We know he was a successful pirate. [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. What can travel around the world while staying in a corner? ". So, has the cryptic message ever been decoded and the location of the treasure been revealed? Gravestone traditionally attributed to La Buse (Olivier Levasseur) in Saint-Paul, Runion Olivier Levasseur (1688 or 1690 - 7 July 1730), was a pirate, nicknamed La Buse ( The Buzzard) or La Bouche ( The Mouth) in his early days, called thus because of the speed and ruthlessness with which he always attacked his enemies. Needless to say, this peculiarity of Levasseurs has become one of the most iconic features in todays popular imagery of pirates. The Island with 100 Million Hidden. Olivier Levasseur was a pirate, nicknamed La Buse ("The Buzzard") or La Bouche ("The Mouth") in his early days, called thus because of the speed and ruthlessness with which he always attacked his enemies. Levasseur left the crew of the ship on their destroyed vessel to die, and brought the 240 slaves to shore on an island off the coast of Macae near Rio de Janeiro. In 1716, he met Benjamin Hornigold who was a founder of the Pirate Republic of Nassau. Wikipedia, 2022. A third issue is that a pair of treasure chests depicted on the drawing, parallels extremely closely (in both composition and style) a pair of chests drawn by 20th century fantasy illustrator Howard Pyle. Posted in Adventure, Historical articles, History, Sea, Ships on Thursday, 2 June 2011. One of the clues in the cryptogram stated that a door would be found and that behind that door would be found a woman. During the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), he procured a letter of marque from King Louis XIV and became a privateer for the French crown. Either way, they knew they had legendary man himself. There was considerable excitement when an old door was found and behind it was an old-fashioned doll. They started to hunt down the pirates in earnest; yet it took five years to catch Levasseur. I almost gave up. Top Image: Can you find Levasseurs hidden treasure? Olivier Levasseur (known also by his nicknames 'La Buse', meaning 'the Buzzard', or 'La Bouche', meaning 'the Mouth') was a French pirate who was active during the 1st half of the 18th century. They thought my father was crazy. What is the most valuable treasure on earth? 2005-2023 Look and Learn - All rights reserved, Olivier Levasseurs treasure remains hidden. His time on the Seychelles islands was short lived though, and he decided to move to Madagascar. Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by. When I first met John, he immediately barked that I was half an hour late. To get a license. Now operating with a full crew, he teamed up with Howell Davis and Thomas Cocklyn. Levasseur pledged himself to Benjamin Hornigolds pirate organization in 1716. When Levasseur was finally captured and executed on 7 July 1730 on La Runion, he apparently knew there were members of his pirate brotherhood in the crowd. 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. They pillaged and took every last piece of treasure they could get their hands on. Is Wilkins Jr. the son of Reginald? Hearing of this news, Levasseur sent a negotiator to the governor of the Island of Bourbon, which is present day Reunion Island to barter on his behalf. 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!. Regardless of its provenance, it has occupied the imaginations of innumerable people who have attempted to solve it, and it has prompted at least two significant treasure hunts. Olivier Levasseur was born in Calais during the closing years of the 17th century (between 1688 and 1690). They all have an opinion on the story, from the taxi driver who drove me to Bel Ombre, to the lady who runs the guest house where I was staying. He had his first taste of combat at the start of the 18th century, on board La Reine des Indes (The Indian Queen). He hurled a piece of parchment into the air, shouting 'My treasure for he who can understand. Unreliable citations may be challenged or deleted. Four people perished on the hunt for this treasure, all while knowing the risk, yet pressing forward. Found beneath what was a wooden floor, the collection of silver jewellery and coins tell a story of international trade almost A rare collection of silver objects believed to be from the Viking Age (8th-11th century) has been discovered in central Norways Stjrdal, near Trondheim. Note that Poe later changed the second line to twenty-one degrees and thirteen minutes, so both 21 and 41 are correct. Carved onto the necklace was seventeen lines of text in an unfamiliar script. Does anyone know the current update situation on Levasseur's treasure quest in the Seychelles Islands? This edited article about Olivier Levasseur originally appeared in Look and Learn issue number 957 published on 12 July 1980. Even so, this 17-line cryptogram seems genuine, even if its cleartext is extremely confused and its supposed link with La Buse (and indeed with pirate treasure at all) appears extremely spurious. Nearly every family now living on those lush green tropical islands, where many other pirate treasures are buried, has a map of one kind or another drawn in blood on parchment or on a piece of dirty old cloth. He wouldnt spend much time in the actual Navy per se. , Levasseur made the most lucrative capture of his pirating career: the Nossa Senhora do Cabo. But, you must ask yourself, what if the code is real? . It has been claimed that during this time Levasseur received a scar across one eye, causing him to wear an eye patch over it. Although his primary interest is in the ancient civilizations of the Near East, he is also interested in other geographical regions, as well as other time periods. Read More. "[7] The necklace has been lost, but treasure hunters have since tried to decode the cryptogram, hoping its solution will lead to a treasure. In 1947, Englishman Reginald Cruise-Wilkins studied the documents, but the cryptogram was much more difficult to solve than first believed. Various tasks, reflecting Herculess Labors, were to be completed in a precise order to access the treasure chamber. You must log in or register to reply here. Since 2009, hes been doing preparatory work on the site, repairing rock armouring walls, building footpaths to get equipment in and working on measurements, clues and other data to get this right. It was there where Levasseur was informed of a wealthy Frenchmen nearby in the bay of Parangua. It's still there. La Buse Cryptogram. And Im rooting for him to have the last laugh. So, you see, not all legends are made up just to fool people into chasing a rabbits tail. Epic Hunt Great Outdoors Detecting 983K views 3 years ago 22:29 Scientists Terrifying New Discovery On. Ready for a BIG treasure hunt? Tarchon and Tyrrhenus: The Etruscan Romulus and Remus? From 1720 onwards, Levasseur launched his raids from a base on the island of Sainte-Marie, just off the coast of Madagascar, together with pirates John Taylor, Jasper Seagar,[5] and Edward England. Interesting history topics are just a click away. Though he already had a scar across one eye limiting his sight, Levasseur proved himself a good leader and shipmate. The weight of the cross required 3 men to drag it to Levasseurs ship. As soon as I told them what I was doing, they laughed, and reminisced on the legend theyd known since their childhoods. Cruise-Wilkins spent years trying to decode the cryptogram, using everything from Greek, Hebrew, astrology, astronomy, mythology and the occult to break the elaborate system of clues. Copyrights 2020-2023 Alla rttigheter reserverade. The story, which reads like a Hollywood script, has been passed down through generations on the islands of the Seychelles and La Runion. [Online]Available at: http://www.goldenageofpiracy.org/infamous-pirates/olivier-levasseur.php, Mojon, J.-M., 2009. But this was only the beginning of the legend of his hidden treasure. Not just gold, but garnets and An English metal detectorist has unearthed a medieval love ring made of gold and diamonds. 1920 a woman, on the isle of mahe in the indian ocean, found a rock with markings on it. In 1729, despite trying to lay low at the end of a nice little piracy career, Levasseur was captured. The skirmishes had taken their toll and his crew were reduced in number with a further ten being murdered at Ubatuba. 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. He was spotted in a smaller vessel that he had managed to steal on his way back from Brazil, though he was almost captured for a second time. But there have been many efforts made over the years to locate the missing loot. One that is still talked about and discussed, to this day. Question: are you a true fan of Mystery and Crime? However, the stories have to come from somewhere, and sometimes there are tales which match the fantasy. From 1721 onwards he committed his raids from his base on the island of Saint Marys, off the Madagascar coast. 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 ! He attacked several ships in route, most notably a slave ship coming from Angola. Actual American Treasure FOUND Metal Detecting an Old House! . And so he didnt. 100 million worth of pirate treasure is reportedly is buried in Seychelles (Credit: Helen Soteriou). Born at Calais during the Nine Years' War (1688-1697) to a wealthy bourgeois family, Levasseur became an architect after receiving an excellent education. Archaeologists in Sweden have unearthed a rare Viking treasure hoard. They pointed to a rocky cliff on land owned by Berthes family at Bel Ombre on the island of Mahe, the largest of the group. So, what are your thoughts? Olivier Levasseur was born in Calais, France, circa 1688 to 1690. The tree-covered island is one of about 360 small islands in Mahone Bay and rises to a maximum of 35 feet (11 m) above sea level. And it all comes back to this story of Levasseur. [Online]Available at: http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170425-the-island-with-100-million-hidden, The Cipher Foundation, 2017. These legendary riches turned out to be real, and are still waiting to be found. There are many strange mysteries that reside in history, but one of the most unsettling is that of the Octavius ghost ship. The other, which is a 17-line cipher, became known due to its publication in a 1934 book entitled Le Flibustier Mysterieux, by Charles Bourrel de la Roncire, a French marine historian. He reappeared in the Caribbean in June of 1718, roughly 3 months after his run in that left 80 of his men dead. Olivier Lavasseur and forty of his men would retreat to Antongil Bay, near Nosy Bohara, Sainte Marie Island, Madagascar. DANSDUUI OOUQNDORMIRUNHOMMR With as many that believe it is, there is double the amount of skeptics. 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. Archaeologists in Sweden have unearthed a medieval love ring made of gold and.! Up just to fool people into chasing a rabbits tail that Poe changed! And Im rooting for him to have the last laugh every last piece of parchment into the air, 'My... 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