Welsh lighthouse horror as keeper forced to live with corpse as he went slowly mad
The Lighthouse, directed by Robert Eggers, is a psychological horror film that was partly inspired by a real-life tragedy that took place more than 200 years ago on the far coast of Wales
The original Smalls building has been replaced with a new structure since the automation of lighthouses
Robert Eggers' 2019 psychological horror, The Lighthouse, garnered praise and even an Oscar nomination for its striking monochrome cinematography, surreal ambience, and stellar performances from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson.
The film narrates the tale of two 19th-century lighthouse keepers marooned at a remote New England outpost during a violent tempest, with isolation, suspicion, and bizarre visions taking their toll.
While audiences and critics have debated the film's symbolism and genre – part horror, part myth, part drama – what many viewers may not know is that it was partly inspired by a real-life tragedy that occurred over 200 years ago on the distant coast of Wales.
The true story, now referred to as the Smalls Lighthouse Tragedy, is one of the most distressing chapters in British maritime history and led to a lasting change in lighthouse policy.
The Smalls Lighthouse is perched on a rocky islet about 20 miles west of the St David's Peninsula in Pembrokeshire, exposed to the full force of the Irish Sea - designed and constructed in 1775, reports the Mirror.
The Smalls Lighthouse
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Life at The Smalls was solitary and confined. At the time, lighthouse crews typically consisted of just two men, who would spend extended periods in complete isolation.
Their sole duties were to keep the lamp lit at night and maintain the structure by day, regardless of the weather.
In 1801, the lighthouse was staffed by Thomas Howell and Thomas Griffith, two men reputed to be at odds. One day, Griffith fell gravely ill following what was reported as a bizarre mishap.
Howell attempted to look after his workmate and set up a distress signal, hoping a passing ship would communicate their need for assistance. However, this was a time before radio, and simple flag signalling proved ineffective in such an isolated location.
The lighthouse was battered by storms for weeks on end, making it impossible for any vessel to pass. Griffith's health deteriorated, and eventually, after enduring a lengthy period of suffering, he passed away.
Suddenly alone, Howell faced a daunting predicament. Given the strained relationship between the two men, he worried that if he disposed of the body at sea, any subsequent investigation might suspect him of murder.
He decided his only choice was to keep the body until help arrived.
The lighthouse is situated about 20 miles west of St David's Peninsula in Pembrokeshire
Initially, Howell kept Griffith's body inside the living quarters, a hut barely five metres across. However, the smell of decomposition soon became intolerable.
A former barrel-maker, Howell took apart part of the interior to construct a makeshift coffin from wooden planks. He placed Griffith inside, secured the lid, and hoisted the coffin onto a ledge on the exterior of the lighthouse, tying it securely in place.
The weather showed no signs of easing, and weeks later, the violent winds ripped the coffin apart, casting the boards into the sea and leaving the corpse tied to the railing, exposed to the elements.
This is when the incident took on its most enduring – and macabre – image. One of Griffith's arms had come loose, and whenever the wind caught it just right, it seemed to wave or beckon.
Howell could see it from inside the hut, a constant and chilling reminder of his dire situation.
As days turned into weeks, several ships sailed within sight of the lighthouse, but the conditions were too treacherous to attempt a landing. Crews could see the light still burning at night – a testament to Howell's commitment to his duty – and during the day, they occasionally spotted a figure on the gallery.
Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson in a scene from The Lighthouse (2019)
(Image: Dumfries and Galloway Standard)
From afar, they couldn't discern what had transpired, and with no apparent urgency in the signalling, they continued their journey.
It's believed that Howell lived alongside his deceased colleague for approximately four months before a vessel from Milford Haven was finally able to land on The Smalls.
When rescuers arrived, they discovered Griffith's body still bound to the railings and Howell physically and mentally altered. Friends back on shore later claimed they didn't recognise him – his hair had prematurely turned grey, his face was gaunt, and he appeared shattered by the ordeal.
The Smalls Lighthouse Tragedy sent shockwaves through the maritime community, highlighting the perils of having only two keepers at such a remote station. As a result, the governing body changed its policy to mandate that all lighthouses be manned by at least three people at a time.
This rule stayed in place for nearly two centuries, until the automation of British lighthouses in the late 20th century.
The events of 1801 have inspired numerous works over the past two centuries. In 2011, the BBC aired The Lighthouse, a radio play by Alan Harris based on the tragedy.
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In 2016, Welsh director Chris Crow released a feature film of the same name, also loosely adapted from the events on The Smalls, before Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse brought the tale to international audiences.
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