Pirates were far more diverse than Blackbeard. And they didn’t say ‘arrr’, matey
Talk Like A Pirate Day is one of the internet’s favourite holidays. But who were these infamous seafarers and how did they really talk?
International Talk Like a Pirate Day, celebrated on September 19, highlights the image of pirates, but it misses the mark on their actual diversity. The common perception often centers on Blackbeard, a Bristol-born English pirate from the early 18th century. However, early-modern piracy encompassed a wide range of individuals, including Chinese fleet commanders and Southeast-Asian Muslim seafarers.
Blackbeard, also known as Edward Teach, became a symbol of piracy due to his appearances in Captain Charles Johnson's book A General History of the Pyrates (1724) and Robert Louis Stevenson's 1883 novel Treasure Island. His likeness often depicts him wearing a tricorn hat and speaking in a stereotypical accent, which is not reflective of the real pirates who existed.
While some Caribbean pirates spoke English, many pirates belonged to various ethnic backgrounds speaking different languages. In the Atlantic, pirates were multi-ethnic, with Europeans and people of African descent serving together. Pirates in the Pacific, such as the Chinese pirates led by the Zheng family and the Moro pirates in Southeast Asia, also played significant roles but were often overlooked in popular depictions.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
