Rime of the Ancient Mariner

With strange mysterious power, an ancient mariner (old sailer) compels some poor guy (the Wedding Guest) on his way to a fun wedding party to sit and listen to an incredible story about a horrifying sailing voyage. The wedding guest is unhappy about missing the fun party, but the mariner's "glittering eye" overpowers him and he sits mesmerized, listening to the whole creepy tale.

The mariner tells of a nightmarish voyage. While rounding the "horn" in the Antarctic Ocean, the mariner's ship is surrounded by dangerous ice bergs. Things look bleak until a beautiful albatross flies in for a visit. The sailors feed it and the ice splits open. The albatross stays a while and seems to be leading the ship out of trouble, when for no good reason, the mariner kills it with a bolt from his trusty crossbow. I've known a few guys like that.

At first the mariner's shipmates shun him for this crime against nature. They hang the albatross about the mariner's neck.