the-mad-march-hare42:

I just rewatched Pirates of the Caribbean and decided to look up the ‘Pirate Code’

And I found a set of rules made by Black Bart (one of the most famous Pirates ever) to keep the ship and her crew from falling apart and they are the most un-pirate like rules ever:

(Taken from A General History of the Pyrates, 1724)

I. Every man has a vote in affairs of moment; has equal title to the fresh provisions, 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.

(Translation: The ship is a democracy, one man one vote. Also, everyone is free to the alcohol and food on board except when there are rations)

II. Every man to be called fairly in turn, by list, on board of prizes because, (over and above their proper share) they were on these occasions allowed a shift of clothes: but if they defrauded the company to the value of a dollar in plate, jewels, or money, marooning was their punishment. If the robbery was only betwixt one another, they contented themselves with slitting the ears and nose of him that was guilty, and set him on shore, not in an uninhabited place, but somewhere, where he was sure to encounter hardships.

(Translation: You can buy new clothes and stuff when we pay you your share, but if you steal from the ship’s treasure we’ll leave you to die on an island (one pistol shot and all that). If you steal from someone else, they’re allowed to cut bits off you.)

III. No person to game at cards or dice for money.

(Translation: No gambling.)

IV. The lights and candles to be put out at eight o’clock at night: if any of the crew, after that hour still remained inclined for drinking, they were to do it on the open deck.

(Translation: Lights out at 8pm. If anyone wants to stay awake, you can go up top; some people are trying to sleep.)

V. To keep their piece, pistols, and cutlass clean and fit for service.

(Translation: Have a little pride in your appearance boys. You’re pirates for God’s sake…)

VI. No boy or woman to be allowed amongst them. If any man were to be found seducing any of the latter sex, and carried her to sea, disguised, he was to suffer death.

(Translation: No women on board to distract the very lonely male crew who’ve been at sea for a long time. Note: Wives did sometimes join their husbands. And Women did end up disguising themselves and becoming pirates.)

VII. To desert the ship or their quarters in battle, was punished with death or marooning.

(Translation: Traitors and deserters will get thrown off the ship, sometimes with their blood inside their bodies)

VIII. No striking one another on board, but every man’s quarrels to be ended on shore, at sword and pistol.

(Translation: No fighting. If you do, take it outside (so to speak).)

IX. No man to talk of breaking up their way of living, till each had shared one thousand pounds. If in order to this, any man should lose a limb, or become a cripple in their service, he was to have eight hundred dollars, out of the public stock, and for lesser hurts, proportionately.

(Translation: You can’t leave the ship til you have helped plunder £1000. If you lost a limb or were badly hurt you were given £800.)

X. The Captain and Quartermaster to receive two shares of a prize: the master, boatswain, and gunner, one share and a half, and other officers one and quarter.

(Translation: Everyone is paid proportionately to their rank.)

XI. The musicians to have rest on the Sabbath Day, but the other six days and nights, none without special favor.

(Translation: Musicians get Sundays off.)