Pirates in the arts and popular culture


In English-speaking popular culture, the modern pirate stereotype owes its attributes mostly to the imagined tradition of the 18th-century Caribbean pirate sailing off the Spanish Main and to such celebrated 20th-century depictions as Captain Hook and his crew in the theatrical and film versions of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan, Robert Newton's portrayal of Long John Silver in the 1950 film adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel Treasure Island, and various adaptations of the Middle Eastern pirate, Sinbad the Sailor. In these and countless other books, films, and legends, pirates are portrayed as "swashbucklers" and "plunderers". They are shown on ships, often wearing eyepatches or peg legs, having a parrot perched on their shoulder, speaking in a West Country accent, and saying phrases like "Arr, matey" and "Avast, me hearty". Pirates have retained their image through pirate-themed tourist attractions, film, toys, books and plays.

Origins

The characteristics of pirates in popular culture largely derive from the Golden Age of Piracy in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, with many examples of pirate fiction being set within this era. Vikings, who were also pirates, took on a distinct and separate archetype in popular culture, dating from the Viking revival.
The first major literary work to popularise the subject of pirates was A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious pirates by Captain Charles Johnson. In giving an almost mythical status to the more colourful characters, such as the notorious English pirates Blackbeard and John Rackham, the book provided the standard account of the lives of many pirates in the Golden Age, and influenced pirate literature of Scottish novelists Robert Louis Stevenson and J. M. Barrie. While Johnson's text recounted the lives of many famous pirates from the era, it is likely that he used considerable licence in his accounts of pirate conversations.
Stevenson's Treasure Island is considered the most influential work of pirate fiction, along with its many film and television adaptations, and introduced or popularised many of the characteristics and cliches now common to the genre. Stevenson identified Johnson's General History of the pirates as one of his major influences, and even borrowed one character's name from a list of Blackbeard's crew which appeared in Johnson's book.
In 18th and 19th century Britain, historical-fiction portrayals of pirates on the dramatic stage included false flag props representing the various European navies. A common trope was to represent the archetypical scene where a crew of privateers donned false uniforms along with the false flag as they approached a ship, only raising the skull and bones flag at the last moment before the attack. Other tricks often portrayed on stage included the pirate offering to gamble, or claiming the need to inspect documents or retrieve a runaway prisoner, before placing the victim of the scheme in shackles. These portrayals of pirate characters were fictionalised but based on the mythologised historical memory of both the Golden Age of Piracy and the contemporary pirates at that time. Barbary corsairs were a frequent type of pirate portrayed in that genre of stage and literature.

Appearance and mannerisms of Caribbean pirates

In films, books, cartoons, and toys, pirates often have a rough-and-ready appearance that evokes their criminal lifestyle, rogue personalities and adventurous, seafaring pursuits. They are usually greedy, mean-spirited, drunk on rum and focused largely on fighting and robbing enemy pirates and locating hidden treasure. They often wear shabby 17th or 18th century clothing, with a bandana or feathered tricorne. They are almost always armed with a cutlass and a flintlock pistol, or similar weaponry. They sometimes have scars and battle wounds, rotten or missing teeth, as well as a hook or wooden stump where a hand or a leg has been amputated, and often an eye patch to conceal a lost eye. Some depictions of pirates also include monkeys or parrots as pets, the former mischievously assisting them in thieving and the latter loudly copying whatever the pirate captain says. The ship's captain will force captives and mutinous crewmen to walk the plank over shark-infested waters.
Historical pirates were often sailors or soldiers who had fallen into misfortune or were captured, forced into a life of crime. In various literature, the pirates may be represented as having fallen, perhaps resembling a "respectable" person in some way. Pirate characters generally quest for buried treasure, plundered riches in treasure chests. Pirates' treasure is usually gold or silver, often in the form of doubloons or pieces of eight.

Pirate subculture

In the 1990s, International [Talk Like a Pirate Day] was invented as a parody holiday celebrated on September 19. This holiday allows people to "let out their inner pirate" and to dress and speak according to the pirate stereotype above. It has been gaining popularity through the Internet since its founders set up a website teaching "pirate speak."
Many games, movies, and other media are built upon the premise, introduced by Real Ultimate Power, that pirates and buccaneers are sworn enemies of ninjas. The "Pirates versus Ninjas" meme is also expressed in house parties and merchandise at popular-culture clothing and gift stores.
Pirates also play a central role in the parody religion of Pastafarianism. Established in 2005, Pastafarians claim to believe that global warming is a result of the severe decrease in pirates since the 18th century, explaining the coldness associated with winter months that follow Halloween as a direct effect of the number of pirates that make their presence known in celebration.

Science fiction pirates

The pirate archetype has been adapted to science fiction with more or less futuristic dress and speech.
  • Air pirates are science fiction and fantasy character archetypes who operate in the air, rather than sailing the sea. As traditional seafaring pirates target sailing ships, air pirates capture and plunder aircraft and other targets for cargo, money, and occasionally they steal entire aircraft.
  • Space pirates are science fiction character archetypes who operate in outer space, rather than sailing the sea. As traditional seafaring pirates target sailing ships, space pirates capture and plunder spaceships for cargo, money, and occasionally they steal entire spacecraft.

Pirates in the arts

Comics and manga

Terry and the Pirates by Milton Caniff is an adventure comic strip frequently set among 20th-century pirates of China and Southeast Asia, led by the notorious Dragon Lady.

Films

The Black Pirate, a 1926 film starring Douglas Fairbanks.Treasure Island, a 1934 adaptation of Stevenson's book, starring Wallace Beery.Captain Blood, a 1935 film starring Errol Flynn.The Buccaneer, a 1938 film starring Fredric March.Jamaica Inn, a 1939 film starring Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, and Robert Newton.The Sea Hawk, a 1940 film starring Errol Flynn.Reap the Wild Wind, a 1942 film starring John Wayne.The Black Swan, a 1942 film starring Tyrone Power, Maureen O'Hara, and Anthony Quinn.Frenchman's Creek, a 1944 film starring Basil Rathbone and Joan Fontaine.The Pirate, a 1948 musical starring Gene Kelly and Judy Garland.Treasure Island, a 1950 adaptation of Stevenson's book, starring Robert Newton.Against All Flags, a 1952 film starring Errol Flynn and Maureen O'Hara.

Literature

Robinson Crusoe and The Life, Adventures and Piracies of the Famous Captain Singleton by Daniel Defoe were among the first novels to depict piracy, among other maritime adventures.A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates by Captain Charles Johnson introduced many features which later became common in pirate literature, such as pirates with missing legs or eyes, the myth of pirates burying treasure, and the name of the pirates flag Jolly Roger.The Corsair, a poem by Byron, 6th Baron Byron|Byron] concerns a pirate captain. It directly inspired Berlioz' overture Le Corsair.Moby Dick by Herman Melville.The Pirate, a novel by Sir Walter Scott.

Music

Stage

In 1879, the comic opera The Pirates of Penzance was an instant hit in New York, and the original London production in 1880 ran for 363 performances. The piece, depicting an incompetent band of "tenderhearted" British pirates, is still performed widely today, and corresponds to historical knowledge about the emergence of piracy in the Caribbean.
While they do not appear onstage, in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Hamlet's ship to England is overtaken by pirates, allowing him to escape. Another example of pirates unwittingly saving someone's life appears in Shakespeare's Pericles, Prince of Tyre.
File:1951 Boris Karloff Captain Hook Peter Pan.jpg|thumb| Boris Karloff as Captain Hook in a 1951 Broadway production of Peter Pan
In 1904, J.M. Barrie's play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up was first performed. In the book, Peter's enemy in Neverland is the pirate crew led by Captain Hook. Details on Barrie's conception of Captain Hook are lacking, but he was seemingly inspired by at least one historical privateer, and possibly by Robert Louis Stevenson's Long John Silver. In film adaptations released in 1924, 1953, and 2003, Hook's dress, as well as the attire of his crew, corresponds to stereotypical notions of pirate appearance.Il pirata is an opera by Vincenzo Bellini, 1827The Pirates of Penzance, a comic operetta by Gilbert and Sullivan contains a Pirate King and a crew of orphan pirates.Captain Sabertooth is a play first performed in the zoo\amusement park at Norway by Terje Formoe.The Buccaneers of America by John Esquemeling is the supposedly real stories of some Caribbean pirates.The Lady Pirates of Captain Bree also called Captain Bree and her Lady Pirates by Martin A. Follose and Bill Francoeur, a musical spoofStörtebeker Festival on Rügen island in Germany, established in 1959/1993, is one of the best-established open-air theatres in Europe, following the stories and legends of Klaus Störtebeker and his Victual Brothers and Likedeelers of the 14th century.

Television

The Buccaneers 1956 - A juvenile adventure series produced for Britain's ITV. It featured Robert Shaw as Captain Dan Tempest, a reformed pirate in service to the British administration in the Bahamas during the early 18th century.Captain Pugwash, a series of British children's animated television programmes, comic strips and books, was first shown on the BBC in 1957.

Video games

Alone in the Dark is a survival horror game in which the antagonist, Ezechiel Pregzt, is a pirate turned eldritch cultist. Its sequel, Alone in the Dark 2, featured several pirates led by One Eyed Jack as antagonists.Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is centered around the Golden Age of Piracy.Brawlhalla features Thatch as a playable character

Advertising

Captain Crook was a character in McDonald's restaurants' McDonaldland advertising, 1971–1985. He appeared as a "mascot"-type costumed character, performed by Robert Towers and voiced by Larry Storch.Jean LaFoote was an animated pirate character appearing in advertising for Cap'n Crunch cereal in the mid-1970s. He was created by Jay Ward Productions and voiced by Jay Ward regular Bill Scott.Captain Morgan – the namesake of the British brand of rum is Sir Henry Morgan, known as both a privateer and a pirate.

Pirates in sports

Because pirate ships connote fearsomeness, loyalty and teamwork, many professional and amateur sports teams use the nickname Pirates, as well as other nicknames or logos associated with cultural depictions of pirates, such as an eyepatch.
Teams:
Pro wrestler Paul Burchill from WWE Friday Night SmackDown dressed like a pirate and claimed that Blackbeard is his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather. Previously, Carl Ouellet wrestled as Jean-Pierre Lafitte.
  • Kung Fu
  • The music group Ye Banished Privateers recently introduced the sports genre "pirate kung fu" for fans and musicians alike.