29 Lesser-Known Pirate Facts That Will Leave You Amazed

Since the beginning of time, pirates have been a fascinating topic in history that excites us all.

Pirates specialized in seizing and looting a neighboring ship at the slightest opportunity. Somehow, these malicious activities of pirates have kept us in awe, and we have depicted them in literature, music, and movies.

The term is derived from the Latin word 'peirates' meaning sea-robber. The word first appeared in the 1330s, and the Vikings of Scandinavia were the first pirates in history.

There is no confirmation regarding whether the things we see in pirate movies or read in novels are true or not, but the life and habits of pirates have continued to amuse most of us every time we hear about them. As their lives continue to entertain us, we see more and more pop culture references of pirates.

History Of Pirates

Pirates existed on earth for centuries when ships and traveling were invented. The pirate history dates back to thousands of years, and there are many interesting facts about their past.

The earliest pirate attack dates back to the 14th century, when some seafarers attacked ships in the Mediterranean and Aegean region.

Pirates targeted popular places like the English Channel or the Strait of Malacca.

Pirate life was considered to be a noble profession in Ancient Greece.

Once, Ciccilian pirates kidnapped king Julius Caesar. He took revenge on these pirates by forming a navy to combat them.

During the 15th and the 16th centuries, both Christian and Muslim pirates coexisted side by side. The Muslim pirates were referred to as Barbary corsairs, while the Christian pirates were called Knights of Saint John.

There were rumors about the pirate utopia in the 17th century. This utopia was called Libertalia and was founded by Captain James Mission in a colony of Madagascar.

The most famous era of piracy is the time between 1650 and 1720. During this time, the pirates seize the Indian and the Atlantic Ocean.

All ships had different language codes; they communicated in their own language. The ships had a unique outline for disciplinary practices and how they would divide the stolen goods.

Culture Of Pirates

Sure, the movies and the novels described a pirate's life as accurately they could, but there is more to them than just wooden planks, gold coins, and eye patches. These pirate facts will make you aware of their culture.

A pirate had to obey the codes of the pirate ships, and they vary from one ship to another.

They wore eye patches on one eye so that one eye could be well adjusted to night vision.

The skull and crossbones pirate flag at the top of almost every pirate ship was called Jolly Roger.

Before the skull and crossbones, pirate flags were plain red and were named joiuli rouge meaning pretty red in French.

A pirate treasure was not always hidden underground; this is because they wanted a share of the treasure immediately after looting.

The female pirates were considered weaker and disguised themselves as men to stay on board. However, some females made their names for themselves.

The pirates punished troublemaking crewmembers by abandoning them on a deserted island to leave them to die. This was one of the notoriously chilling acts of pirates.

The more ruthless the pirate captain of the ship was, the crewmembers more likely respected and obeyed him.

Real-Life Pirates

Even though the characters of pirates seem to be adapted directly from movies, these people existed, and some of their adventures are so true that you would find them to be fantasy stories. You are probably aware of some such pirates through movies and books, but there are many we bet you do not know about.

The Vikings of Scandinavia were the first pirates in the world. They existed in Medieval Europe and ransacked ships from the coasts of the Baltic Sea, West Europe, and North Africa.

Henry Morgan was the most accomplished pirate of all time. He was incredibly ruthless. Edward Low was the most notorious captain of the Caribbean.

Blackbeard or Edward Teach was the most feared pirate. This terrifying pirate would wave hemp in his beard and light it on fire before attacking enemy ships. This would make him look utterly demonic.

The Barbarossa brothers, Aruj and Hiriz, earned a fortune by hijacking ships in the Mediterranean region.

The English pirate, Sir Francis Drake, was an authorized pirate of the British monarchy. He was the first captain to navigate the world and was licensed to rob things from the Spanish.

Sir Henry Morgan, Jamaican governor from 1678-1682, was a fearsome pirate of Cuba, Venezuela, and Panama. He used female pirates and priests as human shields.

Some popular and powerful female pirates included Anne Bonny and Mary Read. These two pirates were convicted during the Golden Age of Piracy.

Pirates In Pop Culture

Owing to Disney and its 'Pirates of the Caribbean' series, we have a more precise view of the life of the seafarers. Those movies also fueled the keen interest in pirates for many.

Many customs and sayings about pirates come from the book 'Treasure Island' by Robert Louis Stevenson.

This book introduced us to the pirate's ideas of marking treasure maps with an X mark, calling each other matey, and singing Yo ho ho.

Many of the book's ideas were adapted in different pirate movies.

Billy Bones from the book treasure Island is one of the most famous pirates of pop culture.

While talking about pirate characters of pop culture, we cannot forget the name of Jack Sparrow.

Jack Sparrow, played by Johny Depp in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean series, is one of Disney's most iconic fantasy characters.

FAQs

What are pirates scared of?

Being early seafarers, pirates had many superstitions in their community. One such superstition was evil mermaids with magical powers. Pirates were afraid of the possessing powers of mermaids.

Where did pirates sleep?

The resting places of pirates were referred to as pirate havens. The Indian ocean and Madagascar were safe places for a pirate to stay. All pirates except the pirate captain would sleep on a hammock or the floor when on the high sea.

What did pirates do for entertainment?

Pirates did not have modern gaming systems in the early days, but they had coins, dice, and cards. They made up various board games from their vivid imagination to amuse themselves. Their games had complex ideas and rules.

What makes a pirate?

A pirate is portrayed as a brutal and daring evil man, but in reality, they were ordinary people who turned into criminals to make ends meet. They were robbers of the ocean.

What treasure did pirates steal?

Pirates stole all kinds of things they got on the sea, including frying pans, soap, thread, thimbles, candles, kettles, and various other mundane things they needed.

Were pirates good or bad?

Mostly a pirate resorted to piracy to make ends meet. They were forced into piracy due to financial problems in their family, so they cannot be considered purely evil-natured, but their way of earning fortune was bad.

Where did pirates travel?

Pirates traveled through seas and oceans all around the world. During the 17th and the 18th centuries, most pirates were located in the islands of Jamaica, Tortuga, and New Providence.

Are pirates real?

Pirates are 100% real, and a few still exist today. Most of the pirates emerge from the waters of the Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and African coasts.

Do pirates still exist?

Yes, some pirates exist still today, especially in the parts of South China seas, but they do not sail on pirate ships like in early times.