally got safe to port! I was really worried for a second there