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Pirate Legend
For more information about Pirates, see our Pirates Page
Legends and Myth
There are many stories and legends of pirates that have been passed down from generation to generations. Some are so unbelievable that folks of the modern word believe them to be just myth, but are they?
Buried Treasure and Treasure Maps
 Ever since Treasure Island, pirates have been know to bury their treasure. There are many stories about searching for buried treasure and hiding treasure for later.
See our Treasure Map Page for more information on treasure maps. |
Walking the Plank
 Pirates used all sorts of horrible sadistic tortures in their time, and imagination is probably safer than actual historical account for young ones. Mutineers haves also been know to use the plank to get rid of tiresome ship officers.
This had been thought to be another cinema creation, but the concept for walking the plank predates movies. Walking the plank was reported in 1829 when the Dutch ship Vhan Fredericka was attacked by pirates in the sea near Cuba. Passengers were blindfolded with arms bound and told to walk the plank while strapped to a cannonball. The phrase "walking the plank" is also recorded in English writer Francis Grose's "Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue", which was published in 1788 (first published in 1785). Timelife books also published that mutineer George Wood confessed to his chaplain at Newgate Prison in 1769 that he and his fellow mutineers had sent their officers to walk the plank.
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Creatures of the Sea
There are many creatures of the sea who are a danger to sailors and pirates alike. Some are so horrible that they have no name as no one has lived to tell the tale of these demons from the deep.
Mermaids, Merfolk and Merpeople
 They can be sweet and kind when they love you or are in a nice Disney film such as Peter Pan or the Little Mermaid. They can also be evil Sirens who seduce you and lure you in to your death.
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Siren
 These were three dangerous bird-women, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of an island called Sirenum scopuli.
These are sometimes depicted as animal-like creatures, or as beautiful women or as half fish/half maiden mermaids. |
 Disney added these Greek creatures to an Arabic Sailor story and depicted them as watery but still very deadly illusions.
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Kraken
 This is an enormous sea creature capable of ripping a ship to pieces. It might be a rouge hungry animal looking for a bite, or it might be a demon of the deep and under the control of some ocean devil. They are best avoided
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Sharks
 So, why is walking the plank so scary? To seaman, it means that you will probably drown after a certain amount of time, but it also means that you might be eaten by a shark at some time. And these are not small fish, some have been know to get as long as 20 feet...that's longer then that rowboat you are taking to shore!
Sharks do have personalities and are a menace. They have been known to follow ships and to taunt people in small boats.
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Whale
 There have been many stories of whales attacking ships, boat and even swallowing boats and men whole. They can do that because they are huge.
Don't mess with Moby Dick. He thinks you're out to get him. |
Giant Squid
 Jules Verne talked about a giant squid in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. And guess what? These actually exist.
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Sea Serpents
 Sightings of sea serpents have been reported for hundreds of years.
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Scylla
 In
Greek mythology, Scylla was a monster that lived on one side of a narrow
channel of water, opposite its counterpart Charybdis. The two sides of
the strait were within an arrow's range of each other - so close that
sailors attempting to avoid Charybdis would pass too close to Scylla and
vice versa.
Scylla was a horrible sea monster with four eyes, six long necks equipped with grisly heads, each of which contained three rows of sharp teeth. Her body consisted of twelve tentacle-like legs and a cat's tail and with four to six dog-heads ringing her waist.
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Charybdis
 In Greek mythology, Charybdis or Kharybdis was once a beautiful naiad and the daughter of Poseidon and Gaia. She takes form as a huge bladder of a creature whose face was all mouth and whose arms and legs were flippers and who swallows huge amounts of water three times a day before belching them back out again, creating whirlpools. In some variations of the tale, Charybdis is just a large whirlpool rather than a sea monster.
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Lernaean Hydra
 In
Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra was an ancient nameless
serpent-like chthonic water beast, with reptilian traits, (as its
name evinces) that possessed many heads — the poets mention more
heads than the vase-painters could paint, and for each head cut off
it grew two more — and poisonous breath so virulent even her tracks
were deadly. The Hydra of Lerna was killed by Heracles as the
second of his Twelve Labours. Its lair was the lake of Lerna in the
Argolid.
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Iku-Turso
 Iku-Turso
(Finnish pronunciation: [ˈikuˌturso], "the eternal Turso"; also
known as Iku-Tursas, Iki-Tursas, Meritursas, Tursas, Turisas among
others) is a malevolent sea monster in the Finnish mythology
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Jörmungandr
Norse mythology, Jörmungandr is a sea serpent, and the middle child
of the giantess Angrboða and the god Loki. According to the Prose
Edda, Odin took Loki's three children, Fenrisúlfr, Hel and
Jörmungandr, and tossed Jörmungandr into the great ocean that
encircles Midgard. The serpent grew so large that he was able
to surround the Earth and grasp his own tail.
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Leviathan
 Leviathan, is a sea monster referred to in the Bible. In Demonology, Leviathan is one of the seven princes of Hell and its gatekeeper.
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Loch Ness Monster
 The Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere.
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Tiamat
 In
Babylonian mythology, Tiamat is a chaos monster, a primordial
goddess of the ocean. Though Tiamat is often described by
modern authors as a sea serpent or dragon, no ancient texts exist in
which there is a clear association with those kinds of creatures,
and the identification is debated.[9] The Enûma Elish specifically
states that Tiamat did give birth to dragons and serpents, but they
are included among a larger and more general list of monsters
including scorpion men and merpeople, none of which imply that any
of the children resemble the mother or are even limited to aquatic
creatures.
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Crocodile
 These
can be a problem for at least one pirate.
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Demons of the Sea
Poseidon (Neptune)
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology
Amphitrite
In ancient Greek mythology, Amphitrite was a sea-goddess and wife of Poseidon
Salacia
In ancient Roman mythology, Salacia was the female divinity of the sea, worshipped as the goddess of salt water who presided over the depths of the ocean. She was the wife and queen of Neptune, god of the sea and water.
Proteus
 According
to Homer, the sandy island of Pharos situated off the coast of the
Nile Delta was the home of Proteus, the oracular Old Man of the Sea
and herdsman of the sea-beasts.
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Calypso
Calypso is remembered most for her role in Homer's Odyssey, in which she keeps the fabled Greek hero Odysseus on her island so she could make him her immortal husband. She was a nymph in Greek mythology, who lived on the island of Ogygia.
In the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Calypso is a voodoo witch bound in human form but with supernatural powers.
Strange Parts of the World
There are many strange and wonderful places that can only be reached by ship and a daring crew. Great wonders and dangers exist in these places.
Wiki List_of_fictional_islands
Atlantis
 Atlantis
is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus
and Critias, written about 360 BC.
According to Plato, Atlantis was a naval power lying "in front of the Pillars of Hercules" that conquered many parts of Western Europe and Africa 9,000 years before the time of Solon, or approximately 9600 BC. After a failed attempt to invade Athens, Atlantis sank into the ocean "in a single day and night of misfortune".
There are many stories dealing with the story of Atlantis, searching for Atlantis, the presences of supernatural powers in Atlantis and underwater civilizations of Atlantis.
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Brasil
 Brasil, also known as Hy-Brasil or several other variants, is a phantom island which was said to lie in the Atlantic ocean west of Ireland. In Irish myths it was said to be cloaked in mist, except for one day each seven years, when it became visible but still could not be reached. |
El Dorado (Manoa)
 For hundreds of years many explorers have searched for El Dorado. El Dorado has been known by several names over the years such as The Seven Cities of Cibola, The Seven Cities of Antillia, Manoa, Quiviera, Paititi, Land of the Golden Man, and Land of the Golden Serpent. It has been sought after in both North and South America. Well-known explorers such as Coronado, Vaca de Cabeza, Pizarro, Fawcett and Sir Walter Raleigh have been involved in the search. All of them were unsuccessful in their quest of pinpointing the real El Dorado.
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Amazon
A very long river to navigate, filled with all sorts of danger including snakes, piranhas, crocodiles, panthers, poisonous everything (bug, frogs, plants), quicksand, cannibals, Amazons, secret tribes, treasure hunters, Spanish explorers with guns and sword, and the unbearable heat and humidity. But it's a place to hide and a place for adventure.
Edge of the World
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It's best that you don't sail off of the edge of the world.
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Whirlpool
 Giant ones are best avoided.
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Arctic Circle and other Places Cold
 Water covered with floating ice or frozen altogether would make navigating waters in the very north and south of the world. The cold air and risk of getting wet made travelling in the cold a potentially deadly endeavor. |
Pirate Adversaries
Other Pirates
Pirates were a blood thirsty crew and often lacked the code of honor that they may be afforded in novels and movies. Territory disputes, envy, personality conflicts and even fight over women can turn individual pirates against each other or start all out pirate wars.
Pirate Hunters
Towards the end of the Age of Pirates, some of Europe's and other coastlines were abandoned, the shipping industry was decimated and something had to be done. Unemployed sailors were pressed into naval service and the world's navies set out to protect shipments and hunt down the loathsome pirates. A single pirate ship was no match for a ship full of cannons and heavily armed sailors and marines.
Cannibals
A quick stop on an uncharted island or beach in search of food and water can turn ugly when the locals are also hunting for food and in this case - you.
Local Militia
The locals don't have to want to eat you to still want you dead and the local hospitality can turn sour after their last encounter with bad pirates.
Ghosts - on ship or land
The evil of some pirates lives one even after death. They are best avoided, no mater how large a treasure they left behind.
Spanish Fleet
Loan ships were rich and easy pickings early on. But fleets of large and heavily armed ships could pose as a serious danger to a pirate ship.
Creatures - see above
Dodging the naval fleet was bad enough, but man eating sea creatures! Life just got a lot harder.
Mutinous Crew
When the going gets tough, things can get out of hand.
Weather
Typhoons, hurricanes, blizzards and tidal waves can really ruin a day.
Starvation
Lack of food or water on a desert island or ship in the middle of nowhere can be a real problem.
Shipwreck or otherwise Marooned
Whether by cannon fire, weather or an unavoidable reef, being shipwrecked just isn't fun. First you need to avoid the sharks and make it to land. Then you have to find food and water and avoid any cannibals.
Disease
No one likes to mention the topic of tropical diseases, but there were plenty. They included many nutritional deficiency diseases such as scurvy, bugborne diseases such as malaria, basic fecalborne diseases from poor sanitation, infections from battle wounds or ship injuries and of course venereal diseases. These were big killers in the days before they had a clue what caused disease or how to prevent them.
Wrath of God
It is possible that your pirating can get a little out of hand and you go a bit too far. Piss off a god and things can get really rough in a hurry.
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