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Legend maintains that the town of Nags Head, North Carolina takes its name from wreckers deploying false lights.

The Nags Head legend states that in the 18th century, wreckers would hang lanterns from the necks of mules ( colloquially called " nags " at the time ) and walk the animals very slowly up and down the beach.

The alleged intent was to fool mariners into believing that the slow-moving lights were ships drifting at rest or at anchor, prompting the ships to change course and subsequently run aground.

However, despite the prevalence of the legend and the local assertion of its truth, no concrete evidence exists to substantiate the claim.