Pyrate Trivia

[Cap'n Sage]

Good day all,

I will be doin' a little class on Pirate Trivia and the like and would like to over prepare. I have some info but I want this to be as well rounded and informative as possible.

My goal is to provide pirate trivia/basics that a casual-serious reenactor may want to know to help create and continue his/her persona.

Any suggestions out there? Anything is welcome. The more obscure the better.

Little things that ye have picked up over the years that have added to your characters that ye may not find readily available.

Thank ye for your help.

The Sage Lion

[Graydog]

The Captain's Daughter is slang for the Cat of Nine Tails, so in the song "Drunken Sailor" give him a taste of the captain's daughter refers to lashing the fellow.

The Cat of Nine Tails gets its name from having nine knotted cords and leaving marks like a cat when used.

-The American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Edition, page 249.

Copyright 1976

[Coastie04]

I've found that just knowing a bit of nautical slang goes a long way in being convincing. The following are a few examples:

Deck: any 'floor' in a ship, though it can be used in houses, taverns, etc. as well

Head: toilet

Starboard/Larboard (later port): right/left (as referring to the side of the ship when facing forward)

Aft: back, or behind

Aloft: up above, or in the rigging

Helm: the device that controls the rudder, whether a wheel, whipstaff, tiller, steering oar, etc. Also can refer to the duty of steering the ship, as in 'take the helm for a while'

Leeward/windward: the way the wind is blowing toward/the way the wind is blowing from.

Lee shore: being in a bad position with the wind blowing towards land or some sort of hazard, since square riggers had a hard time working to windward.

These are just a few that I've come up with in a few minutes. Remember, pirates were almost always sailors first, pirates second. Just knowing about the period ships also helps.

Coastie

[Cap'n Sage]

Superb friends. These are great. Keep em coming. I appreciate your involvement.

[Coastie04]

OK, thought of a few more...

Belay: to tie off a line to a belaying pin. Also used for stop or secure, as in 'Belay that mutinous talk!'

Trice up: to hoist up and secure with a rope. Commonly used today with bunks that fold up towards the bulkhead to save space during the day. Also a form of punnishment where a sailor's hands were tied behind him and then his arms triced up in an uncomfortable position on the shrouds or other standing rigging.

Widowmaker: Generic term for any loose blocks (name for shipboard pulleys), i.e. the ones on stays'l and jib sheets and the base of the courses. There are more, but those are the most common and largest.

Two-blocked: When two blocks (in the same pulley system) are hauled together and thus cannot be hauled anymore. Commonly used to describe setting a sail. When the haliard (line that hoists a sail or yard up) is two-blocked, the sail is as high as it can go and will catch the most wind.

Amidships: in the middle. On a ship, it can refer to the centerline between port/starboard, or the area between the fo'c's'le and poop or quarter deck.

Poop: NOT dirty. Refers to either the poop deck, which is the aftermost raised deck, or to 'being pooped'. Being pooped is when a large wave breaks over the stern of a vessel. It is extremely dangerous and can cause the helmsman to be carried away, damage to the steering system, or flooding by breaking the windows that are often on the stern of ships.

Rake: Many uses of this word from the era. It can refer to the battle maneuver of 'crossing the T', where a ship could be raked with cannon balls down the length of the entire vessel. Also, it can refer to the angle of the masts, which were not always verticle (baltimore clippers are notorious for their extreme rakes). Last, it can also refer to prostitutes or other devious girl, or 'rakish gals'.

Taken aback: When the wind hits the wrong side of the sails. This can cause a lot of damage to the rigging in strong winds, and can result in a loss of control. This can also be used in the more modern sense when sudden news can cause someone to be taken aback.

Hope these extras help. I might come up with a few more in the next few days if you'd like.

Coastie

[Black Hearted Pearl]

Sagelion,

I'm moving this topic to Captain Twill as those who expound nautical terms and such chat mostly there. (Waves to Coastie).

~BHP