Will Fiddle

Feeling overwhelmed lately. Everything is going amazingly well professionally and personally, and it is all just too much. I feel pretty foolish whining in the midst of good fortune. But the 70 hour work weeks with 100 miles of daily commute is really wearing me down. And I want to EAT! I want to eat like a buccaneer returned from a successful raid. I want to eat until my belly bursts. But it won't burst, and I will carry that belly with me for a long time. I didn't overdo it at Thanksgiving, and now I am full of woe.

Speaking to the specific problem of swapping leaders, I recollect something from Ringrose. Borrowing from my Diss in a sloppy fashion: During the "Panama expedition of 1679, the buccaneers planned to make a raid on the city of Arica. Captain Swan had been removed from command because he was regarded as too timid. Captain Davis was selected because he promised to lead the company into battle and the riches that would come from it. In the course of preparing for the raid, the buccaneers had captured an old man from ashore. He warned them that the countryside had been alerted to their presence and that they would be met with strong, armed resistance. Certain that he was only trying to frighten them from their plans, the raiders tortured the old man to make him recant his claim. He did not change his story, and they tortured him to death. At this juncture, Captain Swan, who had opposed the Arica raid, pronounced sagely that “no good would come of this evil deed” (Ringrose 462). Despite this the raid was launched, but with disastrous results. Captain Davis was killed with many other men; the surgeons who had set up in a chapel were captured, and no treasure was had for all this trouble. Swan’s warning was prophetic, and the cruelty of the raiders had been met with a proper reward." "This passage seems to be a compelling lesson on the actions of providence, except for the fact that a vital element of the passage is entirely fictional. To be sure, the raid on Arica was a disaster, and there may have been a poor man who was tortured to death, but it doesn’t seem that Captain Swan ever made his moralizing pronouncement. Though recorded in the printed version of Ringrose’s account, Swan’s warning was added to the manuscript from which the printer worked in a hand that seems to have been Swan’s own. The pronouncement does not appear in Ringrose’s journal of the expedition; indeed, that detail of the narrative does not even appear in the journal that Swan kept of the expedition. As Howse has speculated, Swan probably made the emendation to improve his own reputation, which had suffered by being voted from command, and probably hoped Ringrose would not correct the insertion until after he returned from a new expedition on which he had hurriedly embarked (30). As it happened, Ringrose was killed on the expedition and was never able to correct the printed version of his history of the buccaneers." The point here being that Swan was very alive after being disposed, and even lived to have the last laugh as it were. Swan's concern seems to have been for his reputation, but not for his life.

Golly, Foxe makes such complete responses that there is little left to do but light the pipe and nod sagely, saying "hear hear." What was the purpose of making these articles known? Undoubtedly, to provide the public with a view of the pirates as real men, not as the bogey's of the sea. A means to this end is to celebrate the democratic values embodied in these articles. They show that men are capable of self governance. Coupled with the mutinous beginnings of many pirate crews, this is a recipe for revolution, not the pretty 1688 bloodless kind, rather the French reign of terror kind. As GoF has observed, such values were hardly universal, as is demonstrated by Blackbeard's conduct. But these values of Liberty, equality, and brotherhood, are important for establishing a new ethos. Some of the pirates were clearly taking early steps into the modern era, steps on a path that would eventually undermine the power of the aristocrats in Europe. No, This is not to say that pirates changed the world. But they are clearly part of larger historical and cultural developments. And in a world in which ideals of reform seem to be the province of the intellectuals, they are proof that democratic values had appeal across class lines.

Can't really fault Cutthroat Island for straying from a historic GAoP mooring. It was never intended to be history. The real question as with PoC should be, was it good by the standards of Hollywood pirate movies. Much of the movie was over the top, both in terms of characters and action, but really, is that so bad? It is embarassing to admit, but I liked Geena Davis in the role. I thought she played a plucky and practical protagonist. In world of crazies, she is the levelheaded center of the story able to face any challenge with sheer determination.

Thanks be to oderlesseye and others for bringing up the articles. While reading oderlesseye's post I realized the students could work in groups to develop theories for the cause and implications of each of the articles. This brainstorming and subsequent research could then be broiught into a fruitful class discussion that would help develop their understanding about the culture of the pirates in a fashion more conducive to their learning than any lecture I could ever provide. It would also force them to exercise their faculties, and that is my real objective for the course. The question is always how to accomplish that objective. Thanks for the new lesson plan!

Dear Red Maria Thanks for the lead on the Arne Bialuschewski article. I won't be able to get to it until Christmas, but I will get to it. I would have read it as part of my research for my doctorate, which was focused on the literature of Defoe and the Pirates, but it came out after I had finished writing. Most of the doctoral experience was an exercise in crushing my soul into dust. By the time I had finished, I had no interest in looking at scholarship on the subject for quite awhile. Other aspects of the period still delighted me, and I am currently researching sermons and related lituriology, but pirates and the scholarhip around them has been off my menu for a while. So a very special thanks to you and to Foxe, as I am finally ready to get back on that deck and ready for action. This reply had been longer, but I mistakenly deleted it twice, and the editor in me gradually pared it back.

Authorship of General History of the Pirates Foxe, you wrote that "it would be unprofessional to describe Defoe as the author of the General History" Them sounds like fighting words I do not "believe Furbank and Owens is irrelevant". They are quite relevant in a significant critical enterprise to challenge the hegemony of canonical authors as the proper voices of literature. This is a vital part of salvaging our understanding of literature from the domain of 'dead white men'. That being said, I do not buy into their argument with regard to A General History Their arguments do not address the reasoning and evidence of Moore; rather they rely on churlish attacks on the enthusiasm of his scholarship. Were they attacking a contemporary in this fashion, I might find the sniping tolerable, but enhancing one's scholarly standing by attacking a man some twenty years in the grave is something I do not gladly suffer. In their post-modern cleverness, they condemn the affectations of Moore's 1930's scholarship, but they never atually counter any of his points. So yeah, I will be describing Defoe as the author, as I find Moore to be generally credible, as far as these things go, and I find his detractors to be generally worthy of contempt. Besides which, the Schonhorn edition by Dover puts Defoe as the author on the cover, and I think it will be emminently practical to use the name of the author that appears on the cover. And yeah, I will be letting the students know that Charles Johnson is a pseudonym, that someone, very probably Defoe, used to publish these histories. When I said we would not go into the issue of authorship, I meant that we would not be exploring the details of the arguments of Moore and of Furbank and Owens. What we will explore is why it was useful for the author of the GH to use a pseudonym at all. Part of that discussion will require them to get a better idea of contemporary attitudes toward pirates, but it will also require them to reflect upon the coming revolutions and cultural shifts of the eighteenth century. Shifts for which the literature of the pirates provided some early warnings.

Glory, so many responses--so much for which to be thankful. I will be drafting the course syllabus this week, and then designing daily lesson plans in the weeks to come. In order to do justice to the postings received, permit me the indulgence of responding to issues seperately. Thanks again to all!

"Pirates of the Plains" was a bad pirate movie? Well, yes the sea battle was in a cornfield, and one of the ships was a house, but come on, give it up for Tim Curry trying to be Robert Newton.

Patrick Hand wrote: "College freshman.... go for the .... nah... now I have to re-think it all again........... sorry....." Yes, I too have been wondering whether I should "go for the ..." But that is a tricky topic--if I am correct in guessing that you meant the sex angle, on raids meaning rape. Whether or not sex was the angle you were aiming at Mr Hand, it does raise the question to my mind. The mythology of the pirate centers around figures like Flynn and Depp with a cavalier panache. The reality is differs muchly. Esquemelin condemns the excesses of Roc Brasiliano. In his account of Morgan he condemns the tortures of the captain, but there is only a hint of sexual misconduct. But then, what was misconduct at the time and what was acceptable practice. Just before the buccaneers, Europe had been embroiled in the Thirty Years war, and that was a very nasty business. Were the pirates more genteel than european soldiers. This might be a discussion point as it highlights how the sources we use influence the conclusion we can draw. If you meant something else sir, please give me another response, though your first has proven quite helpful.

Actually, the issues you raise were part of my dissertation, though as secondary, but interesting concerns. -To what extent did pirates of the GAoP demonstrate democratic principals? -one of the most significant things about pirate history is the way that myth and fact intertwine, and the one is often mistaken for the other. Defoe/Johnson's General History [No, I don't buy the claims of Furbank and Owens] is a marvelous example of this. Captain Misson's history espouses values that sound communist to the modern ear, and though he initiates and dominates the second volume, he turns out to have been an authorial fabrication. My recollection is that it took a century for the ruse to be discovered. But by then the damage was done. Generations had believed that the values presented as those of the pirates were an accurate recording of their voice. I would call this mythology, truths that have life independent of the facts. To be sure there were strong egalitarian and democratic values present in the pirate community, but we must question the degree to which the historic accounts are representative of actual buccaneer and pirate society. In the case of Defoe, I believe he is using the pirates as spokesperson to present his own values. Considering the time he spent in the pillory, it is easy to understand why he would maintain the ability to claim "these are not my words, I am only repeating what I have heard of the pirates" But that brings us back to the question of authorship, and that is getting beyond the scope of what my students can manage in our busy weeks. The discussion of pirate principles and values is a must. The discussion of how we come to know these, also a must. Discussion of principles of leadership and expedincey also a must [and a good hook for my business majors.] Most of my students will have just finished a course focused on Justice and Identity, and there will be continuity of those themes in this course.

Foxe, Good to hear from you sir. Chole had recommended that I write you in case you did not scan the forum in the next few days. The students are college freshman. The course is a "general" course. I am running it as a literature course, heavy on the history. That's my backgroiund and my critical approach. The best way to understand a text is to learn more about its context. The ultimate goals are to engender analytic observation and critical thinking. The former by learning the details of reality and applying that knowledge to the texts and films. The latter by comparing the cinematic to the realistic, with discussion working toward understanding how genres differ and evolve and how social mythologies develop. And if they actually learn something useful in the process, so much the better. Captain Enigma's suggestion on the trajectory of artillery seem so obvious to me now. It is the sort of thing that most students don't even think about. And it is the sort of thing that might excite some of the mathematically inclined. The class runs for three weeks and a bit in January. We meet three hours a day every day of the week. Some students use this J-term to go on archaeology digs in Italy, some go to europe to discover German culture (beer), some build homes in New Orleans, some stay on campus and have their heads filled with pirates. It is the mental activity, writings, discussions, research techniques, oral presentations, and study team dynamics that I am really working on. Piracy is but a delightful means to the end of getting the crews to improve themselves as learners. Probably more than you wanted, but thanks for letting me formalize this a little more as I have to have the course approved by a committee, even though the class is already full and there is no turning back now.

Navigation and Meteorolgy seem just too obvious... Now that you ahve mentioned them, and NO, I had not thought of them. They are on the list now though. In your debt,

Ahoy! Last week I began a thread in "Pirate Pop" soliciting help for a class on pirates that I will be teaching in January at my college. They want it to be fun but also academically valable. Since my doctorate focused on pirates, my department head and the Dean are allowing this since they know I can approach the subject with appropriate rigor. Part of the class will be comparing historical reality to popular mythology, thus the posting on "Pirate Pop" I have already gotten some thoughtful responses there which have gotten me to thinking out some of the finer details of the course. But on the off chance that the people of this forum might not have been visiting that other forum, I am posting here to ask you to visit my thread there and share. The students will also be broken into small (4-5 student) "crews" to work on research projects like maritime architecture, economics of smuggling, pirate fashion, 18th century maritime law, weaponry, period medicine... The goal is for the crews to explore a specific aspect of the pirate world and then to develop an understanding of how that particular information can also illuminate their understanding of the rest of the pirate world. Trouble is, this opportunity hit me nine days ago whilst I am teaching six college classes. I want (need) this course to run with fair winds from beginning to end and I don't want it befouled by the barnacles and sargassum that mire me at the present moment. So, Any additional topic suggestions would be MOST welcome.

Thanks be given to Red Maria. Yer input be most welcome. I warn't sure about Blackbeard "Terror at Sea" it didn't wow me when I got it for Christmas, but ye may be dead on when it comes to the impact it will have for students who know nothing but Hollywood. The historical differences will be pointed out to be sure, but the real fun (discussion) for the students will be pausing on elements of the DVD and pointing out the differences between this documentary and an action movie. Of course we will also talk about what is included in the documentary to make it more appealing as entertainment. Yes, I suck the fun out of everything, but they will learn better when the focus of inquiry interests them. "And what be more more interesting than pirates? Nothing!" says I. Special thanks also for "Sea Rovers Practice" I hadn't seen that before, and it looks really useful.

Thank you coastie04 Sadly the course is a compressed format, running daily for just over three weeks, and I will have the crews reasearching a different topic each week for presentation and discussion. The hunting pirates angle might work, but I will have to focus it for them or they will flounder with research and get nothing done. It's a topic on the the list now though. "Tall Ships Down" does sound interesting, because while it is about a different problem, it can help us think about the problem at hand. That is the sort of associative thinking I want my students to develop. Ultimatley most of the subject matter I teach, whether literature or humanities, is quite useless, but the way students learn to conquer new ideas and to think new thoughts is the real value. I will get Tina at the library to secure the book for reserve, even if it isn't in our current collection.

Thanks for the suggestion of "Bold in her Breeches" I won't make it mandatory reading, but I will put it on the recommended reading list, and make women pirates one of the research topics that they can take on with a note to refer to the work. I am hoping that by researching an aspect of pirate culture that intrigues them they will do better reading and (hopefully) make a better presntation to their peers, increasing the amount of material generated by the students themselves.

Thank you sir! Even if I don't show all of Cutthroat Island (filmed in fabulous Explodovision), I can use that shot sequence to compare portrayls and start a discussion of why it is that the movie portrays the city as it does, and explore how the amusement park ride dictates our experience of the movie. I will have to look at Cutthroat Island again. I know many people pan the film, but I have always enjoyed it and its soundtrack.

Fair winds do blow my way! I have been contracted by Carthage College to design and teach a course--"Pirates: Facts and Fictions" for their January term. This will be working with material from my doctoral dissertation, but goes beyond those narrow confines even to the point of exploring films! Yarr! I have some ideas for the course and I will definitely be using films to explore the mythology of pirates, a transformation that even contemporary histories were already working to engender. We will be reading Esquemelin's "History of the Buccaneers of America" and portions of Defoe/Johnson's "General History of the Pyrates" so they can get a feel of the "reality" of pirates. I am thinking of assigning one of Cordingly's books, but I don't remember which was best for an overall view, suggestions are welcome The students will also be broken into small (4-5 student) "crews" or perhaps "messes" to work on research projects like maritime architecture, economics of smuggling, pirate fashion, 18th century maritime law, weaponry, period medicine... Any additional topic suggestions would be welcome. Most significantly, I get to teach films with this course. I plan on using at least one of the Depp's "PotC"s, Flynn's "Captain Blood", and Robert Newton's "Treasure Island". Beyond that I remain undecided. Whatever films I use have to be the sort of things that can motivate discussion, either by how well they imitate historical pirates, or by how poorly they do so. I may even show "The Dancing Pirate" from 1936 as a curiousity of pirate culture (mostly because I happend to have the DVD). Again suggestions are welcome. I already plan to bribe active sailors by using chocolate dubloons on a daily basis. I may even give some of my spare (not period correct) tankards to the crew that does the best research and presentation. Yet again, your suggestions are welcome. --Your most obliged and humble servant, Will Fiddle

'Bastion, mon ami, vous serez manqué. You will be missed indeed. There will be port in my home port, for I never leave home without it and this is my home to boot. Payneton is still far from you, but we will raise glasses in your honor. I am don't think I will make it to PIP, as I work like an indentured servant through the school year. Though it sounds as though everyone will be there.

Bon Soir! C'est un grand plaisir d'être parmi de tels "bons" gens. Such un plaisir. I am a fiddler, but as my personna grows, it will be revealed that I am also a physician. Galenic medicine is a marvel. Balance the humors and everything sorts itself out. It almost works. If you have something wrong in your guts, the physician prescribes something to clean you out from top or bottom, and viola! the pain is likely to abide. Of course, considering the amount of rotten food consumed in our Golden Age of Piracy, and it becomes clear that even purgatives and emetics have real value for health care. I have already begun collecting odd bottles for my pharmacy, and I have made contact with a lady doctor from the late 18th century who can help me gather materials. After all, one cannot stroll to a Walgreens and ask for five ounces of Dragonsblood. For starters, the chain won't exist for about three centuries...

Mssr Devareaux. Time has been flying. Nothing I am doing now compares with the pleasure I had in the ship's company. Any chance we will enjoy your company in Kenosha or Payneton in the beginning of August? Being a smuggler, you will appreciate that one of the new songs I am learning focuses on illicit distillery. A joy and privilege to see you again. William

Although I'm also partial to Mr. Playford's Childgrove and Jamaica. Then of course there is Mr. D'Urfey's volumes, which are hard to beat in their sheer quantity. I don't know the first two, but I can look them up. D'Urfey's volumes are great. "Pills to Purge Melancholy" what a marvelous conceit.

Though my coin grows scarce, another round it is! I will have to spend more time with the Prickadee Stitchery, but such company is worth the trouble. For those in Wisconsin, I am proposing a day of getting together for music sometime in July. Not many events--too hot--but a small get together with singing and dance could be fun. Any other parties interested?

It is good to be here. Hopefully my music won't wake to many of the drunkards sleeping off their folly. Learning some new songs this week. Mostly songs of canadian voyaguers, but sweet songs nonetheless. And one is even slightly bawdy (Avec mon Blonde : With my Blonde) or so I am told, but since I only speak faux-francias, I can't actually read the lyrics. Also learning a new song which is completely period correct for GAoP, "Down Among the Dead Men" Found a GREAT site for this material http://www.contemplator.com/england/deadmen.html >Hoists mug with corky port< Cheers to you all!