Pirates: Savages or Honorable Theives?

[Stalliongrad 982]

I was having a conversation with some of my friends who also enjoy history as much as I do. We got talking and somehow we got to talking about Pirates (one of my favorite subjects), and it always annoys me how people think that pirates (specifically those operating in the Atlantic and Caribbean) were totally undisciplined and had no form of governance.

 

As usual I imagine it has a lot to do with the glorified Hollywood big screen image people have on eras of the past. In reality, all Pirates had some form of the pirate code to adhere to. The code varied among different captains and ships but they generally had rules governing the same areas of pirate life.

 

 

• Oath of Allegiance

Pirates were required to swear an oath to the Captain and in front of the crew to be loyal and follow the rules set for the ship. Some had to sign a ledger kept by the Captain. After they did they were accepted into the crew and were entitled to shares of treasure and loot. Most swore on the bible or on some other significant object.

 

• Votes

Captains of pirate ships are often depicted as having supreme authority. When in fact that wasn't true. The captain only has authority because of the loyalty of the crew. Captains who didn't make favorable decisions were usually removed through mutiny. To fix that, Captains were required to consider the input of the crew with the use of voting on decisions. Once a member joined the crew officially they were entitled to a vote. Votes were generally on which port to go to next or which target was more valuable. But there was some degree of democracy among them.

 

• Division of Booty (haha had to do it)

When pirates went on raids and captured the enemy's treasure each ship had rules governing how much each person got. Generally the Captain got the most, then the ships Carpenter (a very important craft to have during the age of sail), then the ships Quartermaster (the individual in charge of moving resources around and setting the ships riggings), The ships doctor or surgeon (also very important person), then the ships Gun master (in charge of the cannons on the deck) then everyone else was given a share. Pirates also adhered to a policy of "No Prey, No Pay". The policy surrounds the event of the crew going on a raid that turns up no profit. The guidelines were set that if no treasure was found no one got paid. All pirates followed this rule.

 

• Gambling and Drinking

Gambling is often depicted in pirate movies and most of it isn't true. Most pirates were protestant Christians and opposed gambling. Captains banned gambling on their ships to prevent people fighting each over lost money. Another popular element of pirates is the drinking. All pirates drank but every ship had rules about it. Mostly surrounding the problem of people being drunk during battle. Every pirate code had guidelines for punishment for being drunk during battle.

 

• Compensation

In the modern era where we fight about healthcare Pirates had simple rules about being injured while in service to the ship and crew. Every pirate code had set amounts for types of injuries. Pirate ships had on hand a treasure chest set aside for crew needs. If someone suffered the loss of an arm it was worth around 400 Pieces of Eight (Spanish Coins) and if you lost a Leg you got about 800. (Pretty fair for that time period in my opinion) And if injured they were often given the choice to leave if they wished but most stayed on board and were given accommodation.

 

• Being Fit For Duty

Another common stereotype is that Pirates were lazy and often fat and over weight. The rule like many others stems from the rules that many Navies had. If the Captain ever thought you weren't fit for duty you could be denied a share on the next raid until you recovered.

 

• Women

Again many Pirates despite their lifestyle were religious. Most were protestant. Pirate codes often had rules about bringing women on board. Captain John Phillips' Pirate Code sets the example. "If at any time you meet with a prudent woman, that man, that offers to meddle with her without her consent shall suffer present death". Pirates were against rape, and generally the crew was expected to handle that business off the ship when ever they stopped at ports.

 

• Time Off

Another common theme is that pirates never left the ship and as a result that forced them to become battle crazed cage monkeys. The Pirate code had guidelines for time off. The rule was generally that when the ship arrives at a port no one is allowed to leave until the ship is prepared for leaving the port again. Then the ships Quartermaster would set a date and time for all the crew to report back. But while in towns and cities they could do what they wanted and spend their money. Some crews had duty schedules similar to the navy. Crewman were banned from drinking for certain hours (usually during their shift and then at the designated hour were allowed to leave their station and drink again.

 

• Safety

Not all codes had guidelines for safe practices but some did, and I guess most of this was covered verbally. The codes that did set rules about going into the ships cargo hold which sometimes could hold flammable or explosive materials. Members of the crew who were caught in the cargo hold smoking a pipe with out a cap on it or walking around at night with bare candle instead of a lantern were subject to beatings.

 

• Violence and Theft

Fighting among pirates was common and generally accepted, but when two people had a disagreement that led to a duel there were rules governing how it must be settled. Crew members were taken off the ship and given dueling pistols by the Quartermaster and set an equal number of paces apart and then told turn and fire. If no one was shot they dropped their pistols and took out their swords. Who ever drew first blood was the winner and the fight would be over.

 

Despite the fact that they made a living stealing, pirates were expected to be honest. On a raid when pirates were boarding an enemy ship or town all valuables were collected and divided evenly. If someone was found to have something that they didn't turn over during the initial split of treasure the punishments varied, but the most common was banishment or marooning.

 

My question to you is do you think pirates were savages? Or do you think that they were part of a different version of the Chivalric order of the sea?

[Malinter 3,064]

The answer is simple: It depends who is paying them. XD

[Mr F 1,522]

I have never considered theives honorable but okay. xD

It is possible that pirates where not as bad as many movies show, but I still struggle with seeing them as anything "good".

Pirates today steal because it is the only thing they can do to live, so I'd say that they are a bit more "honorable".

After all there was real work at that time, I don't see why they would want to rob ships for a living.

[Washougal_Otaku 1,020]

It depends on which pirate we're talking about and from who's perspective.  I think many of their stereotypes are justified because they were thieves against civilized societies.  Granted, much of what we think of about pirates began on account of "The Crown" of some European nations treating their military members like crap (at best).  Does this excuse their behavior?  Not the ransacking and pillaging of colonies, ships, and what-have-yous.

 

To say that pirates were savages may be a bit off, but not too much.  They were thugs, but structured.  You've pointed out quite a number of excellent examples of this.  However, (again, depending on the above-mentioned details) they were disgusting, greedy, and violent.  They were diseased, they stole whatever they could (hence the name "pirates"), and usually spilled the blood of their victims without remorse, and sometimes for fun.

 

So, yes; many of their stereotypes are deserved.  Even if they weren't, they'd still never be able to defeat ninjas.

[Evilshy 5,090]

One thing you didn't touch on is that they didn't steal for fun. Most pirates were a product of the government fucking up.

 

See, in the early days of the Carribean being colonized and whatnot, Britain and Spain hated each other. Britain wanted to weaken Spains hold but couldn't attack directly or risk open war. So they turned to ex-navymem, petty crinimnals, and existing pirates (who weren't very common at the time), and said "hey, if you only rip off Spanish ships, the British Navy will magically not see you doing illegal stuff and will be totally cool with it."

 

Thus began the age of privateers, wherein the Spanish got owned by a bunch of kinda-not-really British privateers.

 

Eventually Britain and Spanish made peace, and Britain told all the privateers to stop, so now there were tons of dudes suddenly out of work at the same time, with long criminal records they had been told wouldn't actually be recorded. A lot of the crews stuck together, trying to find work together. Some stayed criminals, some tried to go legit and haul cargo, but that was hard because they were criminals to everybody now. At some point, a Spanish treasure ship wrecked and some ex-privateers just happened to know about it and tell a bunch of their friends, and they went and took it all from the Spanish as they were combing the beach and shallows for it. That seemed to trigger a bunch of the privateers returning to piracy.

 

In the beginning, most still saw themselves as loyal British subjects and only stole from Spanish, but when the British made it clear that they would still view them as criminals, all bets were off.

 

 

Also, captains were more like the ranking military officer. During battle, the captain was in charge, but as OP said, it was a democracy for everything else.

[Khaoios 1,970]

The answer is simple: It depends who is paying them. XD

 

I concur fully with Shire.  It all depends on who is their client.  Bounty Hunters do the same thing, as well. 

[I used to be a stranger 7,993]

As long as they're not raping or killing people then it's just economic inconvenience to a greater or lesser extent. Which sometimes can be nearly as bad.

Edited July 1, 2014 by Blue

[Snow Frostflame 3,568]

Pirates I don't see them much as Thieves because they aren't stealthy I see them more as savages because they murder people (innocent or not), steal there stuff and sink there ships there is no honor in that especially if you do it to the innocent

(what I mean is they do it for personal gain Mercenaries do it for the bounty)

Edited July 2, 2014 by PonygamesFluttershy

[Moss 95]

I judge a pirate by whether or not the eyepatch their wearing is for style,or if they actually got their eye poked out.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,307]

Pirates were ruthless savages. They killed anyone to just take what they wanted. There's very little difference between the pirates of history, and today's blood soaked gangs. 

[Archi the Atmomancer 564]

Well, in respect to their treatment of other pirates they seem honourable, though how many actually upheld the code? Just because someone claims to have a code doesn't mean they uphold it.

 

There doesn't seem to be much about chivalrous treatment of non-pirates, so I'm going to have to say they are no more than brutal brigands. Where, precisely, is the honour in looting and killing (mostly) innocent men and women?

[Sigma 768]

Self governing doesn't necessarily make a group of people honorable, and although I do believe that people's interpretation of pirates being savage brutes is connected to Hollywood, I believe it's less direct than that:

 

-Watches romanticised pirate movie with pirates being the goody-goody protagonists.

-Watches a documentary which emphasized that pirates where not goody-goody.

-Therefore, pirates must be the polar opposite of goody-goody.

 

Although this may be true for some, I doubt people got their idea of what pirates were like directly from movies. I myself followed those three dashes stated above until you educated me on the subject.

[Bastion 414]

there may be some respect in their code of conduct but what they do does not make them anywhere near to honourable.

[tehAgg 268]

The lyrics to this explain what I think of pirates....lol

[Inactive01 5,299]

Awww shucks... I was hoping we could include these pirates into the mix... 

 

 

For large companies who overprice, they sure are honourable...