Many writers and filmmakers romanticize piracy as a pursuit full of adventure, big drunkenness and the hunt for untold wealth on the lost islands. The real life of pirates was not as attractive as that of the heroes of novels and Hollywood films.
Antique piracy
Pirates were known in antiquity, they were called "leistas". Ancient pirates, unlike the robbers of the New Age, plundered small coastal villages, attacked lonely travelers and sold them into slavery. The heyday of piracy falls on the 16th-18th centuries, when trade flourished, and it was not yet possible to provide decent protection.
Image source: Hotshowlife.com
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum
Promotional video:
Despite the deep-rooted fame of drunkards, many pirate ships were dry, and most pirates only allowed themselves to drink on land. The myth that pirates run rum instead of blood in their veins has spread thanks to the popularity of Stevenson's novel Treasure Island.
The history of the blindfold
An eye patch did not always mask the injury. Sailors often had to descend into poorly lit holds, it takes some time for the human eye to adapt to the darkness. But if a pirate wore a bandage, then removing it in the dark, he immediately saw well with one eye.
Jolly Roger Pirate Flag
Jolly Roger - a flag with human bones on a black background is strongly associated with a robber ship. It is generally believed that pirates walked under it constantly, but this is not true. It was a signal that there was an epidemic on the ship. Outlawed, pirates hid and camouflaged their ships by flying flags of different countries. For example, when attacking the Spaniards, the robbers raised the English flag, since at that time Spain and England were at war.
Privateers and Corsairs
A very interesting fact is the existence of legal piracy. Some countries with developed maritime trade have partially legalized piracy, deriving income from the robbery. A privateer is a private person who has received a letter of marque. Such a person had the right to seize and destroy ships of hostile and neutral countries in exchange for a certain percentage of the loot, which was deducted to the employer. Corsair is synonymous with privateer.
How was the booty divided?
The pirates had their own loot distribution system. The quartermaster gave a tenth share to the captain, the rest of the booty was divided into equal parts. For injury, each team member had the right to receive compensation. The least received were the team members who did not take part in the battles.
Francis Drake
The famous corsair and navigator Francis Drake was the first Englishman to sail around the world. He became famous for opening the strait between the island of Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica, as well as the defeat of the Spanish fleet in 1578. For his contribution to the field of geography and service to the crown, he was awarded a knighthood.
Discipline
In the movies, pirates are portrayed as cruel barbarians, undisciplined, with a complete lack of manners. Is it so? Even the military could envy their discipline. For violation of the order, the perpetrators were severely punished. The offender could be left alone on an uninhabited island, beaten or tied to a mast. Many pirate ship captains were well-read and educated people, because they had to manage the navigation of the ship and monitor the health of all mechanisms.
Why do pirates need earrings in their ears and where does a parrot come from?
On the screens, we often see pirates depicted with an earring in their ear and a parrot on their shoulder. In fact, only the most experienced thugs were allowed to wear the earring when they crossed the equator or overcame Cape Horn, Tierra del Fuego archipelago. Of course, there could be no question of training exotic birds by a team of thugs.
Where are the treasures buried?
The most common misconception about pirates is their wealth, as well as the fact that they buried loot on the islands. Most often, pirate ships did not possess impressive firepower, and their size was not so significant. With such an arsenal, it made no sense to storm large ships and well-armed Spanish galleons. Small consignments of goods plundered from private merchants were sold by pirates for much less than their value. Sea robbery was a very dangerous occupation, and the pirate's age was not great, so there was no point in burying the treasure.