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| The Pirates' Christmas; Harper's Weekly (Christmas 1893) |
Were pirates into Christmas? Evidence points to a resounding Yes! Pirates came in all colors and nationalities, so we know many of them had Christian backgrounds. During the Golden Age of Piracy in the early 18th century, Christmas was being celebrated around the world; even in the Caribbean. In fact, there was once a pirate ship named the Merry Christmas, much to this pirate-loving writer's delight.
Evidence
of the Merry Christmas and her buccaneers is recorded in Captured by Pirates:
Two Diaries of 1724-1725 by Robert Francis Seybolt. He edits the adventure (or
nightmare, if one considers the point of view) of one Jonathan Barlow of Rhode
Island. Barlow was captured by the pirates of the pirate ship, Merry Christmas,
commanded by a Captain Edward Low in 1724.
Barlow
recorded in a diary:
"…on
the Coast of Guiny having got within about fifty Leagues of Port we were
taken by the Ship Merry Christmas a Pirate Comanded by one Capt Edwd Low and I
being Carried on Board they used me very Barbarously & I having on my
Fingar a Ring they were a going to Cut of my Fingar because I did not offer it
to them the Capt of Pirate taking his Pistol out beat out one of my Teeth and
thretned to shoot me down the Throat because I would not Consent to his
proposal which was to Sign the Articles which I did not…"
Like
most pirate captives, it wasn't a good time for Barlow. He became ill and was
sick for three months until the captain sent him away in a schooner. His pirate
experiences were not over, however. Barlow came into contact with pirates
several times again, shortly later off the coast of Barbados, in other parts
south of Florida, and in the West Indies. His story was witnessed by a companion, one Nicholas Simmons.
Christmas
traditions at that time included decorating the home with holly,
ivy, mistletoe; and also rose petals, lavender, and herbs to freshen the air.
The holiday was filled with music, wonderful food, desserts like plum
pudding, and of course, gift giving.
These
traditions would have been carried to the West Indies by colonists, but
Caribbean traditions evolved to suit the diet like pork, peppers, and rum.
They also included carnivals and masquerade bands, after the Masquerade. The Masquerade
was a parade of masked performers dressed like cows, horses, women, or the
Devil. We can certainly imagine a band of pirates getting into those festivities!
The honest,
reputable sailor celebrated Christmas, too, but it was at the whim of his
captain. In New England, if he was lucky, the Captain might gift each crewman a
piece of cheese or mincemeat pie.
It
makes one wonder what the pirate, Captain Low of the Merry Christmas, gave his men for
Christmas or how the crew celebrated the holiday. I think we now have a pretty
good idea…
I
wish you a wonderful holiday season with your beloved family and friends. If
you're looking for a book to read or to give as a gift, check out my pirate
adventures, By Heart and Compass, The Privateer, or the short novella available
as an ebook, Proper Attire.
Stay
balanced!
~Danielle
Thorne
Sources
Seybolt,
Robert Francis. Captured by Pirates: Two Diaries of
1724-1725. The New England Quarterly. Vol. 2, No. 4
(Oct., 1929), pp. 658-669. Web. 13 December 2016.
1724-1725. The New England Quarterly. Vol. 2, No. 4
(Oct., 1929), pp. 658-669. Web. 13 December 2016.
http://www.history.org/almanack/life/christmas/hist_anotherlook.cfm
http://www.silvertorch.com/c-christmas.html
https://www.whalingmuseum.org/learn/research-topics/overview-
of-north-american-whaling/life-aboard
of-north-american-whaling/life-aboard
2 comments:
Lol:) I guess pirates were into Christmas after all. I've been reading Treasure Island to my son lately, so I guess it all makes sense now:) Happy holidays!
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