h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Sorry, I've done this before

He'd go for 96 pieces for himself, and 1 each for pirates 3,5,7 & 9.

I had hoped that would last a little longer...

What links Don Giovanni (or Don Juan, if you prefer), Haitsi-aibib, John Bate and Michael Weakley?

10%EACH
These people are PIRATES if they don't get their fair share, they're gonna stab you in the back one dark night on the poop deck!

Well I don't know.

perhaps a might be forthcoming?

Hmm... It should be easiest to figure out by looking at the last two, as the answer's related to what they're best known for.

Thanks Mycroft, but as I had no idea that the names John Bate and Michael Weakley were famous , I am none the wiser

Then look 'em up

oh.

Without resorting to Google .....

There was a Michael Weakley who was a member of 60s band The Electric Prunes

Mayhap this be him???

That's the very chap.

Google says there are 81,700 online references to John Bate.
I'd make a start, but the surreal visions arising from the notion of somehow associating Don Juan with electric prunes has done me head in for the day.

~jwf~

Hmmm...

Mr Weakley drummed for the Prunes, in two separate periods. In his second manifestation he called himself Quint.

According to some web-references, Don Juan's father was a Charles Quint.

The best-known Quint is surely Robert Shaw's character in Jaws. Unfortunately, this appears to have nothing to do with this question.

A John Bate translated various scientific works in the early seventeenth century, and seems to have been interested in Perpetual Motion. A contemporary work called "The Quint-essence of Motion" (tantalising hyphenated) unfortunately seems to have been translated by someone else.

The other guy appears to be a deity worshipped by Kalahari bushmen, who takes the form of a wizard who can transcend death. Not even the vaguest Quint-link evident here, unless one of his numerous demises involved getting chewed up by a shark.

Probably a complete WGC. He's good for a larf, our Mycroft though, in't'e?

A valiant, albeit incorrect effort.

You're right about Haitsi-aibib in that it's do with his death, but the web seems woefully inadequate on Hottentot theogony so I'm not sure whether a web search will help you.

Unfortunately it would appear there are two notable John Bates in the early seventeenth century, and you've picked the wrong one

Hmmmm there's also John (Blaster) Bates, and a John Bate who was heavily into pyrotechnics of a decorative type. Why does the figure 5 keep popping into my head?

subliminal messages?!

Hottentot theogony ????!!!!

Of course!!! Why didn't I realise that that's what it was about

I don't know why the number 5 should pop into your head when thinking about John Bate: 1606 would be more useful.

Aha. Oh dear. This is a small, wizzened fruit question, innit?

We've already established Mr Weakley's Prune credentials.

Based on the latest clue (1606), we now find that a John Bate declined to pay a tax on currants around then (wouldn't you have done the same?)

Now it gets annoying, because in an earlier Google-foray I chanced upon an unlikely reference to Hottentots on what appeared to be the website of the Cranberry Marketing Board, or similar institution. Its relevance (let alone its credibility) was then overlooked.

Before going back there, I think I'll contemplate the wisdom or otherwise of encouraging Mycroft by deigning to answer Qs of this ilk...