The Truth about Pirates:
Code, Myths & History
Table of Contents
1. Introduction: Fascination of Antiheroes
The enduring fascination with pirates, as portrayed in novels and films, is based on the glorification of pirates as ultimate antiheroes. They embody absolute freedom from state or church authority, the dream of quick wealth, pure adventure in exotic regions, and the reversal of social order.
The following report contrasts the historical facts of piracy, its European dimension, and the often brutal truth with the romantic myths.
2. Definitions and Forms of Piracy
The type of piracy depended heavily on the client:
- Pirate: Acts illegally and exclusively for their own private benefit. A pirate was always the enemy of all nations.
- Privateer (Corsair): Receives a state "Letter of Marque" (from Great Britain, France, Spain, etc.) and is allowed to attack enemy merchant ships. A large part of the loot was often shared with the king.
- Seafarer: General term for all persons who travel the seas professionally or privately.
- Corsair: Usually used synonymously with privateer, often referring to the Mediterranean or French captains.
- Privateer (Kaperfahrer): The holder of a letter of marque.
- Buccaneer: Originally hunters in the Caribbean who later became pirates.
3. European Piracy in the Regions
Piracy in Europe varied geographically and chronologically and had profound effects on trade and coastal populations:
3.1 North and Baltic Sea (Germany, Hanseatic Era)
The Victual Brothers (also called "Likedeeler") were active in the 14th century and became the greatest threat to the powerful Hanseatic League. Their most famous leader was Klaus Störtebeker, whose legend is deeply rooted in the history of Northern Germany.
3.2 Mediterranean and Arab Region (Barbary Corsairs)
The Barbary Corsairs (under the influence of the Ottoman Empire) terrorized shipping from the 16th to the 19th century. They conducted brutal coastal raids in Spain, Italy, and even as far as Iceland to abduct European Christians and sell them in slave markets.
3.3 Atlantic and Caribbean (Great Britain, France, Spain)
Spain was the main target as it led the gold and silver fleets from the New World to Europe. Great Britain and France used privateers (e.g., Henry Morgan) specifically to weaken Spanish naval supremacy and build their own colonial empires.
4. Loot and Trade Routes
Pirates focused on the busiest and most profitable trade routes. The loot reflected the global trade of the respective era:
- Atlantic/Caribbean: Gold, silver, gemstones, tobacco, sugar, spices, indigo, and slaves (as expensive cargo). The Spanish silver fleet was the main target.
- North Sea/Baltic Sea: Salt (an extremely important preservative in the Hanseatic era), grain, furs, and fish.
- Mediterranean: Mainly humans (for ransom or slave trade) as well as high-value trade goods from Asia and the Middle East.
- Indian Ocean: Textiles, spices, and jewels from India and the Mughal Empire.
5. Preferred Ship Types and Tactics
Pirates captured their ships and converted them. They chose ships for speed and maneuverability to carry out quick raids and escape larger naval units into shallow seas.
- Sloop: The preferred ship type in the Golden Age. They were small, fast, and had a shallow draft.
- Brigantine/Schooner: Two-masted ships that combined speed with slightly more carrying capacity.
6. Pirate Weaponry
The weaponry was designed for fast close combat (boarding), as pirates mostly wanted to disable ships but not sink them, in order to preserve the loot.
Close Combat and Sidearms:
- Cutlass: The most iconic weapon, ideal for confined close combat on board.
- Flintlock Pistols: Pirates often carried several pistols (the "brace of pistols") as they could only fire single shots.
Heavy Weaponry:
- Cannons: Rather smaller calibers. They were often loaded with scrap or grapeshot to destroy rigging and decimate the crew.
7. Famous Pirate Captains and Figures
The most famous pirate figures mainly originate from the Golden Age (Caribbean) or the Hanseatic era (North Sea/Baltic Sea). Their deeds are often closely interwoven with myths.
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Blackbeard (Edward Teach)
Region: Caribbean, North America
Significance: The epitome of the feared pirate. Cultivated his terrifying image (burning fuses in his beard).
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Bartholomew Roberts ("Black Bart")
Region: Atlantic, Caribbean, West Africa
Significance: One of the most successful pirates; known for his strict pirate code and discipline.
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Klaus Störtebeker
Region: North & Baltic Sea (Hanseatic Era)
Significance: Legendary leader of the Victual Brothers in Northern Europe; often glorified as the "Robin Hood of the Seas".
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Sir Henry Morgan
Region: Caribbean
Significance: Famous Welsh privateer (corsair) who sacked Panama. Later became Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica.
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Anne Bonny & Mary Read
Region: Caribbean
Significance: Two of the most famous female pirates of the Golden Age who fought aboard Calico Jack Rackham's ship.
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Ching Shih (Zheng Shi)
Region: South China Sea
Significance: The most successful female pirate in history; commanded a fleet of over 1500 junks in the 19th century.
8. Pirate Havens and Strongholds
Pirate havens were strategically important places that offered pirates protection, supplies, and above all, a black market:
European and North African Strongholds:
9. The Role of Women in Piracy
Although pirate ships were traditionally considered male domains (often with explicit bans against women on board), there were notable exceptions and different roles:
- Prohibition and Superstition: On many pirate ships, the presence of women was considered bad luck. Pirate articles sometimes provided harsh punishments (up to marooning) if men brought women on board in disguise.
- Famous Fighters: The most known historical examples are Anne Bonny (Ireland) and Mary Read (England) in the Golden Age. They fought alongside their crew, often in men's clothing.
10. Myth vs. Truth (Movies and Literature)
The image of pirates shaped by pop culture is largely a romantic glorification. Historical facts tell a sober, often more brutal story:
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Myth: "Walking the Plank"
Truth: This is primarily a literary invention of the 19th century. Pirates killed more efficiently (throwing overboard) or marooned victims.
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Myth: Buried Treasures with "X"
Truth: Treasures were extremely rarely buried. The loot (goods, gold) was quickly divided and spent in port cities.
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Myth: Wooden Leg and Hook Hand
Truth: Clichés that only became popular in the 19th century. Life was marked by disease and severe injuries, but prosthetics were rare.
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Myth: Cannonball Battles
Truth: Most raids were peaceful. Victims surrendered quickly to save their lives.
11. The Pirate Code: Documents and Internal Order
Pirates by no means lived in total anarchy. They had surprisingly modern and often democratic rules recorded in handwritten contracts, the Pirate Articles or Articles of Agreement.
Important Knowledge: The Social "Contract" on Board
The pirate code was often fairer than the rules of the navy or merchant fleets of that time. It guaranteed:
- Democracy: Election of the captain and officers; important decisions were often made by the entire crew.
- Social Insurance: Fixed compensation payments for severe injuries (e.g., loss of a limb).
- Fair Share: A clear, defined distribution of the loot among all members of the crew.
12. Historical Punishments and the End of the Era
Brutal Punishments:
- Keelhauling: A historically proven, extremely brutal punishment of the navy (and rarely of pirates). The victim was pulled under the ship's keel, which often resulted in death.
- Marooning: A common pirate punishment for theft or betrayal. The victim was left on a desert island with only minimal supplies.
The End of the "Golden Age":
- The era ended in the 1720s when European naval powers pooled their resources and started a systematic pirate hunt.
- The era of the Barbary Corsairs ended only in the 19th century through military interventions by European and American fleets.
13. Piracy Today: The Modern Phenomenon
Piracy is not a historical phenomenon. Today, modern piracy focuses mainly on the Gulf of Guinea (West Africa) and the Horn of Africa (Somalia). They target large, slow merchant ships to extort ransoms for the crew.
14. Bibliography
The works listed here serve as sources and further reading, divided into the most important categories:
14.1 Historical Sources and Chronicles
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A General History of the Pyrates by Captain Charles Johnson (presumably Daniel Defoe), 1724.
Description: Main source for the biographies of many famous pirates (Blackbeard, Kidd, etc.) and the origin of the pirate myth.
14.2 Seminal Fiction and Novels
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Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, 1883 (Diogenes).
Description: The most famous pirate novel, which established many modern clichés (treasure map, wooden leg).
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Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini, 1922 (Heyne).
Description: Romantic adventure novel about a doctor who becomes a pirate. Shaped the image of the "noble pirate".
14.3 Modern Historical Analyses
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Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates by David Cordingly, 1995 (DTV).
Description: Contrasts the myths of pop culture with the hard facts of historical pirate life.
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Life Among the Pirates: The Romance and the Reality by David Cordingly, 1999 (Knaur).
Description: Historical analysis illuminating the everyday life and brutality of piracy based on court records.
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Pirates. The Masters of the Seven Seas by Hartmut Roder (Ed.), 2000 (Edition Temmen).
Description: Anthology and exhibition catalog viewing piracy from various historical and cultural perspectives.
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Terror of the Oceans. A Short Global History of Piracy by Hartmut Roder, 2002 (Edition Temmen).
Description: Compact overview of the global history of piracy from antiquity to the modern age.
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Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age by Marcus Rediker, 2004 (C.H. Beck).
Description: Socio-historical study analyzing pirates as a rebel group and a kind of early counter-society in the 18th century.
14.4 Youth Literature and Fiction
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The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers, 1999 (Eichborn Verlag).
Description: Humorous fantasy novel based on the character of Captain Bluebear, satirizing numerous pirate and maritime myths.
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Pirates! by Celia Rees, 2003 (Carlsen).
Description: Historical youth fiction about two sisters who turn to piracy in the Golden Age.
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Captain Sharky (Book series) by Jutta Langreuter & Silvio Neuendorf, from 2006 (Coppenrath Verlag).
Description: Famous picture book series about the "little pirate" Sharky for preschoolers.
14.5 Pirate Songs and Shanties
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Shanties from the Seven Seas by Stan Hugill, 1961 (Edition Maritim).
Description: Most comprehensive collection of sea shanties documenting the oral tradition of work at sea and in ports.
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Heave Ho! A Collection of Nautical Songs and Sea Shanties by Frank Shay, 1933 (Dover Publications).
Description: An early and influential collection of sea shanties.
14.6 Famous Pirate Movies and Documentaries
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Störtebeker (TV Movie, Fiction), Dir: Miguel Alexandre, 2006.
Description: Famous German adaptation of the legend of Klaus Störtebeker and the Victual Brothers.
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Terra X: The Corsairs (Docu), ZDF / Terra X.
Description: German documentary dealing extensively with the Barbary Corsairs in the Mediterranean.
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Captain Blood (Fiction), Dir: Michael Curtiz, 1935.
Description: Classic adventure film (with Errol Flynn) that brought the romantic image of the noble pirate to the screen.
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Black Sails (Series, Fiction), Dir: Robert Levine et al., from 2014.
Description: Prequel to "Treasure Island" attempting to combine historical accuracy (politics, pirate code) with fiction.
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Pirates of the Caribbean (Series, Fiction), Dir: Gore Verbinski et al., from 2003.
Description: The most popular modern adaptation cementing many clichés (magic, Jack Sparrow).