Pirate Culture
There were several reasons people of this time turned to piracy, for both men and women, especially in the 18th century with multiple wars in Europe, world exploration, and religious turmoil. Many turned to piracy as a form of freedom from religious percussion or to escape the crimes the committed within certain cities. Others were frustrated by their governments and turned against them, pilfering their merchant vessels and attacking navy ships. Women often turned to piracy to escape marriage. Several pirates used false surnames while engaged in pirate business to keep from tarnishing the family name.
The Pirate Hierarchy
Aboard a ship there is a short hierarchy of leaders, the obvious being the Captain but below him are his lieutenants or officers - both terms have been used. Next is the Quartermaster who was also elected by the crew to represent their interests and usually received an extra share of booty. His main duty was protecting the seaman against one another and maintaining order by settling disputes and dividing the food and stock. The Sailing Master, often shortened to Master, is in charge of navigation on the ship. He directed course and looked over the maps and instruments aboard used for direction; many of these men were previously naval officers forced onto pirate ships. Next is the Boatswain who supervised and maintained the vessel and its supplies by inspecting the decks hull, sails, and sails daily and reporting it to the captain. He also was in charge of deck activities including weighing or dropping anchor and handling the sails. Essentially, deck hands and riggers were under the Boatswains. Next came the Surgeon who was responsible for the health of the crewmen, he was often given a space to work on the orlop deck of a ship if it was large enough. He often shared tools with the Carpenter who happens to be next on the list. The carpenter worked with the Boatswain for maintenance of the ship's hull, decks, and masts. Next came the Gunner who was responsible for the guns and ammunition, keeping the supplies dry and maintained as well as repaired. Mates were men that assisted and worked under the above officers, essentially learning their tricks of the trade to replace them should they be lost. They held specific titles to the officer they assisted: Gunner's Mate, Surgeon's Mate, etc. Sailors were the backbone of the ship, working the sail's and the riggings as well as the cannons during battle. Cabin boy's were usually young adolescents that were kidnapped by pirates or runaways seeking to escape land - they were essentially servants. Powder Monkey was another role filled by young boys who ran from the guns to the hull to retrieve powder during battle. A Swab wasn't an actual rank, but it was the person who mopped the decks; essentially someone that wasn't held in high regard.
Though pirates often fight amongst themselves, in times of war they rally together under their chosen Pirate King. The individuals nominated for this are the Pirate Lords of the region and majority rules as this situation mimics Article I of the Code. The Pirate King is responsible for negotiations as a representative of all pirates in the Caribbean and decides their position in warfare. Any negotiations amongst pirate captains, militaries, and other parties are overseen by the Pirate King, who has final say for the pirates. Once the war resolves, the pirates revert back to their usual behavior; should the Pirate King perish during the war, another is to be elected. Currently, the title of Pirate King has been bestowed upon Captain Thatch, more popularly known as Blackbeard.
Though pirates often fight amongst themselves, in times of war they rally together under their chosen Pirate King. The individuals nominated for this are the Pirate Lords of the region and majority rules as this situation mimics Article I of the Code. The Pirate King is responsible for negotiations as a representative of all pirates in the Caribbean and decides their position in warfare. Any negotiations amongst pirate captains, militaries, and other parties are overseen by the Pirate King, who has final say for the pirates. Once the war resolves, the pirates revert back to their usual behavior; should the Pirate King perish during the war, another is to be elected. Currently, the title of Pirate King has been bestowed upon Captain Thatch, more popularly known as Blackbeard.
There are three Pirate Lords around the Caribbean, Spanish Main, and Atlantic. These three individuals hold a certain amount of power in their region through connections with merchants and fisherman or certain owners of establishments, even military captains. This power took years of bargaining, stealing, and fighting to earn and though they may not always be respected by other pirates, they are at least feared to a certain degree. The pirates that hold these titles are usually wanted by the navies in the Caribbean but are able to keep themselves saved from the gallows due to their various connections. These pirates sail all through the Caribbean but hold most of their power in their specific areas and often earned their infamy robbing the islands and vessels there. The three domains of the Caribbean region are the Gulf of New Spain, Atlantic, and North Sea. The Gulf consists of the waters off the Coast of New Spain and the Colonies, particularly the Spanish owned Florida. The domain of the Atlantic is specifically the seas surrounding the Bahamas and the coastline of the Colonies (East coast), it does not extend across the ocean toward Europe but it does include Bermuda. The North Sea is the waters between the Greater Antilles and the Spanish Main.
Below are the current Pirate Lords.
Lord of the Gulf - Captain Ruiz (NPC)
Lord of the Atlantic - Blackbeard (NPC)
Lord of the North Sea - Captain Travers (NPC)
(Remember, these positions can change hands!)
Below are the current Pirate Lords.
Lord of the Gulf - Captain Ruiz (NPC)
Lord of the Atlantic - Blackbeard (NPC)
Lord of the North Sea - Captain Travers (NPC)
(Remember, these positions can change hands!)
The Pirate Code
"The Code is more what you'd call 'guidelines' than actual rules."
ARTICLE I
• The Captain of a ship is to be elected by majority vote of its crew.
If at any time a crew, with sufficient evidence, finds their captain to be lacking in ability of offensive in nature, a new captain may be
freely elected amongst the ship's members. The captain shall be made aware of the situation and will graciously step aside, assuming
another position on the crew. Failure to follow this procedure will be deemed mutiny.
ARTICLE II
• Every man has a vote in affairs of moment.
Any man has equal title to the fresh provision, or strong liquors, at any time seized, and may use them at pleasure, unless a scarcity
makes it necessary, for the good of all, to vote a retrenchment.
ARTICLE III
• Every man to be called fairly in turn, by list, on board of prizes.
The Captain and Quartermaster receive two shares of a prize, the Master, Boatswain, Gunner, and any other appointed Lieutenants receive one
share and a half. Other officers receive one and a quarters and the remaining crewmen receive one share. If a man defrauded the company to the
value of a dollar in plate, jewels, or money, marooning was their punishment.
ARTICLE IV
• Any man conducting their duties who suffers injury shall receive compensation for the wound from common stock.
Compensation shall be as follows in pieces of Eight (Spanish Dollar, the peso) or 1 slave per 100 pesos
- Loss of the right arm: 800
- Loss of the left arm: 750
- Loss of the right leg: 500
- Loss of the left leg: 450
- Loss of the hand: 300
- Loss of the finger: 100
- Loss of an eye: 200
ARTICLE V
• No striking one another on board.
Every man's quarrels to be ended on shore, at sword and pistol. The parties are accompanied by the Quartermaster, turns the
disputants back to back, at so many paces distance. At the word of command, they turn and fire immediately. If both miss, they come
to their cutlasses and he is declared the victor who draws the first blood. Injuries received are not compensated.
ARTICLE VI
• If any man shall steal a thing from the fellow crewman to the value of a piece of eight, he shall be shot or marooned.
Pirates had very little in the way of coin or possessions; only a scoundrel steals from someone who barely has anything.
ARTICLE VII
• Any man who inflicts death upon a fellow crewman aboard shall be hanged off the yardarm or marooned.
ARTICLE VIII
• No man to talk of breaking their way of living, till each had shared one thousand pounds.
If any man should lose a limb, or become a cripple in their service, he was to be paid for such loss, out of the public stock, and for
lesser hurts proportionately.
ARTICLE IX
• To desert the ship or their quarters in battle, was punished with death or marooning.
To intentionally desert the ship in the cowardly act of fleeing your station in battle was not taken lightly. All men lay their lives on the line for
one another, their Captain, and the ship! Pirates were their own family and to turn one's back was highly disrespectful.
ARTICLE X
• If a man shall fall behind, there he shall remain.
This sounds like a contradiction to the former article but it actually is not. It means that the ship will not wait for your before leaving port so
wash that hangover off and get to the ship!
ARTICLE XI
• No woman to be allowed amongst them.
If any man were to be found seducing a woman and carried her to sea, disguised, he was to suffer death. Should any fall into their
hands a sentinel would be put over her to prevent ill consequences from so dangerous an instrument of division and quarrel.
Women were seen as a distraction to the men while at sea and sailing was a dangerous job that required attention. Though women were
assigned guardians to keep them from harm, said protector would often be the one assaulting her.
ARTICLE XII
• No person to game at cards or dice for money.
Money was everything to pirates and they had little of it, to gamble it away was foolish. They could gamble for possessions, though.
ARTICLE XIII
• Every man to keep shift of clothes and their piece, pistols, and cutlass clean and fit for service.
ARTICLE IVX
• The lights and candles to be put out at eight o'clock at night.
If any crew, after that hour still remained inclined for drinking, they were to do it on the open deck, in the dark.
Oil lamps on a ship made it more visible to enemies when sailing at night.
THE RIGHT OF PARLEY
Parley is a discussion or conference, between enemies or allies, over terms of negotiation, battle, or a truce. When a person, pirate
or not, invokes the right of parley they are granted temporary protection and brought before the captain for negotiations without being
harmed until the parley is complete.
In history there are four very popular Pirate Codes (Philip's, Low's, Gow's, and Morgan's) in existence and I took useful bits from all of them
to put together this Code for us to use in the RP, containing fourteen articles. It is the same Code used on Tortuga, though some captains add
additional articles to tailor the Code for their ship specifically. Should your captain follow the Code, he or she is entitled to additional articles
for their ship.
• The Captain of a ship is to be elected by majority vote of its crew.
If at any time a crew, with sufficient evidence, finds their captain to be lacking in ability of offensive in nature, a new captain may be
freely elected amongst the ship's members. The captain shall be made aware of the situation and will graciously step aside, assuming
another position on the crew. Failure to follow this procedure will be deemed mutiny.
ARTICLE II
• Every man has a vote in affairs of moment.
Any man has equal title to the fresh provision, or strong liquors, at any time seized, and may use them at pleasure, unless a scarcity
makes it necessary, for the good of all, to vote a retrenchment.
ARTICLE III
• Every man to be called fairly in turn, by list, on board of prizes.
The Captain and Quartermaster receive two shares of a prize, the Master, Boatswain, Gunner, and any other appointed Lieutenants receive one
share and a half. Other officers receive one and a quarters and the remaining crewmen receive one share. If a man defrauded the company to the
value of a dollar in plate, jewels, or money, marooning was their punishment.
ARTICLE IV
• Any man conducting their duties who suffers injury shall receive compensation for the wound from common stock.
Compensation shall be as follows in pieces of Eight (Spanish Dollar, the peso) or 1 slave per 100 pesos
- Loss of the right arm: 800
- Loss of the left arm: 750
- Loss of the right leg: 500
- Loss of the left leg: 450
- Loss of the hand: 300
- Loss of the finger: 100
- Loss of an eye: 200
ARTICLE V
• No striking one another on board.
Every man's quarrels to be ended on shore, at sword and pistol. The parties are accompanied by the Quartermaster, turns the
disputants back to back, at so many paces distance. At the word of command, they turn and fire immediately. If both miss, they come
to their cutlasses and he is declared the victor who draws the first blood. Injuries received are not compensated.
ARTICLE VI
• If any man shall steal a thing from the fellow crewman to the value of a piece of eight, he shall be shot or marooned.
Pirates had very little in the way of coin or possessions; only a scoundrel steals from someone who barely has anything.
ARTICLE VII
• Any man who inflicts death upon a fellow crewman aboard shall be hanged off the yardarm or marooned.
ARTICLE VIII
• No man to talk of breaking their way of living, till each had shared one thousand pounds.
If any man should lose a limb, or become a cripple in their service, he was to be paid for such loss, out of the public stock, and for
lesser hurts proportionately.
ARTICLE IX
• To desert the ship or their quarters in battle, was punished with death or marooning.
To intentionally desert the ship in the cowardly act of fleeing your station in battle was not taken lightly. All men lay their lives on the line for
one another, their Captain, and the ship! Pirates were their own family and to turn one's back was highly disrespectful.
ARTICLE X
• If a man shall fall behind, there he shall remain.
This sounds like a contradiction to the former article but it actually is not. It means that the ship will not wait for your before leaving port so
wash that hangover off and get to the ship!
ARTICLE XI
• No woman to be allowed amongst them.
If any man were to be found seducing a woman and carried her to sea, disguised, he was to suffer death. Should any fall into their
hands a sentinel would be put over her to prevent ill consequences from so dangerous an instrument of division and quarrel.
Women were seen as a distraction to the men while at sea and sailing was a dangerous job that required attention. Though women were
assigned guardians to keep them from harm, said protector would often be the one assaulting her.
ARTICLE XII
• No person to game at cards or dice for money.
Money was everything to pirates and they had little of it, to gamble it away was foolish. They could gamble for possessions, though.
ARTICLE XIII
• Every man to keep shift of clothes and their piece, pistols, and cutlass clean and fit for service.
ARTICLE IVX
• The lights and candles to be put out at eight o'clock at night.
If any crew, after that hour still remained inclined for drinking, they were to do it on the open deck, in the dark.
Oil lamps on a ship made it more visible to enemies when sailing at night.
THE RIGHT OF PARLEY
Parley is a discussion or conference, between enemies or allies, over terms of negotiation, battle, or a truce. When a person, pirate
or not, invokes the right of parley they are granted temporary protection and brought before the captain for negotiations without being
harmed until the parley is complete.
In history there are four very popular Pirate Codes (Philip's, Low's, Gow's, and Morgan's) in existence and I took useful bits from all of them
to put together this Code for us to use in the RP, containing fourteen articles. It is the same Code used on Tortuga, though some captains add
additional articles to tailor the Code for their ship specifically. Should your captain follow the Code, he or she is entitled to additional articles
for their ship.