Pirates DEBUNKED // Common Misconceptions about Pirates, Ships, and Swashbucklery

Hello guys! So, today’s post is going to be a little different. I’ve been working on a project of mine that you might remember from previous posts called Sciamachy. It’s a fantasy novel with magic, vast icy wasteland, and pirates.

And, being the procrastinator that I am, instead of actually writing the thing, I’m doing research about pirates. Because why not, you know?

So, here are a few interesting factoids I thought you might like to know. Also, enjoy the gratuitous Pirates of the Caribbean gifs. ^_^

Pirates rarely buried their treasure

Pirates knew that their lifespans probably weren’t the…longest, so they usually tried to spend all their money as soon as possible. And sometimes, the loot wasn’t gold or silver, it was clothes, food, or animal hides. Wouldn’t really want to bury that, huh?

Although, there are exceptions, Captain Kidd, being the most common example.

They had rules and regulations

In order to be a part of the crew, there were usually very strict rules you had to agree to before you were let on. Things like how loot would be divvied up, how to treat your fellow mates, and things that were forbidden onboard the ship.

They didn’t walk the plank

The idea of ‘walking the plank’ was first mentioned in Daniel Defoe’s novel Robinson Crusoe. In reality, pirates almost never made their prisoners walk the plank.

If they were going to kill their prisoners, they weren’t going to waste any time getting it done…

There were women pirates

Though rare, there have been female pirates. Just take Anne Bonny and Mary Read for example.

Piracy was better than the alternative

Most pirates became pirates just for the sake of going on exhilarating adventures and because they actually enjoyed being outlaws, right?

A huge majority of pirates were actually honest sailors who quit their jobs because the conditions were just too awful. Next to no pay, risking your life everyday out at sea, shackled to the ships walls below…  And many men were sailors only because they were kidnapped by the British Navy and were forced to work for them.

So if you were living in these conditions and a band of ‘rebellious pirates’ came to overthrow your ship, wouldn’t you want to join them?

Pirates didn’t say ‘Arrgh!’ very often

All the ‘arrgh matey!’ and ‘avast ye landlubbers!’ is thanks to Hollywood. Pirates most likely spoke in a manner similar to British sailors (since that’s what most of them were).

Guess that kind of ruins Talk Like a Pirate day…

Being a pirate was often pretty boring

Being a pirate wasn’t all sword-swinging and plundering. Most of the time, it was really, really boring. Staying out at sea for days on end, searching for ships to pillage, it got old pretty fast.

So to amuse themselves, pirates drank, gambled (though sometimes that was forbidden), sang, danced, and put on plays.

Did you learn anything new? I should probably be writing right now, but… Research is important too, right? 😛 Do you think this would make a good series? Let me know if you’d like to see more posts like this down below!