the intrigue of pirates

pirate folklore in everyday life

As many of you have read in my author's portrait one of my favorite pass times is to go to renaissance fairs. Usually when I go I dress as a pirate, along with all of my friends. Yesterday happened to be one such occasion. The renaissance fair was nothing special in and of itself. However, dinner afterwards was. Four of us went to a restaurant together. While we were waiting for a table one little boy just fell in awe of one of my friends. My friend had been dressed as a pirate captain and to the little boy he was as cool as a fireman. He very shyly walked up to my friend and asked to shake his hand and through out our dinner he would pop over the semi-wall that divided our tables just so that he could say hi again.

Pirate folklore has experienced a come back of sorts. It had dropped of the pop culture radar for many years until Hollywood decided to come up with a pirate movie. Ever since pirates have become a popular staple in our American Folklore culture. Pirate folklore is based on history. Stories of Blackbeard, Anne Bonnie, Mary Read and Captain Kidd intrigue our imaginations along with the possibility of finding their buried treasure.

Some of my favorite pirate stories happen to be of Mary Read and Anne Bonnie. I love the stories about the female pirates. They seem to be the ones that challenge the status quo the most. That is what pirates are all about, challenging the rules put forth by society. Perhaps that is why they have gained a resurge in popularity. They are rebels that enjoy having a good time, something that the younger generations can relate to.

Another favorite pirate story is that of Jean Lafitte. Or should I say courseir? Though historically classified as a pirate the man hated to be referred to as a common pirate. He had what was called a letter of marquee, which meant that he had permission to plunder enemy ships. Based just outside of New Orleans he was a rock star. He had women love him and the governor hated him. It was almost "tom and jerry-esque". One day the governor decided to put up wanted signs for Lafitte each with a reward. The next morning all of the signs were replaced with new wanted signs, for the governor offering a reward for twice the original amount. Truly a pirate after my own heart!

He also considered himself an American. This meant that all American ships were off limits, at penalty of death. He also pushed to be able to fight in the battle of New Orleans, going as far as making sure that he got a meeting with Andrew Jackson himself to offer him his supplies and men. If it weren't for the help of Lafitte, we wouldn't have won the battle.