Avast, Matey! Yarr!
oday be Talk Like A Pirate Day, but I’m sure ye dogs already knew that. Yarr, th’ sweet trade be a long an’ distinguished trade, markin’ back t’ the time of Caesar, an’ before. In 75 BC (Before Corsairs), Julius Caesar hisself was kidnapped by Cilician pirates, and ransomed for fifty talents of gold. Later on, th scurvy dog crucified the pirates. Aye, don’t mess with Caesar, savvy?
Piracy was rife all through th’ Middle Ages — some o’ th’ best known buccaneers were th’ Vikings, plunderin’ an’ raidin’ up and down th’ coast o’ Western Europe — yarr, even into Africa an’ Italy. Shiver me timbers! All sorts went on th’ account in those days, including Slavs an’ Arabs, Irish, Picts, and Welsh, the Japanese, Chinese, Africans . . . if ye could get to th’ sea, it seems, some buckos were hoistin’ the colors about.
The golden age o’ piracy were arguably the mid 1500’s to th’ early 1700’s, in the Caribbean. Owin’ to th’ Caribbean bein’ a sweet mark, as it was the main trade route o’ the great nation o’ the times, an’ where there’s booty, thar be pirates. Those years gave rise t’ some o’ the famous captains we know today, like Blackbeard and Henry Morgan.
The pirate’s life was not so jolly as some’d have it be, but it did have a rough democracy goin’ for it. Tars would elect their captain, picking the best fighter, or some matey they could trust, and if that dog was no good at the job, the crew would mutiny and elect another. Although walkin’ th’ plank is naught but a myth, documented but once, an’ poorly then at that. Yarr, but all that democracy barely makes up for the dangerous, brutal life o’ th’ pirate, where dyin’ young or dyin’ badly were no rum thing.
For all that, the pirate’s life exists yet today, though it’s on the decline. Buccaneers still raid in the Caribbean, and along African and Middle Eastern coasts, enough so the American navy has had t’ take a hand in belayin’ that.
If’n yer wantin’ t’ read more about th’ sweet trade, be ye readin’ here: Piracy, Piracy in the Caribbean, Pirate Talk, and Pirate Glossary.
September 20th, 2007 at 7:20 pm
Anastasia says, “ARRR Grandma!” Then she’ll say, “Say ARRR Anastasia!” So I have to say “ARRR Anastasia!” Then she just giggles. She is sooo funny. Talk to you soon. Love ya lots, MOM
JavaElemental Reply:
September 23rd, 2007 at 12:52 pm
She is too cute.
By the way — happy anniversary to you and Dad! I was looking at my date book last night, and noticed that it had passed. Oops! You’ll have to come down to visit me so I can buy you dinner, soon! Love you!
November 5th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
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