What an interestin' time it must have been when t' pirate's were around! "
Clew Bay in Ireland was a safe haven for many a pirate, did you know that?
Clew Bay
The west coast of Ireland might not seem like prime pirate territory, but in the 16th century the rugged shores of Clew Bay served as the stronghold for of one of history’s most formidable lady corsairs. During a time when Ireland was ruled by dozens of local chieftains, Grace O’Malley defied convention and emerged as the leader of a seafaring clan who controlled the coastlines through intimidation and plunder. From her base of operations at Rockfleet Castle, O’Malley—also known as Granuaile—commanded hundreds of men and some 20 ships in raids on rival clans and merchant ships. She also ran afoul of government officials, who made repeated attempts to curb her activity. When a fleet from Galway besieged her castle in 1574, O’Malley led her pirates in a counterattack and forced the ships into a retreat.
The west coast of Ireland might not seem like prime pirate territory, but in the 16th century the rugged shores of Clew Bay served as the stronghold for of one of history’s most formidable lady corsairs. During a time when Ireland was ruled by dozens of local chieftains, Grace O’Malley defied convention and emerged as the leader of a seafaring clan who controlled the coastlines through intimidation and plunder. From her base of operations at Rockfleet Castle, O’Malley—also known as Granuaile—commanded hundreds of men and some 20 ships in raids on rival clans and merchant ships. She also ran afoul of government officials, who made repeated attempts to curb her activity. When a fleet from Galway besieged her castle in 1574, O’Malley led her pirates in a counterattack and forced the ships into a retreat.
O’Malley was captured in 1577 and spent several months behind bars, but
by the 1580s she was once again stalking the seas surrounding Clew Bay. Her
hands-on style of leadership earned her a reputation as a ruthless fighter—a
popular legend states that she once gunned down a Turkish buccaneer only a day
after giving birth—but she also showed a keen understanding of politics. When
English colonial authorities eventually captured her son and impounded her
ships, O’Malley petitioned the Crown for redress and then set sail for England.
During a historic 1593 meeting with Queen Elizabeth I, she personally
negotiated her son’s release and even secured the return of her fleet.
So practice speaking like a pirate
Ahoy! - Hello!
Ahoy, Matey - Hello, my friend!
Ahoy, me Hearties! - the same as saying "Hello, my friends!"
All hand hoay! - comparable to all hands on deck
Avast ye - stop and check this out or pay attention
Aye - yes
Batten down the hatches - put everything away on the ship and tie everything down because a storm is brewing
Bilge-sucking - insult
Blimey! - exhortation of surprise
Blow me down! - expression of shock of disbelief akin to "Holy Crap!"
Blow the man down - command to kill someone
Booty - treasure
Buccaneer - a pirate
Bucko - a buccaneer
Cat O'Nine Tails - a whip with nine strands
Cleave him to the brisket - to cut across the chest, from one shoulder to the lower abdomen
Corsair - pirates in the Mediterranean Sea
Crow's nest - small platform atop the mast where the lookout stands
Cutlass - short heavy curved bladed sword used by pirates
Davy Jones' Locker - fabled, mythical place at the bottom of the ocean where the evil spirit of Davy Jones brings sailor and pirates to die
Dead men tell no tales - phrase indicating to leave no survivors
Doubloons - other coins or found in pirate hoards and stashes
Feed the fish - will soon die
Hang 'im from the yardarm - punishment of those captured in battle
Head - the pirate ship's toilet
Heave Ho - give it some muscle and push it
Hempen Halter - a noose for hanging
Hornswaggle - to defraud or cheat out of money or belongings
Jacob's Ladder - the rope ladder one uses to climb aboard a sloop
Jolly Roger - pirate's flag including white skull and crossbones over a black field
Keelhaul - punishment in which a person where dragged underneath the pirate ship from side to side and was lacerated by the barnacles on the vessel
Lad, lass, lassie - a younger person
Landlubber - big, slow clumsy person who doesn't know how to sail
Letters of Marque - letters issue from governments during wartime to privateers endorsing the piracy of another vessel
Man-O-War - pirate's ship outfitted for battle
Me - my
Mizzen - third mast from the bow of the ship on ships that have three or more masts
Old Salt - an experienced sailor
Pieces of eight - coins or found in pirate stashes
Pillage - rob, sack or plunder
Poop deck - the part of the ship farthest to the back, which is usually above the captain's quarters. This is not the bathroom.
Privateer - government-sponsored pirates
Rum - pirate's traditional alcoholic beverage
Run a shot across the bow - warning shot to another vessel's captain
Savvy? - do you understand and do you agree?
Scallywag - mild insult akin to rapscallion or rogue
Scurvy dog - the pirate is talking directly to you with mild insult
Scuttle - to sink a ship
Seadog - old pirate or sailor
Shark bait - will soon join Davy Jones' Locker
Shipshape - cleaned up and under control
Shiver me timbers! - comparable to "Holy Crap!"
Son of a Biscuit Eater - insult directed towards someone you don't like
Splice the mainbrace! - give the crew a drink!
Thar she blows! - Whale sighting
Three sheets to the wind - someone who is very drunk. One sheet is mildly drunk and four sheets is passed out.
Walk the plank - punishment in which person walks off a board jutting over the side of the ship while at sea. The consequence is drowning and a visit to Davy Jones' Locker.
Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen! - pull up the anchor and the sail and let's get going
Ye - you
Yo Ho Ho - cheerful exhortation to demand attention
So practice speaking like a pirate
Pirate Phrases
Aaaarrrrgggghhhh! - exhortation of discontent or disgustAhoy! - Hello!
Ahoy, Matey - Hello, my friend!
Ahoy, me Hearties! - the same as saying "Hello, my friends!"
All hand hoay! - comparable to all hands on deck
Avast ye - stop and check this out or pay attention
Aye - yes
Batten down the hatches - put everything away on the ship and tie everything down because a storm is brewing
Bilge-sucking - insult
Blimey! - exhortation of surprise
Blow me down! - expression of shock of disbelief akin to "Holy Crap!"
Blow the man down - command to kill someone
Booty - treasure
Buccaneer - a pirate
Bucko - a buccaneer
Cat O'Nine Tails - a whip with nine strands
Cleave him to the brisket - to cut across the chest, from one shoulder to the lower abdomen
Corsair - pirates in the Mediterranean Sea
Crow's nest - small platform atop the mast where the lookout stands
Cutlass - short heavy curved bladed sword used by pirates
Davy Jones' Locker - fabled, mythical place at the bottom of the ocean where the evil spirit of Davy Jones brings sailor and pirates to die
Dead men tell no tales - phrase indicating to leave no survivors
Doubloons - other coins or found in pirate hoards and stashes
Feed the fish - will soon die
Hang 'im from the yardarm - punishment of those captured in battle
Head - the pirate ship's toilet
Heave Ho - give it some muscle and push it
Hempen Halter - a noose for hanging
Hornswaggle - to defraud or cheat out of money or belongings
Jacob's Ladder - the rope ladder one uses to climb aboard a sloop
Jolly Roger - pirate's flag including white skull and crossbones over a black field
Keelhaul - punishment in which a person where dragged underneath the pirate ship from side to side and was lacerated by the barnacles on the vessel
Lad, lass, lassie - a younger person
Landlubber - big, slow clumsy person who doesn't know how to sail
Letters of Marque - letters issue from governments during wartime to privateers endorsing the piracy of another vessel
Man-O-War - pirate's ship outfitted for battle
Me - my
Mizzen - third mast from the bow of the ship on ships that have three or more masts
Old Salt - an experienced sailor
Pieces of eight - coins or found in pirate stashes
Pillage - rob, sack or plunder
Poop deck - the part of the ship farthest to the back, which is usually above the captain's quarters. This is not the bathroom.
Privateer - government-sponsored pirates
Rum - pirate's traditional alcoholic beverage
Run a shot across the bow - warning shot to another vessel's captain
Savvy? - do you understand and do you agree?
Scallywag - mild insult akin to rapscallion or rogue
Scurvy dog - the pirate is talking directly to you with mild insult
Scuttle - to sink a ship
Seadog - old pirate or sailor
Shark bait - will soon join Davy Jones' Locker
Shipshape - cleaned up and under control
Shiver me timbers! - comparable to "Holy Crap!"
Son of a Biscuit Eater - insult directed towards someone you don't like
Splice the mainbrace! - give the crew a drink!
Thar she blows! - Whale sighting
Three sheets to the wind - someone who is very drunk. One sheet is mildly drunk and four sheets is passed out.
Walk the plank - punishment in which person walks off a board jutting over the side of the ship while at sea. The consequence is drowning and a visit to Davy Jones' Locker.
Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen! - pull up the anchor and the sail and let's get going
Ye - you
Yo Ho Ho - cheerful exhortation to demand attention
No comments:
Post a Comment