Pirates
The image of the swashbuckling pirate has long been popular, especially since the arrival of Hollywood. Early pirates were often cast as evil villains, the scourge of the seven seas who would threaten the plucky hero. Today the trend seems to be more towards pirates as loveable rogues fighting against a corrupt and heartless system.Either way the pirate is clearly a criminal and an outlaw. Perhaps that's part of the appeal of the image. It represents freedom. In a world where most of us spend our lives working in mundane jobs to pay our bills there is something appealling about the idea of just taking to sea and living by ones own rules.
The pirate also explores where others will not go. As such many pirate tales are also filled with mysterious sea creatures, ghostly ships and skeletal creatures. On land taverns, wenches and fighting are all common elements of the stories.
And of course there is the treasure. Pirates are always associated with treasure - hunting it, stealing it, burying it.
The reality, of course, was far less glamourous. On these pages I'll try and explain a little of both the world of the real historic pirate and also the fictional pirates from the stories and movies we all love.