Women pirates

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Women Pirates

One of the best-known women pirates was Anne Bonny, who had no Clyde but she did hook up with (no, not Captain Hook) Captain Jack Rackam, otherwise known as "Calico Jack". This dynamic duo of male and female pirates help plunder the Caribbean for many years.

This happened until one time, that is, when Calico Jack got drunk, became weak and Anne took on a lesbian relationship with another woman pirate, Mary Read.

Now, they say "reading is fundamental" so Miss Read and her pirate pal Bonny took on the meanest and nastiest scallywags this side of the Antilles. While the male pirates lay drunk below deck, Bonny and Mary yelled out things like, "I've got PMS and a sword - any questions?" It was at this point that the two gal pals would butcher a large number of sober men on the other vessels.

Bonny and Mary became legends for their ferocity and for kicking men's butts all over the 7 seas. In fact, it could be heard sung upon many a boat upon the high seas from other drunken crewmembers, "My Bonny lies over the ocean. My Bonny lies over the sea. My Bonnie lies over the ocean. Look at the fun pirates can be."

A few other femme fatale female pirates include the likes of Grace O'Malley, Charlotte de Berry, Lady Killigrew, Elizabetha Patrickson, Jacquotte Delahaye, Mary Crickett (sans Jimney), Rachel Wall and Margaret Jordan (sans Michael). And, one of the few rare and famed Asian women pirates includes Cheng I Sao (not Tsingtao beer).

Because piracy was a man's profession, the women pirates that did enter had to do so forcefully, with malice and do it one better than the men just to survive. And, yes, we are talking about today's boardroom. But, nonetheless, back in the pirate days, the women pirates were as vicious as they came and a kiss from a woman pirate generally meant the kiss of death. Muuuuaaaahhhhhaaaaahhhhaaaahhaaa Aaaaaarrrrrrgggghhhhh!

Women in piracy

Anne Bonny (1697-1720). Engraving from Captain Charles Johnsons General History of the Pyrates (1st Dutch Edition 1725)

While piracy was predominantly a male occupation, a minority of pirates have been female . Pirettes . [ 1 ] like other women in crime, faced interesting issues in both practicing this occupation and being punished for it. [ 2 ]

Female Interaction with Pirates in the 18th Century [ edit ]

Mary Read (1690-1721) Engraving from General History of the Pyrates 1725

Some women interacted with pirates on a closer level, not just by trading with them, but by marrying them. However, this was not as advantageous as it seemed. Although their husbands may have been very rich, women often gained very little by their union, as it was difficult for sailors to send home wages and booty earned overseas to their wives waiting back at home. Even though these women were not generally wealthy as a result of their marriages, they were favored by pirates that came to shore and their houses and establishments were used as a safe haven for people who otherwise would be enemies of all nations. [ 7 ]

On the third, final, and most intimate level of interaction, women interacted with male pirates by becoming pirates themselves. This seems surprising for quite a few reasons. First, there are very few female pirates documented by name, and the information on them is often shady and filled with speculation and flourishes rather than facts. In addition to this, pirates did not let women on their ships very often. There were not many conveniences of technology on pirate ships, and not many women were up to the physically demanding tasks the crew had to do. In fact, there were not many men who were up to it, either. Women were also often regarded as bad luck among pirates, and it was feared that arguments would break out between the male members of the crew about them. On many ships, women, young boys, and even different acts such as gambling were prohibited by the ship's contract that the crew all signed. [ 7 ] Also, many women on pirate ships did not identify themselves as such. Anne Bonny, for example, dressed and acted as a man while on Captain Calico Jack's ship. [ 7 ] She and Mary Read, another female pirate, are often credited with this act as if they had been creative and innovative in their cross-dressing. However, that was not the case. Many women dressed as men during this time period, in an effort to take advantage of the many rights, privileges, and freedoms that were exclusive to men.

Female pirates of this time also had a very unique appearance. In modern media female pirates are often shown to be dressed in the same fashion as their male counterparts. While true, there are also at least a half dozen first hand accounts, collected from port authorities as well as pirating victims, describing a style that was unique to their gender. One trend that was especially popular among female pirates of the South American Pacific coast and Caribbean was incorporating common sailing equipment such as fishing nets, jackstays, trunnels, chocks and cordage into their clothing. [ citation needed ]