They are robbers and murderers who live dirty, dangerous lives. Yet there is a glamour about pirates, especially pirates from long ago. I obviously feel that way too -- but I wonder why? 🤔
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@akindheart Robin Hood was a mythical character, but his gang supposedly gave their loot to the poor. Supposedly.
Pirates have never been known to do that, though I think the 16-early 17C privateers at a time when England and Spain were at war were supposed to give at least some to the Crown. They were basically mercenaries whose main aim was to disrupt the Spaniards' flow of gold looted from the South American civilisations.
Otherwise pirates were and modern ones are, in it for themselves; but the tragedy of modern piracy off parts of the African coast is that these are mainly fishermen driven by desperation thanks very much to Spanish and French industrial-scale fishing sweeping the seas clean of the fish the residents had relied on. Some too, are victims of wars or famine.
@ArishMell Yes. The real story is just not very glamorous. I guess there is a heroic element to the impoverished fishers you mention, turning to piracy. Like the poor not waiting for Robin Hood to steal from the rich and give to them, but doing it themselves.
@PirateQueen The impoverished fishermen are the modern ones preying on merchant ships, and whilst it is possible to understand them it is why they are doing it that needs putting right.
The type the films glamorise were in a very different situation.
For both, there is absolutely nothing romantic about the reality, but some of the privateer crew-men might have thought they would make more money than they ever would as fishermen or farm-labourers back home.
