. Up until this point in Levasseurs life, he had a widely successful career as a pirate. Nicknamed La Buse (The Buzzard), he is known for allegedly hiding one of the biggest treasures in pirate history, estimated at over 1 billion, and leaving a cryptogram behind with clues to its whereabouts. At that time, Levasseur was operating in the Caribbean Sea as a privateer in the service of a French king embroiled in the War of the Spanish Succession. When Cruise-Wilkins died in 1977, John was only 18. You see, becoming widely famous has its disadvantages as well, and the stories of Levasseur was no exception. Not bad, Levasseur, not bad. One of them has been established to be a fake. 1 Blackbeard. While this was a deeply profitable raid for Levasseur and company, their biggest haul was still yet to come. This became an iconic symbol of pirates, especially in todays pop culture. Legend has it that when Levasseur was about to be hanged, he tore a necklace from around his neck and flung it into the throng, shouting Find my treasure, the one who may interpret it!. Treasure hunters have since tried to decode it. You see, after he got just a taste of the Pirate life, he could not seem to let it go. Belmez Faces: Mystery of the People in the Floor. Over a century ago a cryptogram and a cryptic map, said to be copies of the papers drawn from within his silk shirt and thrown to the crowd by the arrogant Levasseur just before he was hanged, were given to Berthe Morele by her father. The Plague of Athens Killed Over a Quarter of the City's Population. What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? My treasure is buried here . But this was only the beginning of the legend of his hidden treasure. This draws a parallel with the little known island legacy of an ancestral rum-making heritage and authenticity that combines dedication and passion. And perhaps such skepticism is justified. He decided to pack up his talents, and head to the Bahamas. The idea of finding a true pirate treasure has never been more alive than it is today. Such is the treasure of Olivier Levasseur, The Buzzard and the code he left behind as to where he left his booty. On the day of his execution, at the gallows, with the rope around his neck, he gave the world a mystery. In late 1718, Levasseur was elected Captain in place of William Moody, after his disgruntled crew tossed him aside. The Stories Behind Seven of the Worst Massacres in Ancient History. He stays 3 days. We all love a good mystery, and whats better than a treasure hunt? Pick up Olivier Levasseur Flag aka La Buse, legendary French pirate. $ 22.41 - $ 44.91. However, Levasseurs actions had brought the attention of the Portuguese authorities and his ship, the La Louise was forced to flee from a Portuguese boat. We discuss all the goods: mysteries, crime, and anything spicious. Before the execution, he suddenly threw a note with a cryptogram into the crowd, shouting: "Find my treasures if you can !" The treasure has still not been found.<br>Wow ! Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. We do know that Levasseur had a massive amount of treasure in the early 20s, so I suppose he could have sold some of it off over the next 7 years. Olivier Levasseur aka La Buse. Before she died, Berthe met a one-time Grenadier Guardsman, whose sole claim to military glory was mounting guard outside Buckingham Palace on one occasion. If you listened to my episodes on Blackbeard and Black Sam, you should be familiar with Hornigold. The Iliad can provide new insights on the role of motherhood among the ancient Greek gods, and by extension, amongst ancient mortal Greek women themselves. Cicco Simonettas Treatise on Decipherment. So, what are your thoughts? The Cryptogram of Olivier Levasseur. The story of Levasseur's treasure was featured in the comic book series, Nelson, Laura "Samuel Bellamy and Olivier Levasseur Two Pirates Just Kickin' Around the Caribbean" in Pirates and Privateers, This page was last edited on 7 September 2022, at 15:43. It is the only. Levasseur, who had no idea what was on the ship, was astonished with the haul. When the war ended he was ordered to return home with his ship, but he instead joined the pirate company of Benjamin Hornigold in 1716. Is Levasseurs treasure still out there waiting for someone to find it? Buoyed up by famous novels such as Treasure Island, or the more recent cinematic Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, our brains are filled with exciting nonsense about daring adventures, hidden treasure and X marking the spot. Carved onto the necklace was seventeen lines of text in an unfamiliar script. Born at Calais during the Nine Years' War (16881697) to a wealthy bourgeois family, Levasseur became an architect after receiving an excellent education. There are certain oddities in the story which invite skepticism, such as the loss of the original necklace, or the 200 year gap between Levasseurs death and Cruise-Wilkins picking up the thread of the tale. Olivier Levasseur (born in the late 1680s 7 July 1730) was a French pirate known for his quickness and ferocity in attacking his foes, both with his sword and with his rapier wit. The necklace has since been lost, but treasure hunters have never stopped attempting to decode the cryptogram in the hopes of uncovering a hidden treasure. [Online]Available at: http://www.pirates-privateers.com/olivier-levasseur-la-buse.htm, Golden Age of Piracy, 2017. The La Louise sank with 80 of Levasseur's men on March 9th, 1718, off the coast of Cotinga Island. But theres one final story I want to tell you about his life. Over the last century a sword has been on display at the Field Museum in Chicago and dubbed a replica Bronze Age weapon.. In 1724, Levasseur sent a negotiator to the governor on the island of Bourbon (present-day Runion) to discuss an amnesty that had been offered to all pirates in the Indian Ocean who would give up their practice. Hey! At least as a team. One that is still talked about and discussed, to this day. Later that year, he was shipwrecked in the Mozambique Channel and stranded on the island of Anjouan in the Comoros. Bipin Dimri is a writer from India with an educational background in Management Studies. The crew didnt know where the treasure chamber would be. [6] They first plundered the Laccadives, and sold the loot to Dutch traders for 75,000. An art collector from New Mexico, who had a bright idea in 2010. Mutually Assured Destruction: Has it Happened Before? Bellamy did not want to leave the Caribbean, so he decided to stay behind. For John, who inherited his fathers quest, the search has become his life (Credit: Helen Soteriou). "Find my treasure, the one who may understand it.". John Cruise-Wilkins is a second-generation treasure hunter, Pssst. They decided to remake Henry Everys infamous capture of a Mughal treasure convoy, who was in route to Mecca. He died on 3 May 1977 before he broke the last piece of code. Surprisingly though, he managed to escape and make it back to the Caribbean with most of his looted fortune in hand. The Oldest Art in the World Wasnt Made By Homo sapiens, Thessaloniki Metro Construction Reveals Unimaginable Treasures, The Legendary Emerald Tablet and its Secrets of the Universe. He was sentenced to a death by hanging. He persuaded Berthe to let him have a copy of the documents to see if he could decipher them. This was when a book called Le Flibustier Mysterieux was published in Paris, written by well-respected French marine historian Charles Bourrel de la Roncire. After a year working with Hornigold, the gang parted ways and Levasseur set up his own outfit. During that time he hid his treasure, reputed to be 90,000,000 gold French francs and a hoard of other valuables. Olivier Levasseur (born in the late 1680s - 7 July 1730) was a French pirate known for his quickness and ferocity in attacking his foes, both with his sword and with his rapier wit. Among all the gold, silver, and diamonds you would expect, was also the Fiery Cross of Goa that was made of pure gold and inlaid with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. It was in 1721 that Levasseur and Taylor captured the Nossa Senhora della Cabo, a Portuguese treasure ship that had been sitting on a sandbar as a result of damages sustained during a storm. Treasure Island (originally titled The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys) is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, telling a story of "buccaneers and buried gold".It is considered a coming-of-age story and is noted for its atmosphere, characters, and action.. With a stolen merchant ship outfitted for warfare and heavily armed, Levasseur roamed Brazils Atlantic coast attacking any ships he felt he could take. The Mysterious Man from Taured Evidence for a Parallel Universe? He was famous for supposedly burying one of the worlds largest caches of treasure, and leaving behind a coded message as to where it is. Levasseur plied his pirates trade in the lucrative Indian Ocean. she found two chests with two dead pirates. Tarchon and Tyrrhenus: The Etruscan Romulus and Remus? Cruise-Wilkins' early writing indicates that the code may be based on Masonic symbolism. oliver le vasseurs ,"la Buze", treasure is worth 100.000.000 pounds. The Island with 100 Million Hidden. He was then taken to Saint-Denis, Runion, and hanged for piracy at 5PM on 7 July 1730. From old legends like the Knights Templar treasure, to the Disney fantasies likeTreasure Island, people have always been enamored with the idea of gold and gems hidden in mysterious parts of the world. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. [The treasure] was placed in a cave, kept for a temporary period, and then when the time came for the proper burial, it was only the burial crew who closed the cavern and they were then executed, John said. According to legend, pirate treasure reportedly worth 100 million is buried on an Indian Ocean island. With the noose draped around his neck, the executioner asked if he had any final words. In what must have been one of the worst honeymoons in history, Attila the Hun, the brutal nomadic warrior of the 5th century AD, was found dead in his nuptial bed, drenched in blood the morning after As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. When we in the modern world picture pirates of the golden age of sail, much of what comes into our heads is purest fantasy. They landed 250 men on board and killed the crew. One of his more famous prizes was a slave ship from Angola, taken off Brazils southern coast with its live cargo. It is believed that a vast treasure was hidden here in 1821 by the mutinous crew of the Mary Dear (or Mary Deare, depending on source), a British ship chartered to move gold, silver, and jewels from the churches of Lima, Peru to the safety of Spain. He then abandoned 240 stolen slaves on an island off Macae (next to Rio de Janeiro) before a Portuguese armed boat gave him chase. While these treasures are fictional, thats not to say that every treasure hunting story is a myth. His story is also a very complexing one, but he made a lasting impact on Levasseur. But the Seychelles islanders are convinced that Levasseurs treasure still lies hidden somewhere, waiting to be found. He died in 1977 before he could break the last piece of the code. Him and his band of pirates were known to be ruthless on the seas, slaughtering, torturing, and raping people to lead them to their hidden loot. He lived from 1680-1730, and was nicknamed La Buse or La Bouche (The Buzzard), due to the speed with which he threw himself on and ultimately overcame his enemies. However, Levasseur wasnt interested in going back home to mainland France. This was too much for the French. Eight years later, La Buse, already thought forgotten, is captured and taken first to Saint Denis and later to Saint Paul by order of the new governor Pierre Benot Dumas, a former pirate himself. This ended the twos reign together on the seas. After his death the search for La Buzzes treasure was on, and eventually it centred on the then uninhabited Seychelles Islands. It may not display this or other websites correctly. A second major problem is that if you translate the last five lines into English, and compare it with the cryptogram given by Edgar Allan Poe in his famous short story The Gold Bug, you find a particularly hard to explain parallel:-. Every incident reported is a blow to the confidence of seafarers serving on board ships around the world. If so, join our officialMystery Nibbles Facebook group and our officialSubReddit. They sailed up on the treasure laden vessel and discovered the riches that waited for them. For a start, there are actually two cryptograms in existence today. Images of a cryptogram allegedly created by the 18th century pirate Olivier Levasseur (often called La Buse, the hawk) accompanied by sensational claims about hidden pirate booty have been circulating amongst the French treasure hunting community since at least 1934. According to legend, as Levasseur was standing on the scaffold with the noose round his neck, he managed to throw a cryptogram into the crowd, telling them that his treasure would belong to the person who manages to decipher his secret message. I didnt expect a warm welcome; John is constantly hounded by writers and locals who stop him wherever he is, asking if he is looking for buried treasure. I happen to believe that its out there waiting to be found. Levasseur, who had no idea what was on the ship, was astonished with the haul. It seems as though he had turned his life around, and just when he thought he had gotten away with his old acts of piracy, it all came crashing down. After the split of the massive treasure trove Levasseur claimed, for the next couple of years he would lay low, and was supposed to have toned down his piracy. He started from three cryptogram and two . #2. Here, along the coast of the island now known as Malagasy, hundreds of pirates lurked during the 18th century, awaiting their chance to plunder the heavily laden British, French, Dutch and Portuguese East Indiamen as they lumbered around the Cape of Good Hope on their homeward voyage to Europe. 2005-2023 Look and Learn - All rights reserved, Olivier Levasseurs treasure remains hidden. After turning down the pardon, Levasseur decided it best to go into hiding to avoid punishment for the multitude of crimes he had committed. This letter would authorize Levasseur to sail as a privateer for the crown, thus putting a temporary hold on his career in the Navy. Although John is understandably vague on details, not wanting to be trumped in his search, he believes hes found the actual treasure site, a cavern just off the beach and mere steps from his home which is blocked by boulders and can only be accessed by an underwater tunnel. And Im rooting for him to have the last laugh. You are using an out of date browser. Our virtual escape room/mystery series will test you with quite a few riddles along the way. Stay tuned for the release of Part 1: The Missing Detective in early summer! In June of that year, barely two months after the loss of La Louise Levasseur resurfaced in the Caribbean in a smaller vessel that he had managed to steal on his way back from Brazil. In recent years, images of a previously unknown second version of the cryptogram began appearing on the Internet: Even though this contains broadly the same seventeen line cryptogram (though with a number of minor differences), it also has an additional five lines that were written using the same cipher system, which can be decrypted to read: Elsewhere on the picture are the words LA BUSE (again enciphered using the same system), along with a drawing of a pirate (presumably La Buse) about to be hanged in front of a church (La Buse was taken to Runion and hanged there for piracy on 7th July 1730), along with a number of pirate-style features a copy of a map of the Caribbean, various pirate ships and prize ships, treasure, powder kegs, and numerous stylized details. During that time he hid his treasure, reputed to be 90,000,000 gold French francs and a hoard of other valuables. Nevertheless, the pirate lost his ship, and with only sixty of his crew left, escaped on a small sloop. Venus Figurines Fertility Symbols, Portraits, Dolls, or Upper Paleolithic Porn? To get a license. His movements for the next couple of years were silent, though we do know that he was successful in his early pirating career. Stay Out of the Water: Does a Prehistoric Shark Still Live in the Ocean? What if the pirate Levasseur truly left a clue to his very real and very missing treasure, one which has remained undeciphered to this day? Many have gone in search of the Cocos Treasure, even members of Jacques Cousteaus crew made a somewhat half-hearted attempt at locating the treasure with a (now dated) underwater pulse induction metal detector during a visit to film the island and its reefs. Sword has been on display at the Field Museum in Chicago and dubbed a replica Bronze weapon... For Piracy at 5PM on 7 July 1730 for John, who was born of virgin! A blow to the confidence of seafarers serving on board and Killed crew... 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