Pirates and Piracy

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Pirates1 have existed as long as ships have. From the ancient Greeks to the modern day there have been pirates. Rare is the person who has not read a book, or watched a film that involved pirates. Yet few people have any factual knowledge of piracy. Presumably that is why you are here.

Piracy Defined... sort of.

Piracy is defined by the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law as 'an illegal act of violence, detention, or plunder committed for private ends by crew or passengers of a private ship or aircraft against another ship or aircraft on the high seas or in a place outside the jurisdiction of any state'. In modern times it also means the infringement of a copyright. But this definiton is not completely adequate for the serious researcher of piracy.2

One of the oldest descriptions of piracy is from 1350 BCE, the time of Pharo Echnaton. At the time there was no name for them though. Plutarch, the Greek historian, gave the first definition of what piracy is. He stated that it was the illegal attack on a ship or coastal city. The actual term pirate (or peirato) was used first by a Roman historian named Polybius around 140 BCE. The definition that most closely resembles the modern one was finally set down in the 18th Century CE.

A Bit of History.

Piracy has been around since the first man/woman decided to send goods by ship. Around 1350 BCE a clay tablet was written in which piracy is mentioned. In approximately 340 CE a man named Cleomis was honored by Athens for ransoming some people who were captured by pirates. Archeologists have even excavated a city in Greece called Aegila which they think was a haven for pirates.

There are many Roman documents that mention piracy as well. Piracy became a huge problem around 60 BCE. Pirates prowled the Mediterranean3, focusing on major trade routes. Julius Ceasar was even captured by pirates in 75 BCE. Piracy grew until a commander named Pompey was ordered to stop it. Pompey raised an army and within 3 months had essentially eliminated the pirate threat.

Later, in the Middle Ages, pirates continued to operate. The best known pirates of the time were the Vikings. The first raid by Vikings happened in 793 CE. They attacked the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. They spread through Europe particulary in England, Denmark and Norway. At the same time piracy grew along the coast of China and Korea. Most pirates were Japanese but over time they became more diverse. Coastal raiding was fairly prevalent from the 13th to the 16th Centuries in the East.

The Golden Age of Piracy

When most people think of pirates this is the time they are thinking of. This was when piracy had the best documentation. This is also when the most well known pirates operated. Piracy ran rampant from the 1500s to the 1800s.

During this time there were pirates operating in the Mediterranean4, the Far East, and the Carribean. Pirates were in other areas as well, but in fewer numbers. This was also the age of privateers.

In early in the 14th century Islamic states in North Africa became centers for pirates. Pirates here existed into the 19th century actually causing several wars between Tripolitania and the United States.

In the Carribean the majority of piracy was directed against the Spanish. This was the area that most privateers did their business. This is also the place of the Buccaneer.

Modern Piracy

Despite what many believe, piracy is still around. Though it is slightly different than it used to be. In fact there were 224 acts of piracy commited in 19965.

Depending on where they are based pirates have various tactics now. Some piracy is as simple as sneaking on to a boat and stealing all the supplies, but other acts of piracy are far worse. In the Arabian Sea most pirates use modern weapons, whereas West Africans often have nothing more than a knife and a canoe. In the East pirates are often part of an organized crime group. In Brazil there is no coast guard, making things much easier for pirates. The South China Sea is particularly dangerous. Pirates here are sometimes even protected by the government.

Piracy now is often targeted at wealthy people. Pirates will storm a yacht and take anything of value on board. Often they kill the passengers as well. Other acts of piracy are more reminiscient of Golden Age piracy. Pirates will sometimes take an oil tanker or cargo ship and sell it later.

Another form of piracy is the illegal copying and distribution of media. This includes audio, video, and software. Often piracy of this sort is done over the internet with file sharing programs like bittorrent

A Pirate's Life

Almost every pirate ship during the Golden Age of piracy had a code. This code was laid out in the Articles of the ship. Anyone who wanted to be a part of the crew was required to sign the Articles. Within this document all the rules of the ship were laid out, along with punishment for breaking them. Also in this document the shares and compensation for injury were explained.

If a man were injured on a pirate ship he would recieve compensation for his injuries. The more damaging the injury was the more money he would make. Some ships went so far as to have a sort of life insurance. If the man died his family would recieve compensation for it.

On top of having fair compensationf for injury pirate ships were amazingly democratic. The captain was usually voted into office, and if he did a poor job he could be voted out. When this happened he would often be dropped at the next port, though sometimes he would be marooned.

Marooning was a very serious punishment for a very serious act. When a pirate was marooned he was typically given his sword, a pistol, shot and powder, and one bottle of water. Usually it was a slow death by dehydration.

If captured pirates could expect another type of punishment. Hanging. The pirate would be tried and later hung. This was usually a very large event where people would gather to watch. After his death a pirate who was well known would often be covered in tar and hung in a cage near the port. This was to be a warning to other pirates.

The Types of Pirates

There are many names for pirates that are often used interchangeably. Buccaneers, pirates and corsairs are the most oft used. What most people don't know is that these names are not interchangeable.

A pirate was a man who preyed on ships of every nation. He owed alleigance to no country and worked only for his own profit.

The term buccaneer comes from a French word, 'boucan'. It is a word for a type of grill that the buccaneers often used. The original buccaneers were hunters on the island of Haiti. The Spanish drove them off the island after which they formed groups with others who hated the Spanish to prey on Spanish ships. Buccaneers often worked with the enemies of Spain but rarely with Letters of Marque, so they were not truly privateers. Eventually the term became common for pirates who operated out of the West Indies.

Privateers were official pirates. They were commisioned by a government to attack the enemies of that nation. They were often given a document called a Letter of Marque which was official authorisation to attack enemy ships. Technically a privateer could not be prosecuted as a pirate because they were protected by international law. Many actual pirates forged authorisation in order to avoid prosecution. Unfortunately for them hostile nations would ignore this law. Many actual pirates forged authorisation in order to avoid prosecution, and an equal number of privateers became pirates.

Corsairs operated exclusively in the Mediterranean. They were often privateers, authorised to prey on the shipping from Christian nations. The most recognized of these are the Corsairs from the Barbary Coast, in North Africa. The Barbary Corsairs used galleys until the 17th century when they finally switched to sailing ships. Often the privateers here would forget their religious ideals and become full fledged pirates.

Pirate Myths, and the Flag

Most of what people know about pirates is based on what they have seen in films or read in books. Sadly much of this information is incorrect.

Most pirates did not have parrots, or any kind of pet. The closest thing to a pet that would be found on a pirate ship would be a cat that was used to keep the population of rats low. Granted, some pirates probably did have pets6 but for the most part a pet was just more trouble.

As for hooks and peg legs there is more truth. If a pirate lost his leg, and was lucky enough to survive, he may have chosen to find a suitable replacement. On a ship his only choice was a plank of wood strapped to his leg. It was probably more common though that he would just use some sort of crutch. A hook could have been used as a type of prosthetic hand. A simple bent piece of metal attatched to a board that was strapped on the arm. It is more likely though that a man who lost his hand would just make due until he could get off the ship and pursue another career.

Pirates did not make people walk the plank. There is not one documented case of someone doing this in all the history of piracy. There were far more cruel ways to draw entertainment from the death of a prisoner. Often they would tie a prisoner to the mast and throw broken glass at them. If female they would sometimes take turns raping her and then throw her overboard. The plank would have been an unneccesary way to get someone off the ship when they could simply be, and often were, tossed over the railing.

The Jolly Roger is perhaps the most recognisable thing relating to pirates in the world. Chances are the name is not derived from the term 'jolie rouge', though it is a possible origin. Another possibility is the term 'roger' which was used in England to describe a vagrant. One other possible origin comes from a term that referred to the devil, 'Old Roger'. Truthfully no one knows where the term came from.

The old skull and crossbones look was not the only flag flown by pirates. In fact most pirates had their own unique flag, all terrifying to any ship they came across. Sadly of all the pictures of flags attributed to pirates it is impossible to say whether they were actually used.

Some Famous pirates

  • Samueal Bellamy "Black Bellamy"

  • Stede Bonnet

  • Anne Bonny

  • Fancis Drake

  • William Kidd

  • Jean Laffite

  • Henry Morgan

  • John Rackham "Calico Jack"

  • Bartholomew Robers "The Great Pirate Roberts"

  • Edward Teach "Blackbeard"

Fiction and Links

The Fiction

  • The Adventures of Peter Pan

  • Treasure Island

  • Pirates of the Carribean

  • Pirates of Penzance

The Links

1Sometimes spelled pyrates.2Which you may or may not be.3Particularly the eastern portions4Esspecially around the coast of North Africa5The International Maritime Bureau6Yes, even parrots

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