thepiratescode

[thepiratescode]

Attendees at the Fourth Meeting

Captain Jack Sparrow

Captain Hector Barbossa 

Captain Elizabeth Swann

Mistress Ching: a blind Chinese woman

Gentleman Jocard: slave turned pirate

Capitaine Chevalle: says he's a "penniless" Frechman

Villanueva: a very reserved Spaniard

Ammand the Corsair: scourge of the Barbary Coast

Sri Sumbhajee: a Hindu

[thepiratescode]

you still there?

Now I am. (:

[thepiratescode]

How to Pass the Time

1. Pick a Pet.

When the the royal courts of Europe began to establish mengeries, the forerunners to modern zoos, the demand for exotic animals from the New World increased dramatically. Exotic birds like parrots became not only valuable commodities but a kind of status symbol as well. In other words, a parrot on the shoulder is more or less a pirate's idea of bling. An added benefit or keeping a parrot: When a long voyage begins to addle one's brain, conversing with a parrot is a good way to talk to oneself without really talking to oneself.   Parrots aren't the only animal companions that pirates have seen fit to adopt. Dogs and cats have been seen aboard many a pirate vessel. The most useful out of all, however, is the monkey. Not only can these little creatures be trained to fetch items and distract enemies, but, by dint of their comedic shenanigans they can lighten the dreary, day-to-day toil of sailing. 

2. Make music.

The word buccaneer has become synonymous with pirate, but it once had a far different definition, referring to French hunters in the Caribbean known for their smoked meats. In other words, food and piracy are inextricably linked, which is odd, seeing as how culinary expertise is hardly a hallmark of the pirate. The sea-kettle of the ship's cook is one of the most neglected parts of ebing a pirate ship-and that's really saying something-although pirates, like all people, love a good meal. Surprisingly, sea food does not rank high in their menu, mostly because they are poor fishermen.   Ironically, land-farmed meat, such as poultry and pork, is far more favorable toy your average pirate, and usually stocked with these types of victuals each time it's docked. The lack of refrigeration, however, is a problem, usually solved by salting and curing or simply turning the most dubious cuts into some form of stew. And scurvy, the bane of all sea-goers, presents only a minor concern to pirates operating among the subtropical isles of the Caribbean, where vitamin-rich fruits are ripe for picking.   Another ostensible staple of the pirate diet-alcohol- is not as widespread as popular stereotypes would have you believe. A drunk pirate is a dead pirate, after all, since an outlaw can only survive by keeping his wits about him at all times. That's not to say that pirates don't willfully perpetuate and capitalize on the image of the brandy-bathed, grog-gargling, rum-muddled marauder. After all, when trying to outfox one's enemies, acting drunk is better than being drunk.  

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Welp.

So, um. Before you decide to kill me. I'M SORRY. It's literally been MONTHS since I updated this blog. That with entering college, work, and other stuff my life has been changing quickly.

Yes, I've been neglecting this blog. Yes, it pains me so. Yes, I will still update this blog. I'm surprised that a good chunk of you decided to stick around. And partially, for me returning to this blog was because of the amount of messages that I received of people telling not to forget about this blog, etc. 

Sorry, guys. To those that are still following me, I will make it up to y'all. Maybe a giveaway? Something of sorts, I don't know. I'll try to update this blog with new chapters/lessons at least one a week. (:

[thepiratescode]

hangthecode:

Hoist The Colours

[thepiratescode]

Thieves and beggars, never shall we die.

[thepiratescode]

kcmanzanal:

[Dangerous song to be singing, for anyone ignorant of it’s meaning]

Hoist The Colours

The king and his men stole the queen from her bed and bound her in her Bones. The seas be ours and by the powers where we will we’ll roam. Yo, ho, haul together, hoist the colors high. Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die.

[thepiratescode]

Hoist the Colours High

Yo, ho, all together, hoist the Colors high,  Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die.  Yo, ho, all together, hoist the Colors high,  Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die. 

The king and his men, stole the queen from her bed,  and bound her in her bones.  The seas be ours, and by the powers,  where we will... we’ll roam.  Yo, ho, all pounds, hoist the Colors high,  Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die.  Some men have died and some are alive  And others sail on the sea  With the keys to the cage,  and the Devil to pay  We lay to Fiddler’s Green !  Yo, ho, all together, hoist the Colors high,  Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die.  The bell has been raised, from it’s watery grave,  Hear it’s sepulchral tone?  A Call to all, pay head the squall,  and turn your sail home !  Yo, ho, all together, hoist the Colors high,  Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die. 

[thepiratescode]

The Brethren Court

Made up o' the great Pirate Lords, the Brethren Court has been the go'ernin' body o' the high seas as far back as the Dawn o' Ci'ilization. At the First Meetin' o' the Brethren Court, the Pirate Lords who made up this body bound Calypso, the Goddess o' the Sea, in human form. They sealed her fate with Nine Pieces o' Eight, so that the rule o' seas would belong t' men. These pieces o' Eight be now passed down through the generations as each Pirate Lord names his or her successor t' the Court. At times when the 'ery existence o' pirates seems imperiled, and the Brethren wish t' declare an act o' war against a common ad'ersary, they can do so only upon the agreement and the election o' a Pirate Kin'. A Pirate Kin' is selected by a 'ote o' the nine Pirate Lords o' the Court. Prior t' nomination, the Kin' must fulfill the followin' three requirements: the applicant must captain a ship, swear by the code, and have sleepin' with Davy Jones' locker a man. Once these prarquisites be pro'ed, the elected Kin' is sworn in by the Keeper o' the Code. Duties o' the Pirate Kin' be detailed in the Pirata Codex and include declarin' war, assemblin' forces, and fashionin' strategies. The method o' summonin' the Court is in the form o' a song. 

[thepiratescode]

The Brethren Court from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End -Hans Zimmer

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How to Recognize a Fellow Pirate.

No Pirate is an Island. Once you firmly decided t' become a brigand o' the high seas, you'll naturally gra'itate toward your own kind. But they don't exactly ad'ertise openly. Har be a few dead gi'eaways e'en the most co'ertly disguised pirate can't help but drop.

1. The Walk.

Today we often refer t' criminals takin' the "walk o' shame." In the heyday o' the sea pirate, thar was no such thin'. Those who showed weakness or hesitation o' the whar'es o' the Caribbean war easy pickin's; the sa''y pirate, tharfore, is one who struts boldly and colorfully. The trick in lookin' for such a person is tunnin' your senses t' home in on the small, peculiar diffarnces in gait that separate a pirate from, say, some poor sot who's missin' a few toes (or his wits). With practice and a sharp eye, you can begin t' discern in pirates a complex and at times gra'ity-defyin' pattern o' ambulation: The natural rollin', side-to-side gait o' the parnnially seaborne. Gar, Where can I find a bottle o'rum? 2. The Talk. 

The argot o' the pirate is a complex one. In essence, the pirate language is a pidgin o' the slangs o' seafarers throughout the ages, includin' the corsairs o' the Mediterranean, the picaroons o' England, and the nati'es o' the Caribbean isles. That's not t' say that the salty accent o' the pirate- and particularly o' Jack Sparrow, who posses a rum-infused speech entirely his own- is somethin' unintelligible t' the layman or lubber; rather, its close kinship t' the Kin''s English means that pirates aren't instantly recognizable by their speech alone. Which is as it should be. As with pirate walkin', talkin' should be a subtle 'ariation on what's socially acceptable.

3. The Smell. 

The subject isn't pleasant enough t' dwell on for long, so suffice it t' say that pirates area fragrant lot. Granted, all sailors be at least a little frightful when sensed from downwind, but pirates possess e'en less discipline than the a'erage merchant. E'en when pirates do try t' clean up, which is seldom, the compounded perfume o' fish, tar, and soiled laundry tends t' clin' t' them like a bad memory. When all else fails in your search for a fellow pirate, follow your nose.

4. The Tattoos. 

Pirates ga'e tattoos their menacin', outlaw reputation, one that persists in part t' this day. Sailors o' reputable 'essels once used telescopes t' scour the decks o' incomin' ships, lookin' for a telltale tattoo that would identify the crew as pirates. If sailors can do it, so can you. Keepin' an eye out for tattoos, especially those peekin' out from under slee'es at the forearm is an ideal way t' identify a potential pirate. The designs be often unimaginable and predictable: skulls, skeletons, ships, and e'en the occasional fa'orite strumpet.

5. The Brethren Court.   

After you'e established some sort o' contact with a fellow pirate, the next step is t' seek the Brethren Court. Also known as the Order o' the Brethren, the Pirate Council, and the Brethren o' the Coast, this secret society o' brigands and blackguards is widely reported t' have been abolished toward the end o' the se'enteenth century. But who do you think spread such rumors? The Court is furti'e and unfathomable, and membership can mean access t' the accumulated wisdom o' centuries o' piratehood. So how does one recognize a member o' the Brethren Court? Don't e'en think about it. Thar is no secret handshake or card, and only nine Pirate Lords may ser'e at one time. They be known by the pieces o' eight they carry as well as by the shanty "Hoist the Colours," which they sin' t' call a concla'e t' order. Ser'in' on the crew o' a Pirate Lord is the only way t' fast-track your pirate career (and if you're extremely loyal and trustworthy, become a Lord yourself one day). Lastly, don't make the mistake o' takin' the word brethren t' mean "male only." Pirates may be a loutish lot, but talent is talent, regardless o' the package in which it is wrapped. 

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How to Become A Pirate

Four fundamental steps for a would-be pirate:

1. Make sure you can swim. 

Belie'e it or not, many a would-be pirate has wound up feedin' sharks at the bottom o' the Jamaica Channel. With, you know, their own flesh. Walkin' the plank or swimmin' t' shore is an e'eryday occupational hazard- not t' mention sa'in' drownin' damsels- so swimmin' should be as easy and natural as skippin' through a meadow. (Not that pirates skip through meadows, mind you.) 2. Dress like a Pirate.  

3. Come Up With a Pirate Name.

Like rock stars or criminals, pirates lo'e usin' aliases. Which makes sense, seein' as how pirates be, in a way both. In most cases, tis' better t' choose a nondescript name, somethin' that doesn't detract from your image- that is the one you'll be buildin' and exaggeratin'.

Find your Pirate Name here from Yahoo. 

4. Sign on to a Pirate Crew.

After pickin' a name, dressin' the part, and shorin' up your swimmin' skills, tis' time t' track down a recruiter. Recruiters can usually be found in the seediest waterin' hole closest t' the docks. Look for a line made up o' the most tattard, shamblin', sorry excuses for seafarers you can find- a line with, at its head, a smilin' man holdin' a quill and a contract- and queue up. 

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Arrr, the first step toward solicitin' membership in the august brotherhood o' pirates is askin' yourself: Do Me verily want t' do this?

 In case the misad'entures o' Captain Jack Sparrow warn't enough t' warn you away from life on the high seas, it bears repeatin' that a pirate's life is fraught with peril, hardship, poor hygiene, and some mightily bad food. On the upside, you get t' be a pirate: feared, loathed, whispard about, en'ied, and abo'e all, as free as an albatross on a gulf breeze.

Lessons to come:

How to Become a Pirate

How to Recognize a Fellow Pirate

How to Pass the Time

Types of Pirates

Pirate Garb and Gear

Blackbeard: The Black Standard

The Five Six Other Greatest Pirates