#pirate folklore

[zoethehead]

Working on more of the lps cast, here's the ghoul pirate himself; Davey Jones!

Next up are Lugh and Kebechet

[shipwreckedwithcaptainmarrow]

An update on the books! The author copies have arrived, and the process of signing and packaging has begun! For those who've ordered copies, I'll update you all individually as your copies hit the mail and are headed your direction! Also, if you're interested in placing an order for a signed copy, just shoot me a message on here, I ordered extra just in case and for future events. :)

[cryptidyuu-boo]

So according to my book there’s a myth in Lynn about a man, Hiram Marble, being told by ghosts that there was pirate treasure kept in a rock formation that is now known as “Dungeon Rock” and apparently the cave that Hiram and his son Edwin dug out in their vain attempt to find treasure is still assessable in warmer seasons and you can explore it but you need a flashlight.

Also Dungeon Rock miiiight be haunted by the ghost of the pirate Thomas Veale who was hiding in Dungeon Rock with his loot when an earthquake in 1658 entombed him inside and he assumedly perished and everything about this is getting my adventurer heart pumping!

Your girl is already planning to go check out the haunted pirate cave and maybe look for treasure!

[shipwreckedwithcaptainmarrow]

Captain Kidd and the Bible

Ever since the privateer's turn to piracy in the late 17th century, tales of Captain William Kidd have long been connected with the Bible. This was spurred on by religious beliefs that this once-good man had turned to a life of crime and evil, turning his back on the ways of God.

This association very much so took hold after his capture and subsequent execution in 1701 in Wapping, England. During his captivity, the "Ballad of Captain Kidd" (also known by many unofficially as "My Name is Captain Kidd) was created, and leaflets of its lyrics distributed among the crowd during his execution to the public in attendance for the long-awaited spectacle. The song caught on nearly immediately, even across the Atlantic where Kidd had buried his treasure on Gardiner's Island and been captured. Throughout the years, the lyrics of the song change slightly here and there, namely its verses, but most versions of this highly popular song included at least a variation of the following metaphorical claims:

"I had the Bible in my hand, As I sailed, as I sailed, And I buried it in the sand As I sailed."

Or

"I'd a Bible in my hand when I sail'd, I'd a Bible in my hand, by my father's great command, And I sunk it in the sand, when I sail'd."

This song strengthened the association between Kidd and the Bible, which directly ties into much of his folklore, many tales of which state that those seeking Kidd's alleged remaining buried treasures will be unable to do so unless reading aloud particular entries of scripture during the digging process. It was said in passing legend he had actually buried his Bible, "ingratiating the evil one" or gaining the graces of the Devil himself, which would allow him unholy protection on the seas, or utilized to bind souls or demons to watch over his buried treasures. A 19th century depiction of Kidd even gained popularity titled "Kidd Burying his Bible," showing Kidd (albeit clad in clothes a bit late for his era) with a shovel and kicking his Bible into a hole along the coast.

The trope of pirates disrespecting the Christian Bible also stemmed from these associations with Kidd, such as the pirates featured in the novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, in which pirates under the command of Long John Silver present him with the "black spot" - a circular piece of paper that had been blackened with ash as a sign they wished to depose him as their captain. This piece of paper in particular had been cut out of the Bible, specifically from the book of Revelation. Stevenson writes:

"It was around about the size of a crown piece. One side was blank, for it had been the last leaf; the other contained a verse or two of Revelation—these words among the rest, which struck sharply home upon my mind: "Without are dogs and murderers."

This all being said, a few Bibles have surfaced within the last century claiming to have been that of Kidd's. Pictured here is the primary one, from the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum, located in Florida.

This Bible's leather cover reads:

Kidd's Family Bible. Portland Farm, Leith, Edinburgh

The back of the book is imprinted with:

Capt. Wm. Kidd, Ship Adventure Galley.

Reputed to have come from his ship, Adventure Galley, these items were former possessions of Hubert Palmer, a lawyer and relic-collector, who had them as part of his private collection when he passed away in 1949. This Bible, along with a small wooden box of the same size, as well as a mirror, were sold by his house keeper and nurse for a total of £2,900, or $3,166.65. Today, as mentioned, its home is within the Pirate & Treasure museum of St. Augustine, Florida.

Kidd features as a large component of my upcoming book "Pirate Ghosts & Buried Treasures of the Northeast Coast: A Historical Assessment on Pirate Folklore," which releases on September 18, 2024 on Amazon and will be available for pre-order through this Shipwrecked page as of August 28th!

(pictured is the 19th century depiction of Kidd burying his Bible in a period woodcut style, the cover and interior of the alleged Kidd's Family Bible, a painting by N.C. Wyeth showing pirates cutting pages from the book of Revelations, and then two closeups of the imprinted leather cover of the book)

[daveysjackie]

i am researching pirate stuff and my pirate history books still havent arrived and google isnt showing me what i need and this sucks i want my books

[poems4free]

#292- shame is political

y’all call them sacrifices

make us martyrs

discover our “work” and “fight”

long after we’re dead.

but fuck you

it’s just the life we led

were forced to lead

to survive

cus YOU are so secure in your privilege

and SO SCARED of confronting

them.

but it was just our lives

no sacrifices

fuck you, stop worshipping us!

there are no pedestals

pedestaling is also part of your privilege, aint it?

heh

treat us as people, not gods

and you can do that not

until you stop looking for saviours

while filling yourself up in dark

secret rooms, your

nooks, corners, and crannies

with shame!

- loonybird

[poems4free]

#289- huku

flourish and multiply

my people!

flou

rish

and multiply!

my crazy people! 

- loonybird

[alittlebookofwisdom]

GW2 Pirate Stories

In the early days of Lion's Arch, when the Captain's Council was a mere consideration so as to avoid all-out wars amongst the pirates who berthed in the comfortable harbor, a ship was preparing to ship out on the morning tide.

It was a beauty of a galley, her mast was straight and tall, her sails were full and wide, her hull cut through the morning mist like a scythe through wheat.  Her captain was a man of much renown- he was a rake the likes of which has not been seen since and his name was whispered in society high and low.  A pirate in every sense of the word.

His only failing was superstition- he never allowed a woman to step foot aboard his beautiful ship, fearing her to be a jealous mistress.  His figurehead, carved in the likeness of a siren with a form to make the most wondrous of women weep for feeling inadequate, was blindfolded whenever he made his way into port, that she might not behold a female form.

On his last day in the Arch, it so happened that the captain of this ship of wonders was saying farewell to his most recent lady love.  She clung and wept, wishing him well and begging him to remember her most fondly.  He lifted her up and swung her round and by the vagaries of fate he happened to set her down with the toe of her boot landing where the gangplank met the deck of his ship.

The lovers paid no heed- the lady went her way, the captain took the helm and off he sailed into the bright beautiful day.

But the bonds of fate had landed 'round his neck and before he passed the encircling arms of the harbor the blindfold around his figurehead's eyes fell away.

It was while they were far from the sight of land that they came upon the shipwreck.  The debris was still aflame, eerie in the dark of a cloudy night, a storm rising from the south that lifted whitecaps to the waves.

It was one of his sailors that saw the woman- her nightgown was pale as a beacon, pale as moon-washed skin.  She was barely clinging to a spear of wood and each wave that struck her seemed destined to sweep her away.  He could not leave her there to die and despite his superstition he called for his crew to bring her aboard.

She was pale as her gown, lovely as the moon, her hair dark, her eyes dark, and even wrapped in a rough blanket she moved his men to worship.  The captain offered her his cabin, gently offering her his bed.

"You must be weary, my dear." He told her.  "Please, sleep."

She shook her head and clutched his vest, suddenly afraid.  "I cannot sleep, I must not sleep."  she cried.  "I cannot sleep 'til we reach shore."

The captain frowned.  "What do you mean my dear?"

"If I sleep, I must dream.  And in all my dreams, I drown."

A chill ran up the captain's spine and the sky began to flash as the storm broke overhead.  His ship gave a mighty shudder as she gazed up at him.

"You must keep me awake.  I will clean for you, I will warm your bed, but do not let me sleep."

The storm swept the ship before it and the castaway and the captain were driven before it.  He was but a man, however, and the storm was no natural storm, and before it's fury he fell into a deep and exhausted sleep.

The next thing he heard was a sound like a scream, a woman's scream, mad with laughter.  He awoke to the crash and crack of his mighty ship's back being broken, her beautiful mast coming apart, her sails flying away in the wind.  Before his eyes was the floating body of the castaway, her dark eyes reflecting the lightning that crashed above.  As he gazed at her, she transformed before him into the living image of his figurehead.

The water rushed into his cabin as her cold fingers closed 'round his throat.