| Davy Jones | |
|---|---|
 'Davy Jones' Locker, by John Tenniel, 1892 | |
|
Real Name |
Davy Jones, Necken, Draugr |
|
First Appearance |
Four Years Voyages of Capt. George Roberts (1726) |
Origin[]
Davy Jones pictured by George Cruikshank in 1832, as described by Tobias Smollett in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle
Davy Jones is described as the devil, the spirit of the sea also called Necken or Draugr in the north countries, such as Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. He is the fiend that presides over all the evil spirits of the deep, and is often seen in various shapes, perching among the rigging on the eve of hurricanes:, ship-wrecks, and other disasters to which sea-faring life is exposed, warning the devoted wretch of death and woe. Jones is described in some sources as having saucer eyes, three rows of teeth, horns, a tail, and blue smoke coming from his nostrils.
Davy Jones' locker is a metaphor for the oceanic abyss, the final resting place of drowned sailors and travelers. It is a euphemism for drowning or shipwrecks in which the sailors' and ships' remains are consigned to the depths of the ocean (to be sent to Davy Jones' Locker)
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
All published appearances of Davy Jones from before January 1, 1929 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
- Four Years Voyages of Capt. George Roberts (1726)
- The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle (1751)
- The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811)
- Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898)
Public Domain Theatrical Appearances[]
- Davy Jones's Locker, Or Black ey'd Susa (1812)
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Wonder Comics #2
- Atomic Mouse #5
- Wow Comics #5
Notes[]
- Davy Jones is a character appearing in Popeye comics authored by Tom Sims and Bela Zaboly between 1939 and 1959. He is depicted as a sea spirit who inhabits the bottom of the ocean as well as his Locker, which is located in a sunken ship.
- In the 1930 cartoon "The Haunted Ship", from the Aesop's Fables series, Davy Jones is depicted as a living skeleton wearing a pirate's bicorne hat.
- The concept of Davy Jones was combined with the legend of the Flying Dutchman in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, in which Davy Jones's locker is portrayed as a purgatory place of punishment for those who crossed Davy Jones.