I saw an article about keelhauling and realized I don’t know much about pirates (those on the sea, not the internet) beyond what I’ve seen in movies. Tell me your most interesting pirate facts. Mythical or historical.
Pirates were surprisingly democratic. When booty was distributed, each member would get a share rather than wages.
Some people got more shares than others, that’s true. A cabin boy might only be worth half a share, the quartermaster might be worth a share and a half, etc. But most people got a whole share, and the captain was usually only pulling two shares at most. But shares were agreed at the outset, and everyone knew what they were getting into.
This makes a lot of sense when you’re engaged in organized crime against the state. The captain gets final say in most matters, but the risk of mutiny or a crew member turning informant was a sure way to end a captain’s career. By splitting the wealth more equitably, the crew becomes more loyal.
You may have heard stories about pirates attacking a ship and then recruiting people from the crew they just attacked. A lot of the time in the stories this is framed as “join us or die” but the truth was a bit different. If pirates were known to kill everyone they meet, people would fight to the death to defend their boss’ merchandise. But if the pirates boarded you, you were likely given a chance to surrender in exchange for the loot. Then if they were looking for more crew, they’d start recruiting.
So imagine you’re working for a real slave driver (I mean, perhaps literally even), and you get a pittance for your wages. You get raided by pirates, and it’s your boss’ money or your life. Most people would sooner hand over their boss’ money. But then they ask if you’d like to work for someone who doesn’t treat you like garbage AND you get a cut of the loot you just handed over. That’s a compelling argument.
Yes, I also watched that CGP Grey video.
I don’t know who that is, but thanks for the recommendation
How much evidence do we have for this? I want to believe it since it’s my favorite fact so far, which means I should be extra cautious before believing it.
Apparently there are nine surviving Pirate Codes. Some are more equitable than others, and some are… more difficult to read. It definitely wasn’t sunshine and roses at sea, and there was definitely barbarism that happened.
But I particularly like the articles of John Phillips, captain of the Revenge. Nine commandments governing the distribution of wealth, gun control, fire safety, and workers’ comp
I. Every Man Shall obey civil Command; the Captain shall have one full Share and a half of all Prizes; the Master, Carpenter, Boatswain and Gunner shall have one Share and quarter.
II. If any Man shall offer to run away, or keep any Secret from the Company, he shall be marooned with one Bottle of Powder, one Bottle of Water, one small Arm, and Shot.
III. If any Man shall steal any Thing in the Company, or game, to the Value of a Piece of Eight, he shall be marooned or shot.
IV. If any time we shall meet another Marooner that Man shall sign his Articles without the Consent of our Company, shall suffer such Punishment as the Captain and Company shall think fit.
V. That Man that shall strike another whilst these Articles are in force, shall receive Moses’ Law (that is, 40 Stripes lacking one) on the bare Back.
VI. That Man that shall snap his Arms, or smoke Tobacco in the Hold, without a Cap to his Pipe, or carry a Candle lighted without a Lanthorn, shall suffer the same Punishment as in the former Article.
VII. That Man shall not keep his Arms clean, fit for an Engagement, or neglect his Business, shall be cut off from his Share, and suffer such other Punishment as the Captain and the Company shall think fit.
VIII. If any Man shall lose a Joint in time of an Engagement, shall have 400 Pieces of Eight ; if a Limb, 800.
IX. If at any time you meet with a prudent Woman, that Man that offers to meddle with her, without her Consent, shall suffer present Death.
So imagine you’re working for a real slave driver
And at least in most of the nations’ navies, your life as a grunt was pretty much like that. Dragged into service by press gangs and treated like shit.
Most pirate careers were very short. Blackbeard was only active for about 2-3 years.
Also, Stede Bonnet, the “Gentleman Pirate”, is a true story, heavily fictionalized by the HBO show Our Flag Means Death (recommended viewing), of a wealthy man who literally had a midlife crisis in which he left his wife and kids, bought a boat, and became a terrible (as in very bad at pirating) pirate but who ended up sailing with Blackbeard himself. A fun story that’s worth a read.
I loved the show, but never would have guessed it was based on reality. Great facts!
VERY loosely based, but yeah, at times shockingly real!
The real Dread Pirate Roberts has been retired fifteen years and living like a king in Patagonia.
The stereotypical pirate “accent” derives from the west country (south west England) accent of one man who played Long John Silver in an adaptation of Treasure Island.
Though regional accents are dying out, you could probably still find a handful of people in the south west who will answer in the affirmative with “(y)arr”.
… which is the second fact, I guess. “Arr” means “yes”.
Their favorite letter is “arrrgh”.
Nay, it be the ‘X’ that marks the spot.
It’s actually P.
Without letter P, they’re irate.
That may be true, but their first love is always the ‘C’.
While many pirates will gladly R at each other, the salty sea dog’s true love be the C
There was no one standard pirate flag. Different pirates used different flags, often with similar themes (black, skull, etc). The idea was to be intimidating: it was cheaper and easier if your target gave up without a fight.
Blackbeard would put lit fuses in his beard to be more intimidating.
Some interesting YouTube videos about pirates:
Bluejay:
CGP Grey:
Sam O’Nella:
Townsends (not specifically about pirates, but rather about sailors in the golden age of piracy in general):
I will watch all of these. Thanks!
When a pirate crew captured a merchant or government vessel, it was common for the crew of the captured vessel to not give a care and even join the pirates, seeing the pirate life as preferable. For this reason, pirates did not automatically eliminate their captured people, as the threat of resistance in some form was unlikely.
Not pirates specifically, but some say that the legend of mermaids comes from lonesome martine travelers seeing dugongs for the first time.
I heard the same thing but manatees. They’re super similar though.
Buccaneers got their name by hunting game animals to extend their provisions and smoking the meat in a hide tent called a boucan.
pirates usually wear eye patches so one of their eyes are used to the dark while the other is used to the light.
they switch patches to easily get accustomed to caves.
Or, as I’ve heard it, moving above and below decks regularly.
Yeah it’s nothing to do with caves. It’s because below decks there were powder magazine rooms that you wouldn’t want to carry a flame into.
It’s a plausible explanation but there doesn’t seem to be any historical evidence of them doing so.
It makes even less sense when you think about the fact that they would lose depth perception for the possible eventuality that that had to go below deck.
good point! if i were a pirate, i’d switch eye patches on lesser stressful scenarios.
When pirates got earrings, they would pay $1 for each one, which is where the term buccaneer came from.
Have you watched Black Sails? It’s the most historically accurate pirate thing Hollywood has ever made (the second being the POTC movies, funnily enough)
I have not. Is it worth watching?
Yes, the way the show handled the main plot is chef’s kiss and the series finale is fantastic
Salem, MA, which is famous for the witch hangings of 1692, used to have pirates!
