#go read a general history of the pyrates

[becauseitwasi]

Passive Aggression.

[tytarax]

I see you open Requests. So i shall ask.

No romance. But comedy. How will Alastor act when he meets gn reader who is pirate ex-overlord. Im talking pirate slang and everything. They are the captain of their ship. Having a funny crew and everything.

Thanks for this request, I really enjoyed writing it!

Also gave me a reason for reading the book my brother gifted me last year, "A General History of the Pyrates" (Recommended btw)

I wrote a "short" one-shot with some hcs at the end.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Context: You are an ex-overlord, the pirate demon to be exact. You tend to sail through hell with your trusty crew on their ship, Sapphire, a ghost ship like the Flying Dutchman. When you were an overlord that was your way of announcing yourself, ready to conquer a new territory of the pentagram. Now, you only cause panic, and all the demons flee before your presence, even though you no longer cause wars or collect more souls.

-Some years before the Hazbin Hotel opened-

The salty breeze whistled through the ethereal sails of the Sapphire, the flying ghost ship that sailed the skies with an otherworldly grace. Its crew, a spirited bunch of specters and souls, worked together under the command of their captain, a lively and charismatic demon named Captain _____, with a sense of camaraderie and mischief that echoed through the ages.

As night fell, the crew gathered on the deck, surrounded by the glow of ghostly lanterns. They raised their spectral tankards in a toast to their latest adventure, the echoes of laughter mingling with the creaking of the ship.

"Arr, me hearties!" The captain exclaimed, their voice carrying over the sound of the wind. "Another successful raid, thanks to this fine crew o' mine!"

The crew cheered, their voices filled with the thrill of the chase and the promise of plunder. They gathered around a makeshift table, laden with ghostly grog and ethereal food, and began to swap tales of past escapades.

"Do ye remember the time we outsmarted ol' Davy Jones himself?" one crewmate exclaimed, raising a tankard.

"Aye, that we did!" another replied, clapping the speaker on the back. "And what about the time we stole the moon's reflection from the sea?"

The crew erupted into laughter, the memories of their adventures bonding them together like family. They drank and sang, the joy of the moment banishing the shadows of their past lives.

Captain _____ joined in the revelry, their laughter ringing out like a bell. They regaled their crew with stories of their own, of battles won and treasures found, each tale more fantastical than the last.

As the night wore on, the crew's voices grew hoarse from laughter and song. They staggered to their hammocks, spirits high and hearts full, grateful for another day of freedom on the high skies.

Suddenly, a mysterious figure appeared on the deck of the Sapphire—Alastor, the infamous Radio Demon. Despite the supernatural nature of the ship and its crew, Alastor seemed right at home, his charismatic presence filling the air with a crackling energy.

The captain greeted him with a knowing smile. "Well, well, well, look who's decided to join us on our little jaunt through the skies. What brings ye to our humble haunt, Alastor?"

Alastor chuckled, his radio-like voice blending with the wind. "I couldn't resist the allure of the legendary Sapphire and its crew of spectral scallywags, along with their powerful overlord captain. I must say, you're quite the spectacle. I was just passing by, dear."

“Oh, 'kay then, make yerself comfortable.”

The crew, intrigued by their guest, gathered around as Alastor regaled them with tales of his exploits from the land of the living and the dead. They shared ghostly grog and spectral snacks, swapping stories long into the night.

As the moon rose high in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the clouds, Alastor bid the crew farewell, disappearing into the night with a promise to return. The crew watched him go, their ghostly forms shimmering in the moonlight, filled with a newfound appreciation for the enigmatic Radio Demon.

And so, the Sapphire continued its journey through the skies.

---

Years had passed since the Sapphire last touched down on solid ground, but the flying ghost ship remained as majestic and mysterious as ever. _____ guided their crew through the skies, seeking adventure wherever the wind carried them.

One day, the Sapphire descended upon the grounds of the infamous Hazbin Hotel, its ghostly form shimmering in the light of the setting sun. The crew, eager for a change of scenery, followed their captain as they disembarked, their laughter and banter filling the air.

As they entered the hotel, the crew's antics drew curious glances from the residents.

“Oh, hello there! You must be the pirate demon! I’m Charlie-”

“Oh, yer Charlie Morningstar, aren’t ya? Nice to meet you, lady.” _____ said. Right before, an angelic spear was pointing to their head. While all the crew prepared their weapons, _____ stopped them.

“What do you want?” Said the young girl who was holding the spear.

“Don’t worry yerself, lily-livered landlubber! We’re just passing through, seeking for a place to rest for a while” _____ said as the crew laughed at the nickname. One of the crew guys, Mackra, yelled from his spot “That’s right, we're not going to fight ye, woman!”

“How can we trust you?” She answered back. “Hahaha, dead men tell no tales, lady! I’m not longa an overlord!”

Alastor watched from the shadows, initially taken aback when encountering _____, the pirate ex-overlord along with their spirited crew. He approached _____, a sly grin on his face, but maintained his aloof and mysterious demeanor.

"Ah, the captain of the Sapphire graces us with their presence," Alastor said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "What brings you to the Hazbin Hotel, I wonder? Seeking redemption, or just passing through?"

______ smiled, shaking their head. "No redemption for me, I'm afraid. Just a brief respite from the skies. Besides, I hear your hotel is quite the... lively place."

Alastor chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Indeed, it is. Well, enjoy your stay, dear. And should you ever tire of the skies, you're always welcome here."

As _____ settled into the Hazbin Hotel alongside their crew, they couldn't help but feel grateful for the adventures of their past and the enduring camaraderie of their spectral companions. And though the skies still called to them, for now, they were content to rest and revel in the company of their new comrades.

Some hcs:

Alastor may make a few sly comments or observations in his characteristic style, but he doesn't fully engage with pirate slang. “Avast ye!”, “Landlubber”, “Hornswaggle”, that sorta thing.

Despite being an ex-overlord, you have a rather peculiar and humorous crew. Alastor greatly enjoys the chaotic and extravagant interactions of the crew. He may offer a few dry remarks or sarcastic quips about the crew's behavior.

Alastor respects your leadership abilities but doesn't attempt to mimic them. Instead, he observes how you handle your crew and situations, perhaps offering subtle advice or commentary when asked.

You have sometimes invited Alastor to take rides on your ship, which he gladly accepts.

The adventures you and Alastor embark on are more subdued and focused, with Alastor using his skills and knowledge to help navigate challenges more seriously, albeit with a hint of dark humor.

While Alastor maintains a mere professional relationship with the reader, he may develop a begrudging respect for your abilities since he has more respect for the overlords or ex-overlords older than him and occasionally shows a more lighthearted side.

Overall, Alastor retains his mysterious and enigmatic nature while still allowing for moments of humor and camaraderie with you.

Masterpost

Hazbin Hotel Masterlist

@22carolina08

[dailyhistoryposts]

we’re anne bonny and mary read together?

Maybe? Probably?

Things to remember: trying to put modern identity terms onto long-dead historical figures is a fools' game. We can talk about their actions, words, and feelings in their social context.

What we don't have: a first-person account of either of them detailing their sexual/romantic feelings for or encounters with the other.

What we do have: their early lives and two accounts of their actions on the ship.

Both Anne Bonny and Mary Read were originally dressed as boys by their parents--Mary's mother to receive an inheritance and Anne's father to be his clerk.

A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates (1724) by Charles Johnson, generally considered our most reliable (thought still questionable) primary source of the Golden Age of Piracy, details Bonny and Read. They were both cross-dressing aboard Calico Jack's ship and apparently Bonny confessed an attraction to Read, Read then confessed she was a woman. The account turns to Calico Jack's reaction--we don't know if they began a relationship after this.

The account of Dorothy Thomas, a victim, only mentions that there were two women among the pirates, dressed as men, with weapons, who wanted to murder her. She mentions she knew they were women despite their clothes "from the largeness of their breasts", so jury's out on if they were actually passing as men, or just wearing clothes more comfortable for ship life.

Conclusion: Both women were cross-dressing female pirates on board the same ship, and at one point at least Bonny had a crush of Read. But the act of cross-dressing could go with identities we now call transgender, butch, gender non-conforming, being rebellious, or even simply practical. And remember, their cross-dressing was first encouraged by their parents as kids for financial reasons.

So here's what we know today, about the frequency of queer people in any population and common ways they might be expressed--including joining outcast groups, running away to sea (there's a reason navy uniforms are a standby in modern gay culture!), gender nonconformity, and there was a crush at some point.

So final answer: it's fair to say yes, they were together, as long as you acknowledge we aren't certain. Historians commonly need to make guesses about affairs, mistresses, and illegitimate children from similar details.

[gaypiratepropaganda]

ok here are the most important ones (to me)

The Ballad of the Pirate Queens by Anne Yolen

this is a children's book in verse about Anne Bonny and Mary Read. responsible for my pirate obsession

Bloody Jack by LA Meyer

a young adult series about a girl who disguises herself as a boy, goes to sea, and becomes a pirate. these were the best thing ever invented to kid me but I haven't read them in a while so I don't know if they're actually like, good. I liked the atmosphere and the slightly antiquated way it was written. there are gay bits.

A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates: From Their first Rise and Settlement in the Island of Providence to the present Time, with the remarkable Actions and Adventures of the two Female Pyrates Mary Read and Anne Bonny

or A General History of the Pyrates by "Captain Charles Johnson"

A good starting point. a lot of our pirate stories come from this book. it claims to be a true historical record, but I have my doubts. still fun though. I think this guy just wrote down every story he heard about pirates. it has illustrations.

Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition by B.R. Burg

not super historical but it doesn't really claim to be. basically it's just this guy going. "so... pirates fucked, right? like, there's no way they didn't." and then he's correct. I mainly wanted this book as a teenager because I loved the cover and the title but now it's in my brain forever. look at Blackbeard. look at his gay little pose

Pirate Enlightenment or The Real Libertalia by David Graeber

this is the one I'm reading right now and I love it so far. it's about pirates in Madagascar and the real-life version of the pirate utopia from general history of pyrates (it isn't real but it kind of is but not.) I like the writer, he's written other good things. he's obsessed with the enlightenment for some reason but you can easily ignore that.

On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers, which is kind of like a magical realism type thing. I think it's kind of what pirates of the Caribbean is based on. this is where I knew Stede Bonnet from

Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb, three books that are part of a fantasy series. these pirates are dicks to each other a lot but they are gay and their ships are alive.

Lost Boi by Sassafras Lowrey is a queer sort of modern version of Peter Pan. captain hook is in there and he's like a leather guy. not literally pirates, but still.

The Dawnhounds by Sascha Stronach is science fiction with queer pirates, a monkey god, and mushroom houses.

[neverhangd]

doing bits and bobs on the blog, obviously. rn i'm in potc hell (thank the gang lmao, s/o for dealing with me go to: @mvrtogg, @itismissswann, @norringtxn / @collectorofmuses), and i just realized that the majority of people who follow me may not have read this page (or even known it existed!), so i wanted to give two important bits of context!

1.) anne bonny walked so her archetypes could run.

i literally found out two weeks ago that anne bonny isn't stupid famous. whaaaaaat? but actually, that did shock me. maybe it's because i had two pirates phases and like research, but i've known a little bit about her since i was a kid: specifically, that she was a kick-ass pirate woman. i've learned a lot more since then, and i love to share it; i joined a group that i thought had a pirate phase only to learn that...they hadn't. and had no idea who anne bonny was outside of being a character someone before me had written as well.

it was exactly then that i realized anne bonny isn't a super famous kick-ass pirate woman and i felt like that one part of dogma. someone was trying to explain how my take on anne bonny both was and wasn't in-line with the previous writer's and it took me a while to realize they were asking what show or book i used for canon because they doubted she was the same character, despite sharing the archetypes. so. just so it's out there, here's an incomplete list of archetypes we can apply to the historical figure anne bonny, kick-ass pirate woman:

riches to rags (gave up a privileged life to marry a pirate)

the redhaired irish

girlboss/tits out for piracy (she would famously whip her shirt off in battle so men would know they'd been killed by a woman)

did it for love (left her first husband and became a pirate with her second)

it's a love story (whatever else they were, history tells us jack and anne were in love, even if i don't usually use that on this blog)

three's company, too (anne and read were absolutely an item at the same time as anne and jack)

ambiguously queer (i advocate for a bisexual anne, but the only lady-type lover she took was read, who can be fairly read as transmasc, putting some doubt on the full connotation of her orientation/s)

short fuse (she was known to fight over basically anything)

2.) what in the url?

since anne bonny isn't the kickass pirate bicon of my dreams--we'll get her there, one day!--it's relevant to also share what the fuck my url actually means. because she was a woman a pirate a woman and a pirate alive during the early 18th century, we actually don't have much record of anne speaking for herself. the most popularly known quote we have was spoken directly to jack rackham just before his execution:

if [you] had fought like a man, [you] need not have been hang'd like a dog. -A General History of Pyrates, Daniel Defoe

she said this to him because he and his men were the reason the ship had been caught and they had been taken prisoner and she took that very personally, as well she should! (it turns out that both anne and read were pregnant, anne by jack and read by their husband.) the larger thing is, she wasn't wrong: when the ship was invaded, only three people stood on the deck fighting: read, anne, and an unnamed pirate who presumably died in the struggle. everyone else was hiding below decks. read, in fact, famously fired TWICE down at the hiding men, killing one and injuring another.

the really wild part of all this, though, is the ending of anne's story. we don't know it.

anne's execution was stayed on account of her pregnancy, as was read's. read would die in prison from a fever, and presumably their child did as well; anne, on the other hand, simply...disappeared.

...but what is become of her since, we cannot tell; only this we know, that she was not executed. -A General History of Pyrates, Daniel Defoe (which, if you keep wondering why i'm referencing it, is considered THE source)

officially speaking, we may literally NEVER know what happened to anne. all we know is she NEVERHANGD.*

thank you for your time and attention! ♡

[noriiii04]

WEEK 1 - PIRATES

Our theme for this “Explore” module was “Pirates”. I went back and did some research into some of the things I learnt in the Maritime Museum and some pirate media I myself enjoy.

QUEER PIRATES

As a queer artist myself, queer history has always been an interest to me, and I went out of my way to seek it out as it wasn’t very talked about. I first heard of Anne Bonny a few years ago, and then again during my Maritime Museum visit.

ANNE BONNY

Anne Bonny was an Irish American pirate, and one of the few recorded female pirates, operating in the Caribbeans during the 18th Century. Most of what is known about her comes from “A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates” 1724 written by Capt. Charles Johnson, but is considered highly speculative.

When bethroved to a local man she resisted, and instead married sailor John Bonny in 1718. The two of them travelled together to the island of New Providence in the Bahamas, however when her husband became an informant for the governor of the Bahamas, she felt disappointed in her marriage and instead became involved with the famous John (Calico Jack) Rackham.

Though he was actually not a great fighter nor did he amount to incredible wealth, he has become one of the most memorable pirates. He sailed the Caribbean during the height of the Golden Age of Piracy. He was a very unique pirate in the way that he used his cunning mind and backstabbing tactics to make his way through his pirating career. His association with other famous pirates (such as two of the only female pirates known), the written publications about him, and the eventual romanticism of pirates in general led to the rise of his popularity and fame.

After Anne Bonny became involved with him, Rackham offered to pay her husband to divorce her which was a common practice at that time, though John Bonny refused so in August 1720 Anne Bonny abandoned her husband and joined Rackham onto the sloop (a small, two or three masted, square rigged sailing warship). This decision at the time was strange, as in those times, a woman on the ship was considered bad luck. Though a lot consider it might’ve been her fiery attitude that worked in her favour to convince him. She has been recorded to have a very tough disposition and beaten an attempted rapists badly in her youth.

Anne Bonny was said to not conceal her gender from her crew, but dress as a man when going out and fighting. She, Calico Jack and a dozen others had been pirating merchant boats along the coast of Jamaica when Mary Read joined the crew. It is unclear exactly when she joined, and what her position was before. Is is argued she was among the original hijackers of the William, the sloop they operated, while others say that she was abroad a Dutch merchant ship that was captured by the crew of Calico Jack.

Mary Read, was said to have been disguised as a boy for most of her life. She served in the military dressed as a man, during that time having met another soldier with which she had fallen in love, and after revealing her gender, they later married. Tragically, her husband died, and she went back to living as a man, finding work as a sailor during the golden age of piracy. However her ship was captured by pirates in the West Indies, and she either decided to, or was forced to take the role of a pirate. Sailing to Nassau, Bahamas, she then joined Calico Jack’s crew.

Read and Bonny earned a reputation for their ruthless nature, and were said to have been willing to do anything on board. They were then said to have entered a relationship, Read revealing to her that she was a woman. They were also depicted in images together due to their speculated relationship.

However their ship crew was captured by pirate hunter Captain Jonathan Barnet in November 15th, 1720. The crew was then brought to trial in Spanish Town, Jamaica upon where the male crew members, including Jack (Calico Jack) Rackham, were found guilty of piracy and hung. Bonny and Read however were not executed when they were found to be pregnant. Most unfortunately Read died while in prison, April 1721, but Bonny was freed. She has been said to have lived out the rest of her life peacefully.

Sources: Britannica and The Way of Pirates

Anne Bonny, left and Mary Read, right

History is very inspirational to me and I hope to get some ideas from Anne Bonny and Mary Read for some pirate concepts.

[ladyluscinia]

I've made my opinion on the whole "Edward's true self is a soft marshmallow center" / "Izzy is in love with a fake persona and hates the real Ed" take pretty clear (put simply: Absolutely Not) but it's still pretty popular and I tend to read meta even when I disagree. Which means I've noticed a very specific argument that I want to comment on.

So, generally, the process of justifying woobie Ed going Kraken places blame firmly on Izzy due to the whole cabin confrontation. Some people weave this into an elaborate manipulative scheme / straight up forcing him via threats, while others are more generous (?) and just classify Izzy's explosion as Ed buckling under an atmosphere of social pressure. (I disagree pretty firmly with both.) Either way, there is one detail / accusation that I see repeated a lot:

Apparently, Izzy makes his opinion of who he really wants clear by shoving the horrible caricature picture from episode 4 - the picture that Edward was clearly distressed by - in Edward's face in an act of intimidation / deliberate re-traumatizing.

Except.... he doesn't?

This is the picture from 1x04 and accompanying quote:

"God... Is this what they think I look like? Hm? Fucking viking vampire clown with - Look at that. There's one, two, three, four... nine guns all over him. Nine guns?! I have - I, I have one gun, and one knife. Just like everyone else."

And here is the image that Izzy confronts Edward with in 1x10 (and Edward pins to the wall during his makeover):

That's no Mad Devil Pyrate with nine guns and a head of demonic smoke. That's a guy with one gun and one knife.

Self-indulgent meta-ish thoughts under the cut

Honestly, I noticed the difference in images immediately on my first watch, which meant I did not draw this (questionably) implied connection at all. When Izzy was spitting about how "This is Blackbeard!" I was pretty much shrugging and conceding his point. Because, like, he's not wrong. That is a picture of Blackbeard pretty much as we met him in 1x04, symbolic skull aside symbolic skull included because the man keeps one on his office desk for kicks that I forgot about briefly.

There's something very interesting about the fact that Izzy goes for such a plain image. There's no fancy title. No horror. Hell, on inspection I think that image shows Edward's tattoos and single sleeve outfit??? I was wondering if the show made that art themselves and now I think they must have.

(I think they made both images, because the first one is harder to tell but might also have the sleeve / tattoos thing - just less accurate. However it's also clearly based on the A General History of the Pyrates illustrations from the 1700s where he has like six guns on his chest, while the second one is more show specific.)

And what does that say about Izzy??? A whole library of books on pirate legends and he gravitates to the image of Edward that seems to have been drawn by someone who actually met him? That's based on the guy he actually served under / loves, not the myth they spread around the ocean together???

Like holy fuck, when Izzy says "This is Blackbeard" he means it wholly literally. The guy in that image is the man he knew for years, while the guy standing in front of him is a complete fucking stranger in a pink robe, and he's been waiting for however many days for the depression fog to clear enough to see if there's even a trace of his boss / friend / love left post-Stede. Instead "Ed" makes his first appearance on the deck after the breakup and sings a song about his feelings and then earnestly asks why they are being pirates.

I still think Izzy started that conversation with intent to resign. He'd completely given up - not on the "Blackbeard" persona, but on the Edward he knew that had earned the title (and his respect and devotion alongside it). Not for being some kind of horrible devil, but for being brilliant, and the greatest sailor he'd ever known, and the Captain he was loyal to above all else. Izzy is lost at sea, and there's sure as fuck nothing keeping him on this particular boat anymore.

And then, pretty much purely by accident, he pisses Edward off just enough that his "Ed" mask slips and...

"There he is."

[ltwilliammowett]

The Bloody Journal - The Journal of a Levante Pirate

The Edinburgh Annual Register, for 1810 picks up a very curious case that leaves researchers in some doubt as to whether it is genuine or not.

It concerns William Davidson, a Scotsman who served under Captain Keates on HMS Niger in 1791. He is described as "a dark sallow man, aged about 35, of a gloomy and unsocial disposition". He had probably already been noticed several times for brawling and was probably punished again, whereby he collapsed under convulsions after 5 blows and the punishment was aborted. But when he hit a midshipman a few months later, the fun was over and he was supposed to be whipped again. Out of consideration for his last situation, they wanted to give him a different punishment, but he didn't get that far, because he broke away and threatened to kill himself if they didn't let him go. But he didn't, instead he jumped overboard, but was caught again and put in irons. In the meantime, rumour had it that Davidson was not a fine man, but had been involved in sinister dealings and had recorded all this in a secret journal.

You can read it here

The journal, also known as the Bloody Journal, was found and read in his Seachest. It described a voyage in 1788-89 on a Russian privateer named Saint Dinnan, who soon became guilty of piracy and was not very gentle with his Turkish and Greek victims, like, for example, the ship was simply sunk with all the remaining things and people (presumably most of the people were still alive). When asked about this, he admitted that he had written it, but that he had no choice and had to take part in order to survive. The journal was immediately sent to the Admiralty with this case of Piracy. But no answer came from the Admiralty and Davidson remained on board the Niger, which was now sailing under Captain Foote, until 1793. Still in Portsmouth, Davidson deserted 1794, but was pressed again and taken to the Royal George, where he drowned in an accident in 1795.

The question now occupying researchers is whether this journal is genuine or just an adventure/ pirate novel. The text itself is quite short, consisting of only 27 pages, and written quite incorrectly. Which is no wonder, because many of the simpler men could neither read nor write, so such a journal was already a rarity and makes it even more questionable. What is surprising is that the Admiralty, which had been presented with the case, did not react and presumably dismissed the whole thing as an adventure novel and did not put Davidson on trial as a pirate. The fact that he hid it does not, in my opinion, indicate that it is an authentic report, because even if it is a novel. He had to expect a conviction, because at that time anyone who gave even the slightest hint of piracy was given a trial. Which is why the A General History of the Pyrates: Pirate Captains, Crews, Ships, and Laws was written under a pseudonym, because it could have got the author into trouble.

But it is interesting that the journal was actually published in several copies before it was classified as too brutal. Whether you consider this an authentic report or not is up to you. But the whole thing is strange. 

[stjohnstarling]

I’ve started reading A General History of the Pyrates - the 1724 book that ended up inspiring the bulk of pirate genre fiction because, well, I’m not not thinking about writing pirate genre fiction. I open the book and it hits me right off the bat with the funniest disclaimer:

It is possible this Book may fall into the Hands of some Masters of Ships, and other honest Mariners, who frequently, by contrary Winds or Tempests, or other Accidents incident to long Voyages, find themselves reduced to great Distresses, either thro’ Scarcity of Provisions, or Want of Stores. I say, it may be a Direction to such as those, what Lengths they may venture to go, without violating the Law of Nations, in Case they should meet other Ships at Sea, or be cast on some inhospitable Shore, which should refuse to trade with them for such Things as are absolutely necessary for the Preservation of their Lives, or the Safety of the Ship and Cargo.

Its the 1724 version of those “ooh wouldn’t it be awful if we all learned to pirate Photoshop?” posts. Wouldn’t it be just awful if someone used this book as a piracy instruction manual? Sure hope that doesn’t happen…

[amphibious-thing]

Bonny & Read: Sapphic Pirates?

Anne Bonny and Mary Read were two female pirates that sailed with John Rackham aka Calico Jack. In 1720 Rackham and his crew were captured and tried for piracy. Bonny & Read’s trial was held on Monday the 28th of November 1720. They were found guilty and sentenced to death. They both pled that they were “quick with Child” and their executions were stayed. Read died in prison. Bonny’s fate has been somewhat of a historical mystery. However there is a record of an “Ann Bonny” being buried on the 29th of December 1733 in the St Catherine’s Parish register.

The most accurate information we have them comes from the witness testimonies published in 1721 in The Tryals of Captain John Rackham, and Other Pirates.

Bonny and Read famously wore mens clothes. Dorothy Thomas testified that they “wore Mens Jackets, and long Trouzers, and Handkerchiefs tied about their Heads; and that each of them had a Machet and Pistol in their Hands”. However it seems they were not, at least during this period, passing as men. Rather they seem to have worn mens clothes during battle presumably for practical reasons. John Besneck and Peter Cornelian recall that “when they say any Vessel, gave Chase, or Attacked, they wore Men’s Cloaths; and, at other Times, they wore Women’s Cloaths”.

Bonny and Read were ruthless, possibly more so than the men on Jack’s crew. John Besneck and Peter Cornelian declared “they were very active on Board, and willing to do any Thing”. Thomas Dillon recalls “they were both very profligate, cursing and swearing much, and were ready and willing to do any Thing on Board.” Dorothy Thomas testified that they “cursed and swore at the Men” that “they should kill her, to prevent her coming against them”.

Most of the famous story of Bonny & Read actually comes from A General History of the Pyrates by Captain Charles Johnson (most likely a pseudonym) published in 1724 as well as it’s 1725 adaption The History and Lives Of all the most Notorious Pirates, and their Crews. It’s unclear where Johnson got a lot of his information from and it’s likely his biographies are heavily fictionalised.

In contrast to the witness testimonies A General History of the Pyrates tells us that Bonny and Read were passing as men on Jack’s crew:

Her [Read’s] Sex was not so much as suspected by any Person on Board, till Anne Bonny, who was not altogether so reserved in point of Chastity, took a particular liking to her; in short, Anne Bonny took her for a handsome young Fellow, and for some Reasons best known to herself, first discovered her Sex to Mary Read; Mary Read knowing what she would be at, and being very sensible of her own Incapacity that Way, was forced to come to a right Understanding with her, and so to the great Disappointment of Anne Bonny, she let her know she was a Woman also; but this Intimacy so disturb'd Captain Rackam, who was the Lover and Gallant of Anne Bonny, that he grew furiously jealous, so that he told Anne Bonny, he would cut her new Lover's Throat, therefore, to quiet him, she let him into the Secret also.

Far from becoming lovers Johnson tells us that Bonny is disappointed to discover Read’s sex and that Read went on to fall in love with and marry a male crew member, explaining the circumstance of her pregnancy during the trial.

However published just a year latter The History and Lives Of all the most Notorious Pirates, and their Crews tells the story a little differently. According to this version of the story Read “entered into the Service of the Privateer purely upon the Account of Anne Bonny, who was her Lover;”

before I go any further, it will not be improper to give a Narrative of the Courtship between Anne Bonny and Mary Read. They were both in love with one another, but did not know how to discover their Sex, till Anne Bonny at length being able to hold out no longer, discovered herself, saying, She was a Woman who had long observed the Bravery and Courage of Mary Read, and that she could no longer conceal her Passion, therefore she hoped that her Forwardness in addressing would no be look’d upon as Impudence, because she had no other way of discovering her Sex, or making herself known to her; so hanging about her Neck, she stole two or three Kisses, and fainted away. This did not a little surprize Mary Read, who was exactly in the same Condition herself, in Love and Affection: Not knowing what to do in the Matter, after recovering Anne Bonny, and speaking some kind Things to her, she gave her to understand, that she was also a Woman herself, and had always had the same Affection for her as she seem’d to express. They both seemed uneasy at their Disappointments, yet pleas’d in their Minds that they had made such an unlucky Discovery: However they established a Friendship that continued between them to the last. This gave some Uneasiness to Capt. Rackam, he being a Lover of Anne Bonny’s, and not able to bear a Rival with him in the Ship, especially where Women were so scarce: For Anne Bonny was not one of the most honest Women in the World, tho’ Mary Read bore a quite different Character: So Rackam storm’d and thunder’d as if the Ship was going to be rent in Pieces, what he would do to Mary Read; he would cut her Throat, [by] marry would he, and more too, if ever he saw her speak to Anne Bonny. To pacify this Son of Belial’s Fury, she let him into the Secret, who was as much surprized as any of them. By this Discovery Anne Bonny had like to have lost her Captain, had not Mary Read’s Virtue been greater than her Cunning; for the Captain, like most Sons of Mars, was for a new Face, presently beginning to neglect his old Mistress Anne. This gave great Uneasiness to her, till Mary Read assured her she should have no occasion upon that account. However the Capt. furiously attacks her with Oaths and Curses of his Sincerity, as fast as he was used to shoot Balls from his Cannons; but all would not [go], the Captain could not board her, and so was compelled to lye by, and keep it a Secret for his own Reputation.

Much like in A General History of the Pyrates Read goes on to fall in love with and marry a male crew member.

It’s in this likely fictionalised book that the love story of Anne Bonny and Mary Read is born. It’s impossible to say with any certainty whether the real Bonny and Read were a couple because we frankly don’t really know much about them. But these early books on pirates set the scene for the centuries of pirate mythology that followed and historically accurate or not this story is part of that mythology.

[hogarthwrites]

shelter chapter 1 (request)

pairing: Sam Drake/Reader (m/femme reader)

genre: adventure, fluff

warnings: none

words: 2,676

summary:

18 year old Samuel Drake has been kicked out of the orphanage and does his best to survive the streets of Boston. He meets a girl at a park and it changes his life.

note:

This was a request by @gabedreeam <3

I'm sorry this took so long to finish. Ever since 2022 started life has been kicking my ass physically and mentally :o(

More to come!!

Boston was cold and gloomy in the fall as Sam trudged through the Public Garden. It was hard getting kicked out of the orphanage, and it was even harder to live on his own on the streets. The economy being in shambles didn’t make it easier for him to find a living, and he was forced to be just another homeless teenager.

You’d think a Catholic institution would know better, Sam thought bitterly. Of course they won’t. Hypocrites.

He sniffled as he pulled his denim jacket tighter around him, trying to fend off the cool as he sat on a park bench. That night, it was either this damp bench or that old building that was probably haunted. At least it provided shelter from the rain.

Sam’s stomach growled loudly and he groaned. The last time he ate was that morning when he’d saved enough to buy a hotdog. He looked around the park, hoping there would be an old lady feeding ducks and maybe he could ask for some bread.

Instead, he saw a girl around his age sitting by the lake. She was having a picnic and Sam hungrily watched as she took another bite from a scone. He moved a little closer, shyly standing behind a tree to see that she was reading a book he recognised.

“A General History of the Pyrates?” Sam gathered all his courage to talk to her.

“Yeah,” you smiled up at him, surprised. “It’s interesting.”

“It’s all wrong,” Sam shrugged, giving you a smug grin.

“Excuse me?” You raised an eyebrow at the strange boy.

“It’s all wrong,” he repeated. “It was my favourite book, but come on, he couldn’t even spell ‘pirates’ right.”

“Right,” you laughed. “Because you’re such a pirate expert. I don’t know you, okay.”

“The name’s Sam. And I could tell you all I know,” Sam grinned then glanced at the picnic basket. “If you give me a croissant.”

Despite everything you were told, you let this stranger sit next to you and eat your food while he told you about pirates, debunking almost everything you had read about in that book. There was something charming yet cocky about Sam, but you felt yourself drawn to him. It didn’t even matter that he had a grease stain on his jeans.

“And that is why I intend to find Avery’s treasure,” Sam concluded his long spiel on Henry Avery, Thomas Tew, and the loot of a thousand worlds. “Mom would’ve wanted that.”

Sam looked at you, suddenly nervous. Why was he telling you all this? He didn’t know you; all he wanted was food. For some reason, the girl in front of him made him feel different in a good way. He felt comfortable with you.

“So, you don’t live with your mom anymore?”

“Me?” Sam scoffed. “I’m a man of eighteen. Of course not. I have my own place.”

He gave you a lopsided smile. Of course it was a lie, but you didn’t know that. At least, he hoped you wouldn’t see past the lie.

“Wow,” you simply laughed. “Well, I have to get going, man of eighteen. Maybe I’ll see you around this time here tomorrow?”

Tomorrow? Sam began to panic. He’d have to find a place to wash up. Again.

“Y-yeah,” he stuttered. “Can you bring me one of those pastries again?”

“Sure,” you smiled at him. “See you, Sam.”

Stupid, stupid, stupid, Sam scolded himself. All he wanted was a pastry. Now he had another date with you. Not that he didn’t like you. No, he was head over heels and it sucked. Maybe he can leave you hanging tomorrow, it wasn’t unusual for him to up and disappear.

Sam groaned and buried his head between his knees. No, he liked you too much to just not see you again. He pulled out his old walkman that he stole from another kid in the orphanage and put on a song to drown out his thoughts.

I’m walkin’ back to Georgia and I hope she will take me back…

He pulled out his mother’s journal, touching the engraved CM on the cover, remembering how she would listen to this song while she journaled. He missed her everyday, and reading all her notes on pirates and treasures always comforted him. Maybe someday he and his little brother, Nathan, could finish what she couldn’t.

What Sam didn’t know then was how important Cassandra’s notes were to quite a lot of people. He didn’t know if it was the pastry he ate or the song playing but his eyes felt heavy all of a sudden.

When Sam woke up, he felt the soft satin fabric on his skin first, then the silk pyjamas that he was wearing. Satin? Silk? Where the fuck was he?

He hastily sat up, looking around this bright room. He was definitely not on a damp bench anymore. Sam pinched himself. Did he die? Maybe that croissant you gave him was poisoned.

But as Sam got out of bed and felt the coolness of the waxed parquet wood floor on his feet and the warmth of the electric heater and the distant sound of a Madonna song playing, he knew he wasn’t dead yet.

“Where am I?” He made his way to the door and before he got to opening it, an older gentleman holding a tote bag came in.

“I see you’re awake,” the man said. “I’ve brought you some breakfast. Y/N said you were fond of pastries.”

“Y/N?” Sam couldn’t believe it. At this point he was sure you had him kidnapped.

“Of course, she wasn’t too happy seeing you here,” the man chuckled and Sam raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Anyways, you’re probably wondering why you’re here.”

“No shit,” Sam glanced at a door where a boy a few years younger than him was peering in. He had dark hair and he frowned as he took in Sam’s scraggly form. “Look, all I wanted was food, okay? I wasn’t going to hurt your daughter or whoever she is.”

The man put a strong hand on Sam’s shoulder and led him to the small table and chair by the window that Sam hadn’t noticed. “Take a seat, Samuel.”

Sam watched as the man pulled out a bunch of pastries and coffee in a to-go cup out of the tote bag and laid it out on the small table. His stomach immediately growled at the smell of warm pastries and fresh coffee.

“Please, help yourself.”

Sam reached out for a croissant but stopped himself, looking up at the man suspiciously. “How do I know you aren’t going to poison me?”

“I just bought these, Samuel,” he replied, but when Sam narrowed his eyes, he picked up another croissant and bit into it. “Now will you let me tell you why you’re here?”

“Fine,” Sam took a bite of the pastry. It was filled with chocolate.

The man took a seat in front of him. “Your mother, Cassandra, was important to the archaeological society, you know that?”

Sam shook his head. “I knew she was smarter than all of them.”

“Most. She was smarter than most of us,” the man cleared his throat. “Anyway, that journal she always wrote in has led to an important treasure and no other person knows as much as she does than her own son.”

“And that’s why you kidnapped me.”

“More like we want to recruit you for your help.”

Sam looked at the man suspiciously, unsure of what to say.

“You don’t have to decide right away,” the man took out a business card and slid it across the table at Sam. Ward Adler. “I hope we can be partners, Sam. For now, take your time, explore the manor. I’m sure you’re going to want to get used to this place.”

“Yeah, I’ll give you a call, Ward,” Sam peered at the card.

With that, Ward gave him a firm handshake and walked out the door, leaving Sam to his thoughts. He immediately regretted not asking what state he was at least. Hopely not too far from Nathan.

Sam made his way to the door and peered outside. The hallway was fancy, illuminated by large windows and a chandelier hanging on top of the stairs. There were at least three other bedrooms upstairs and he wondered if any of them were yours. And who was the other kid?

He’s never been anywhere this fancy before and he got scared it might all be a strange dream. Ward did tell him to explore, and that’s exactly what Sam intended to do. He went down the stairs to find the main hall, illuminated in white marble and decorated with mid century furniture and artworks. A grand fireplace kept the hall warm while a bowl of chocolates sat by the rather outdated conversation pit.

It was tempting to lounge in the conversation pit and bask in the warmth of the fire, but Sam knew there was more to this place. He climbed up the stairs to the west wing of the manor, ending up in another, longer hallway with several rooms. This area of the house seemed a bit older as he looked into some of the rooms and saw floral wallpaper. One particular room that caught his attention was the enormous library also kept warm by another grand fireplace. There were rows and rows of books that reached up to the mezzanine floor. Sam ran his fingers through spines of books; some he recognised, some he didn’t.

“Damn!” He heard a voice from behind one of the shelves and looked around to find you carrying a bunch of books.

“Whoa, hey,” he picked up the book you dropped.

“Thank you,” you sighed before you met his brown eyes. “It’s you. Nice pyjamas.”

“It’s me,” he shrugged. “Nice place you’ve got here.”

“I’m sorry. My dad’s kinda insane.”

“Yeah, no kidding.”

Sam followed you to the old, comfortable sofa in front of the fireplace where you plopped down on the rug.

“So, what’s all this for?” Sam gestured at the books.

“Research,” you cracked open one of the books. “I've got a report to do on the Golden Age of Piracy.”

“Ah, hence the other book,” Sam plopped down next to you.

“Fortunately my dad’s obsessed with pirates and treasures so I don't have to go to an external library.”

“Lucky you,” Sam smiled.

“How long is he keeping you here?” You muttered as you flipped through pages. “I'm sure you're busy.”

Sam simply shrugged. “I gotta help him with something.

“It sounds important.”

Sam shrugged again, unsure of how much he was allowed to tell her or how much she knew. To his relief, you didn’t say anything, instead you turned back to the books in front of you, flipping through pages. He sat quietly, looking around the large library, taking in the painted portraits of who he assumed were the Adler men who owned the manor, all the way down to Ward.

He tried to imagine what it was like to live the way these people did and to inherit money just by being born. He probably wouldn’t be in this mess if he was born rich.

“While you’re here anyway, it won’t hurt for you to help me too, right?” You handed him a textbook. “Look up any information on Edward Thatch.”

Sam knew plenty about Edward Thatch to go on about everything he knew while he flipped and bookmarked pages. He made history seem so fun and alive; something you didn’t think could happen. You watched as he came alive, telling stories and joking around. Silly as he looked in his pyjamas, you still thought he was cute. Not that you’d ever admit it to him.

You volunteered to give him a tour of the manor and the grounds after lunch so he could change into some clothes and maybe clean up a little. Sam was surprised to find a closet full of clothes his size, though he wasn’t a fan of the polo shirts that’d make him look like some country club member. He found his old graphic tee and wore a plaid button up over it. He might have to sell some of the collared shirts.

“Look at you,” you smiled as he approached you in the main hall. “All cleaned up for prom?”

“Oh, so you’re my prom date?” He grinned.

“You sound disappointed.”

“I just always dreamed I’d go to prom with Phoebe Cates.”

“Keep dreaming,” you poked him in the chest. “Come on, I’ll show you the gardens.”

The little boy from that morning stood in the middle of a rose garden that was tended by a devoted gardener. He didn’t seem too pleased to see Sam.

“What is he doing here?” The boy asked.

“He’s helping Dad with something important, Rafe,” you explained.

So that was his name – Rafe. Sam awkwardly waved at him.

“Whatever it is, I don’t trust him,” Rafe narrowed his eyes at Sam. “I got my eye on you, Samuel.”

He then ran off, leaving Sam in a stunned silence.

“Don’t worry,” you waved. “He’ll warm up to you.”

You showed him the tennis courts and the swimming pool, which Sam just whistled at. He said the orphanage he grew up in barely had a gym and you didn’t know if you wanted to laugh. Despite it all, Sam was starting to be in good spirits; he felt a little more comfortable with you even though he was still trying to figure you out.

He followed you through the winding halls of the Adler Manor, talking about the great Henry Avery and what it meant if he accepted your father’s proposition.

“Well,” you shrugged as you walked through the terrace that led to the east wing of the manor. “Here you’ll have a home and an income at least.”

“I had an income,” Sam replied. “It wasn’t enough, but I had one.”

Truth be told, Sam was starting to consider staying and helping out Ward with the treasure, but it didn’t stop him from feeling guilty about leaving his old life behind. And what about Nathan?

“I just have a lot to take care of back in Boston,” he sighed as he leaned against the parapet. “Where are we, anyways?”

“Weston.”

“Weston?”

“We’re only an hour bus ride away. What’s back in Boston?”

“My brother, Nathan. He’s still at St. Francis.”

Sam sighed again and you felt a pang of guilt. He had a life back in the city. He wasn’t just some kid at the park dying for some croissants while you sat there waiting around for Ward. No, here was a guy with so much knowledge and background.

“Can you do me a favour?” He looked up at you.

“Sure, anything.”

“If I take this job, can you take me back to the city to talk to my brother?”

“I’ll drive you there.”

“Thanks.”

He looked away, almost relieved. Was it selfish of you to want to keep him?

When you had gone back to your room and he was left alone in his, Sam fished out the pack of Lucky Strikes in his jacket pocket that was neatly hung in the bathroom connected to his room and lit one up as he lay down in the large, empty bathtub.

The day had felt like months from the moment he woke up in sheer terror, to the stress of meeting Ward, then the relief of seeing you. He didn’t mind having to deal with the knives your little brother, Rafe, stared into him if it meant being able to see you everyday. With every puff of the cigarette, he mustered up the courage to find Ward to talk to him.

Sam found Ward sitting at the main hall, reading a book, a large mastiff dog lying by his side.

“I’ve decided,” Sam started. “I’ll help you on one condition.”

“What is that?” Ward gave him a look.

“You help me get my brother out of the orphanage.”

[spacebat-jr]

Half of Blackbeard’s crew being gay is actually more hIstOrIcALlY AccURaTE than Stede reading Pinocchio to the crew.

"Sodomy", a term that was used to refer to anything from butt sex to bestiality, had homosexual men drawn to the seas where they would not have to fear persecution for those very acts. Further, "matelotage" (French for "seamanship") was a form of same-sex civil union which included the sharing of one's property and possessions as well as inheritance if one's partner deceased.

The Pirate's code, the sixth clause of which banned women and boys from ships (presumably to avoid jealousy and fights), was introduced by Captain Bartholomew Roberts. Perhaps best known as one of the most successful pirates of the Golden Age of Piracy (1650's to 1730s), Roberts also started an affair with his ship's senior surgeon George Wilson. One account states the two claimed to "blow up and go to hell together" should they ever meet with one of King George I's ships.

Next to many more officially as homosexual presumed pirates, earlier interpretations of Blackbeard also allowed for sexual interactions between men before retellings of his stories began sanitizing his sexual relationships. Perhaps his depiction has become especially hyperviril, aggressive if not bestial and - in accordance to most contemporary ideas of masculinity - heterosexual due to "A General History of the Pyrates" publishing his story among those of a few other pirates (also including Stede Bonnet's in Vol. I). Already here can we observe an exaggeration of Blackbeard’s characteristics as unusually feral and wild, which along with the other aforementioned alterations to his biography can be credited to the book's purpose of appealing to the general population and therefore almost required to entertain.

TL; DR Pirates were gay

Many pirates were horny gays turned criminals as opposed to lonely criminals just seeking company

[insipid-drivel]

The Jolly Roger: Its Origins, Pirate Codes, and Other Cool Pirate Stuff

Above is probably one of the most recognizable historical Jolly Rogers! Ironically, this was the flag of “Calico” Jack Rakham, who was one of the least successful pirates of his time. He was the lover of the wicked pirate duo, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, but was the only one of the three to be tried and executed for piracy. Anne and Mary eluded prosecution by each getting pregnant, which disqualified them from being executed, and the two later escaped capture and what became of them is still unknown or based upon little more than legend.

We commonly associate the skull-and-crossbones, aka “The Jolly Roger” as the universal flag that means “pirate”, but did you guys know that pirates during the Golden Age of Piracy (approx. 1650~1700-1720) and onward had elaborate codes predating the use of traditional flag languages like Semaphore? Blackbeard himself didn’t actually fly the skull and crossbones above his own ship!

The first iteration of what we recognize as the Jolly Roger flag was first documented as being flown by French pirate, Emmanuel Wynn, around 1700. His flag would become dubbed “The Jolly Roger”, an anglicized bastardization of the French, “joli rouge”, or “pretty red”, as the original pirate flags ever used were actually dark red or blood red in color. Here’s what Emmanuel patented:

In Captain Wynn’s flag, he’s departed from the traditional crimson to funerary black. The hourglass below the skull symbolically represented to his targets and enemies, “Your time is running out.” Wynn’s flag, however, was not the first pirate flag to be dubbed, “The Jolly Roger” or “Joli Rouge”. The first ever flag to be universally symbolic of pirates was the flag flown by former pirate companions, Francis Spriggs and Edward Low:

Edward Low is, in fact, credited for the creation of the red skeleton on the black flag that went on to become recognized as the first Jolly Roger, but after a falling out with Francis Spriggs, Spriggs was the one to go on to be most associated with the symbol. Art theft is a bitch, even to pirates.

So what about Blackbeard?

The most closely associated flag with Blackbeard (aka Edward Teach), looks like this:

However, sources behind this being Blackbeard’s flag are highly spurious, and the only remotely accepted contemporary writing about Blackbeard, “A General History of the Pyrates,” not only gets a lot of scrutiny from historians to this day as to its accuracy since it was published long after Blackbeard’s death, but also illuminates that Blackbeard wasn’t really known to fly a particular flag above his flagship, “The Queen Anne’s Revenge”. Considering how startlingly clever, intelligent, and notorious he was, he may never have had a particular flag he’d fly routinely because it only made it easier for pirate hunters to track him, and a lot of Blackbeard’s tactics involved shock and awe. Especially toward the end of his career and life, Blackbeard was the most wanted man in the entire Western world, and so it doesn’t necessarily make a lot of sense that a guy like Blackbeard would have the equivalent of a maritime bumper sticker fluttering in the breeze that gave his identity away, especially when he didn’t want any witnesses or survivors reporting to the naval authorities they’d seen his ship at all.

Without motors or oarsmen, pirates in the Golden Age of Piracy had to rely heavily upon weather, anonymity, and stealth as they closed the distance on a potential ship to raid, and had to be certain that they would be able to catch up to the ship they were attacking before identifying themselves as pirates. It usually wasn’t until the absolute last second before making contact that a pirate captain would raise their own Jolly Roger and reveal that they were, in fact, pirates. A common tactic to get a target ship to even slow down would be to fly a matching flag to pretend to be a friendly ship or a ship in distress, and then quickly change the flag to the captain’s when it was too late for the other ship to escape. This would help shock the sailors and passengers into willingly parting with what most pirates really wanted: Money. Aside from psychopathic sadists like Charles Vane, most pirates in the Golden Age of Piracy didn’t want to kill anybody if they could avoid it.

Per the code set down by the legendary Benjamin Hornigold, “good” pirates avoided bloodshed as much as possible in favor of shows of non-lethal strength and intimidation. Hornigold even had very strict rules about the treatment of women (probably because he reportedly had a fling with notorious female pirate captain Anne Bonny, who had a habit of stabbing misogynists). Hornigold is the original author behind the Pirate Guidelines frequently discussed and used in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise.

A lot of their tactics were more psychological than genuinely violent. Black Sam Bellamy, an admirer of Hornigold’s, was most infamous for 1) Freeing captured slaves and taking them on as fellow pirates with equal wages to their white and POC shipmates, and 2) having everyone onboard strip ass-naked to shock the passengers aboard a ship so much that they could climb aboard their ship before they could really figure out how to react. If the captain of the victim ship agreed to surrender their goods and valuables to the pirates without a fight, then it was considered proper by pirates to leave the ship’s passengers and sailors unharmed, offer to recruit anyone who wanted to join (Black Sam even recruited a 10-year-old boy who begged his mother to let him join Sam’s crew), free any African slaves discovered on board (this one was shaky because racism), and kill only in self-defense as a last resort.

There were of course the psychopathic and sadistic pirates, as any illegal trade will attract, but during the Golden Age of Piracy, a lot of pirates were only pirates out of necessity and didn’t want anything to do with genuinely hurting people. Many pirates would refuse to plunder ships from their home countries and pursue ships flying the flags of their nation’s historical enemies. After the War of Spanish Succession, which bankrupted the British empire in particular, a lot of sailors who had been press-ganged (unwillingly recruited) into the navy were suddenly fired and cut off from an income or even a ride back to their home country, leaving them marooned wherever they happened to be when the war ended. Many of these pirates had no sailing or naval experience whatsoever before the War of Spanish Succession, and were mostly farmers, jobless, or low-level tradesmen effectively kidnapped by order of the King. The captains responsible for them were often brutal and ruthless, leaving them traumatized and terrified of serving aboard a royal ship again. With nothing but their skills as sailors to survive with, pirates were often forced to rob and steal from other ships just to stay alive and, for a lucky few, go back home.

Because pirates were so often put off by violence and bloodshed, they relied upon aggressive symbols and threats to intimidate their target into submission before they even got into range of each other’s cannons. Pirates in general also really did not like maritime warfare, because cannons mean damage to the ship, and repairs were another expense pirates didn’t like dealing with. A pirate captain only stayed captain by vote of the crew, and if you weren’t good at keeping the ship or crew safe and successful, you could be replaced and even marooned on the next nearest body of land or, in Charles Vane’s case, in a dinghy to die (his crew really hated him a lot and he definitely deserved it).

Adopting clear symbols for their individual flags not only warned the other ship of what they were prepared to do to hopefully get the ship to just give up without a fight so nobody got unnecessarily hurt. These symbols also identified other pirate captains to each other. Here are some of the spoopy signals pirates would put on their flags:

-The Hourglass: Time is running out.

-The Sword Arm: We are highly violent, know how to fight, and will kill if necessary.

-The Spear: A violent death is awaiting you if we catch you and you don’t surrender without a fight. We may probably kill you, or at least a few of you, anyway.

-The Bleeding Heart: A slow, painful death is awaiting you.

-The Horned Skeleton/Devil: Torture and inevitable death.

-The Red Flag: Mercilessness and unwillingness to negotiate.

-The Naked Man: We have no shame.

-The Drinking Glass: Toasting death/Satan as an inevitability.

-The Sailor/Pirate: The captain of the fleet is onboard or nearby.

Enjoy patenting your own rebel pirate flags this spoopy season!

[neverhangd]

My favorite part of bad pirate history:

...[Read's] sex was not so much as suspected by any person on board, till Anne Bonny, who was not altogether so reserved in point of chastity1, took a particular liking to her; in short, Anne Bonny took her for a handsome young fellow2, and for some reasons best known to herself3, first discovered her sex to Mary Read; Mary Read knowing what she would be at, and being very sensible of her own incapacity that way4, was forced to come to a right understanding with her, and so to the great disappointment of Anne Bonny5, she let her know she was a woman also... -A General History of Pyrates, Daniel Defoe

1- Anne Fuccs 2- [RHPS audience voice] HE IS ONE! 3- We can guess. 4- I hate the hets sometimes. 😞 5- They're lesbians, Herald. This is why more queer women need to go loudly into history.

...but this intimacy so disturb’d Captain Rackam, who was the lover and gallant of Anne Bonny, that he grew furiously jealous, so that he told Anne Bonny, he would cut her new lover’s throat, therefore, to quiet him, she let him into the secret also. -A General History of Pyrates, Daniel Defoe

Where do I even begin. Jack and Anne's romance? Their love for one another? (-cue "Once in a While" speech-) Anne treating Jack like an actual infant and pacifying him by telling him Read's got a vagina, like that means anything? It's. I love it and I hate it at the same time.

[stedes-incredible-library]

Hi love! I would like to read some fics where Stede teaches Ed to read. Thank you so much for everything you do here. You are incredible ♡

Hello! You're very welcome! Here are some, both canon and au:

A General History of Pyrates by draculard [G], 2.6k

Stede teaches Ed how to read.

Try A Little Tenderness by greenflower209 [T], 1.5k

“Ed, dear, could you tell me what that note Lucius wrote says?” Stede’s voice washes over Ed, bringing his attention back to center. He looks around, spotting the scrap of paper on the corner of the small tea tray next to him. It was covered in scrawled, curled script, clearly written in haste. Ed stared at it a moment too long, panic slowly rising in his throat. He and Stede had never really spoken about his literacy, or lack thereof. Ed always managed to pass anything that needed to be read over to Stede without raising any suspicion.

Or,

Ed never properly learned how to read, Stede decides to help him.

Whose Soul Is Greater Than The Ocean by tipsy_shakespearean [E], 11.2k

“Well then let’s make a deal, shall we?”

“What kind of deal?” Ed raised an eyebrow, as showy as ever.

“I’ll teach you to read, and in return, you finally teach me how to swordfight properly.”

“I have been!”

“Edward.” Stede rolled his eyes. “You let me stab you, that’s hardly the same thing.”

“Good a skill as any.”

“You’re ridiculous.” Stede huffed, but he put his hand out anyway, because it was Ed, and he couldn’t resist his charms if he tried. “So, is it a deal?”

“I think we have an accord.” Ed grabbed his hand in a firm shake, his calloused palm burning warm. “It’s gonna be fun.”

Sometimes your co-captain teaches you to swordfight and you teach him to read and you don't fall in love even a little.

That night they read no farther by dvrthncx [G], 3.7k

Inspired by this piece of wonderful fanart I came across:

Stede teaches Ed how to read, which is going great until what Ed is reading sounds an awful lot about how he (tries to deny that he) feels about Stede.

we should just kiss (like real people do) by al_ex_an_d_er_hamiltons [T], 5.5k

“I mean, I can read a little.” Ed continued, his tone defensive, setting his books down and throwing himself into the chair beside Stede. “The basics, you know. C-A-T is cat, whatever. But big words trip me up, and sometimes the letters get blurry and move around the page.” Ed ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. Stede watched as Ed tried to gather his thoughts, unable to keep himself from admiring his dark eyes and long, salt-and-pepper hair.

“And when is the exam?”

“In four weeks,” Ed said miserably, slumping over the table.

“Ah,” Stede murmured.“Well, we’d better get started then, eh?”

Ed turned his head to the side, one suspicious eye visible. “What are you on about?”

“I’m going to tutor you,” Stede said brightly.

Or, Stede is a librarian, and Ed is a tattoo apprentice struggling to pass the necessary exam to become licensed. I think you can see where this is going.

Idiosyncrasies by TawnyOwl95 [E], 4.8k

Ed knows that what he deserves and what he wants are two very different things.

He can't help himself though. He'll hold on to Stede for as long as he can.

There's also a tag Stede teaches Ed to read on AO3!

~Mod N

[emeraldcreeper]

I have a theory about ofmd season 2/the larger narrative, fueled by Wikipedia and my own ideas of what they could do with the story/a couple theories of why exactly Lucius can’t be dead. (Besides the fact that your honor, I love him, and no body=not dead)

First of all, I wholeheartedly believe that (if they use this) Lucius is the one who’s gonna publish/finish writing a general history of the pyrates, the book that contains most of what is known about golden age of piracy pirates like stede bonnet, Edward teach, Ann Bonny, Mary read and calico jack, several of these Lucius has met already, but if you look at the end of the list of names, there’s a Captain Spriggs, which is fun if this is used but it’s probably just that the last name was borrowed for Lucius, it’d be cool if he continued working with various other captains and writing for them. Also there’s a Captain Edward Low who could be used, he was an incredibly vicious short lived captain (active 1721-1724) that spriggs worked under, who used the exact same flag as blackbeard, then edited it later. (Improbable but I’m just sayin, Ed/blackbeard could swap names/Izzy could take on the persona and then swap later on, time matches up for blackbeard to “die” then later, take on a significantly more brutal persona, also Israel Hands drops off entirely after blackbeard is captured/killed with his crew, he got pardoned and sort of disappeared after that (Johnson says died a beggar in 1724 in London but it’s not confirmed by anything but his word). In short, captain Charles Johnson is Lucius and that’s the framing narrative of like all the pirates seen are written down, it’s Stede telling his kids or whatever the hell about his escapades at the end when he’s settled down with Ed, like using lucius’ published writings (the general history of pyrates, under the pen name, obviously, Captain Spriggs can’t oust himself for piracy, that’d be stupid!) I don’t know just imagine something adorable, I can’t carry the narrative on my back it’s hard having such a big brain (like titanic I think if one of them is like telling the kids about the story I’ve never seen the movie, I think there’s a bit at the end, it’s a common framing narrative)

Anyway this all to say season two goes one of two ways, the first like 3 episodes is stede and crew of the revenge trying to get back to blackbeard (like he does historically, cause they’re getting close to their respective “deaths” timewise, I insinuated earlier they survive, I ain’t killin anyone, they both fake their deaths etc etc) however real stede bonnet never finds him, I think it could mirror season 1 where Stede gets stabbed by the Spanish except blackbeard is in too deep and Stede finally finds him, a la blackbeard cutting stede down, but in reverse (I just like the parallel, it’s cute, I want to see blackbeard realize he’s in too deep and that Ed needs to come back again)

meanwhile, Lucius is serendipitously saved by two lesbian lady pirates (Ann Bonny and Mary read, I just think they’re neat) maybe following them to also meet up with Stede (I just wanna see them and it could sort of work cause they’re in general history of pyrates, also they’d know of blackbeard via calico jack because of the fudging of calico jack’s existence) Anne had a relationship with calico jack I think it’d be funny to do a like who threw you overboard you’re so nice??? Blackbeard???? Oh that bastard killed my convenience husband, god damn it type of deal where like Stede and remainders of the revenge meet up and go wtf Lucius????? And Lucius goes oh hey captain, your boyfriend/co captain threw me into the ocean, because you left him, thanks for that one

Or same thing but Lucius is fucking with blackbeard like Stede’s hallucinations, only living and pretending to not be real, inside the ship in a secret passage (Ed knows they’re there hypothetically, but who else would he assume Stede would tell? he killed Lucius, he drowned, he doesn’t know better, if he intended to drown him) I personally prefer him chilling with the lady pirates, but it makes the hold on thing from Ed make sense as to why he told Lucius (otherwise it’s for himself and he does a shit job of doing that one)

And now Izzy hands time, everyone’s favorite asshole! (He needs therapy so bad, he’s so terrible, only therapy or being put into a washing machine would fix him) Since he did exist, (was 16 and not a first mate sorta technically? Teach had a different first mate but Israel is designated as right hand of Blackbeard, but whatever, fuck major historical accuracy, I’ve shot history dead at this point, so has David Jenkins, it’s fiiiine) we know some of what he did, first of all, real blackbeard shot him in the knee, (cut off his toe and fed it to him within the show, which he was super down for, cool one horny little man) because “if he did not now and then kill one of them, they would forgot who he was” which matches what blackbeard post divorce would do/say if someone asked him directly wtf happened with Izzy’s foot, since Izzy said something like Blackbeard’s himself again when someone asked him. Interestingly enough Charles Johnson wrote that quote from blackbeard, having (I guess seen?) blackbeard shoot at someone else on the crew, hit Israel in the knee who said why’d you do that, which Lucius wasn’t visibly around for but fuck man it fits sort of otherwise also that moment was private and way more purposeful than Israel getting shot in the knee, blackbeard fired at someone, missed, hit Israel to likely scare them into submission after half the crew got marooned when stede and blackbeard split.

Also re remarking Izzy would make an excellent Edward Low, he’d be super brutal and torture people for fun, he matches really well, and it clicks with him using Blackbeard’s flag then swapping if he takes on the persona (then shifts it, because Jesus Christ Captain Low is brutal) after the real Blackbeard’s “death” to let Edward Teach have his calm peaceful not pirate life with his boyfriend who he loves very much and will forgive with only mild homoerotic sword combat and not grievously wound his boyfriend for his excellent fuckery that he’s gonna buy into (because Izzy would totally hear about Stede Bonnet, known terrible pirate who he doesn’t like, dying like an idiot, coincidentally in a similar way he tried to get Ed to fake his death, wearing his clothes, can’t tell it’s really him etc etc and be like oh captain, stede bonnet is dead, crushed by a piano after a jungle cat mildly mauled him, very Stede Bonnet death)

And I almost forgot the real Spriggs he was like super not notable, he worked with Lowther and Low, deserted low, and he also used the same general Blackbeard flag, but with edits, the real Spriggs was also brutal and tortured people, not quite as bad as Low but still bad, which I don’t think is gonna be used with Lucius, I think it’s neat that a dude with the last name Spriggs was in reference to captain Low and is in general history of pyrates