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Along the waves of pirate ethics: the pirate code from A to Z. Along the waves of pirate ethics: the pirate code from A to Z Laws of sea pirates

The Pirate Code or Articles of Agreement is a code of conduct for pirates. Their codes were written by Henry Morgan, George Lowther, Bartholomew of Portugal, Bartholomew Roberts and other captains. Before the code came into force, each team member had to sign it. After this, the rules were placed in the most visible place.

Four complete or nearly complete pirate codices have survived. First published in 1724, Henry Morgan's Pirate Code was preserved thanks to the book Alexandre Exquemelin wrote in 1678 while traveling the seas and oceans with American pirates. There were a lot of codes, but not many of them survived, because the pirates, before surrendering, burned any reminders of it in order to prevent the possibility of the code being used against them in court.

Henry Morgan Code

I. Everyone has the right to vote when decisions are made; everyone has equal ownership of the team's spoils. Also, a team member has an equal share in the supply of liquor seized during work, and can use it for his own pleasure if the team is not currently experiencing a shortage of a particular resource.

II. Everyone has the right to receive their share in order of priority. If a team member steals the property of another team member, then if guilt is proven, the victim has the right to publicly cut off the robber's ears or nose.

III. No one on board the ship is allowed to play cards or dice for money.

IV. Torches or candles must not be used on board the ship at night. If anyone wants to drink, he must do it on the open deck.

V. Keep your blade, pistols and dirk clean and check their cleanliness regularly.

VI. Women and children are prohibited on board. If someone, for the purpose of satisfying the flesh, brings a disguised woman on board, he will be punished by death.

VII. Deserting a ship is punishable by death.

VIII. No disputes on board. If you need to resolve a controversial issue, then you need to wait until you go ashore and resolve the issue using a blade pistol. During the duel, a representative of the captain is present, who places the duelists back to back. On command, the opponents take ten steps, turn around and fire a shot. If both miss, then blades are given. The duel ends after the first blood appears.

IX. A pirate is forbidden to show off his scars and lost limbs.

X. The captain and quartermaster receive two shares of the jackpot, the helmsman, boatswain, and gunner - one and a half shares, other non-rank and file receive one and a quarter shares each.

XI. Musicians have the right to rest every Saturday evening, the rest of the time the captain's permission is required.

Captain John Phillips, just as Henry Morgan established the code for his team in 1724:

I. The captain has one and a half shares of the jackpot, the helmsman, carpenter, boatswain and gunner each receive one and a quarter shares.

II. If a pirate betrays the crew, tries to desert, or hides a secret, then he must be marooned on a desert island with one bottle of gunpowder and one bottle of water. The traitor is shot in the hand as a farewell.

III. If one pirate on board steals from another, he must be landed and killed.

IV. If a crew member sees a person on a desert island, then he is prohibited from contacting him. He must convey this information to the captain. The captain makes a decision about the fate of this person. (In most cases, the person was left on the island because he was left there by another ship for some crime)

V. If a pirate, without reason, strikes another, then the law of Moses comes into force. The Law of Moses states that for such an act, the offender is punished with 40 blows of the rod on the bare back.

VI. A person who smokes, uses candles, near gunpowder, lights torches and candles on board at night, must be punished as in the previous paragraph.

VII. If a pirate does not keep his weapons clean, the captain has the right to deprive him of part of the reward.

VIII. If a pirate is wounded in battle, he is paid 400 pesos; if he loses a limb, he is paid 800 pesos.

IX. In any place, at any time, if you witness an attempt to rape a lady, then you are obliged to punish the rapist with death by the blade.

Pirate Codes of the Pirates Edward Lowe and George Lowther

I. The captain has the right to two shares of the jackpot; quartermaster one and a half shares; the doctor, helmsman, gunner and boatswain are entitled to one and a quarter shares.

II. All illegal weapons, collusion and secrets are prohibited on board. Violations of the rule are punishable by death, the method is chosen by the captain.

III. The pirate is punished for cowardice during battles. The captain chooses the punishment.

IV. All gold, jewelry, silver and other valuables and resources hidden from the team are confiscated. The culprit is punished by the captain.

V. For cheating during games of cards or dice, the culprit is punished by deprivation of a share.

VI. Anyone who loses a limb in battle receives compensation of 600 pesos. He also has the right to remain on board if he can contribute to the team.

VII. Team loyalty is rewarded with an additional quarter share.

VIII. Anyone wishing to join the team must have a pistol and a short blade.

IX. Being intoxicated during a planned attack is punishable by the ship's captain.

John Gough's Pirate's Code

The following set of rules was written by the pirate John Gow in his own hand and was found on board his ship in 1729, when he went ashore and the crew were captured. The code reads as follows:

I. Every one must obey his captain in all respects, as if the ship were his own.

II. No one except the captain has the right to dispose of the ship, but everyone has the right to an equal share.

III. Insulting and using obscene language on a ship is punishable by death.

IV. No one has the right to leave the ship while the ship is about to go to sea.

V. During the eight hours of the night, the use of fire for lighting and the consumption of alcohol on board the ship is prohibited.

VI. Anyone who doubts the points of this code deserves death.

Also, I would like to cite a few additional points from Henry Morgan's code.

I. The jackpot is divided after the ship is replenished. No production - no payment.

II. The salary of a carpenter or shipwright is fixed at 200 pesos. The doctor's salary is 250 pesos.

III. Compensation is provided to maimed and disfigured pirates.

Loss of right hand six hundred pesos, or six slaves;
Loss of left arm five hundred pesos, or five slaves;
Loss of right leg five hundred pesos, or five slaves;
The loss of the left leg is four hundred pesos or four slaves,
The loss of an eye is one hundred pesos or one slave,
The loss of a finger is one hundred pesos or one slave.

When you watch pirate films, you get the impression that pirates - the terror of the seas and oceans - live outside of any rules, are mired in wild life, are villains, discipline does not exist for them, they are greedy, vicious and prone to betrayal for their own benefit. My image of a pirate from childhood is a cocked hat with a death’s head, one eye, a beard, an earring, a parrot on my shoulder, a bone leg. What laws can be written for this type?

And yet, the pirates had a code of honor. Moreover, each ship had its own, but they were all very similar. Each of the sailors put his signature on the agreement that was concluded between all members of the team, in a way, he pledged to observe the Code of Honor. Only the doctor did not do this. Women were allowed to become pirates only if they were not inferior to men in determination, courage and willpower.

So, set sail on the waves of pirate ethics!

1. Gambling. Gambling (playing cards or dice) with money was prohibited.

2. Boatswain He was in charge of the technical condition of the ship and managed the crew.

3.Jolly Roger. Only a pirate had the right to touch the Jolly Roger. If a person, not being a pirate, touched the flag, he had to be taught a lesson for it.

4.Theft. Punishable. The thief landed on a desert island with a bottle of rum and a loaded pistol.

5.Share in production. Each team member had to contribute to the total spoils and then had the right to participate in its division. Anyone who tried to hide part of what was captured was marooned on a desert island. I think so, in the golden era of piracy, the uninhabited islands were overpopulated: almost to a desert island, poor fellow!

6. House. For a pirate there was only one home - a pirate ship.

7. Fights. On the ship it was forbidden, on the shore - fight as much as you want.

8. Duels. Like fights, they could only take place on the shore

9. Women. Evil. Worse than a hole. Women were not allowed on the ship. Anyone who dared to bring a woman on board doomed himself to death.

10. Life of a Pirate. An unceasing chain of battles.

11. Law. Pirates are free people who live by the Code of Pirate Honor. Every other law ends at the edge of pirate knives.

12. Name. Every real pirate should be proud of his big name.

13. Gunner. He was responsible for the serviceability of the guns, their readiness to fire, and also personally commanded their guidance during the battle.

14. Captain.

14.1. The most experienced and courageous member of the team was elected captain.

14.2. The captain never had the right to be last anywhere.

14.3. If the captain showed cowardice or cruelty towards his crew, the pirates could rebel and throw the captain overboard, or land him on a desert island.

15. Quartermaster. Responsible for the condition of the ship.

16.Punishment for disobedience. Usually, the offending pirate was put in shackles on his feet, or given a good spanking. More serious crimes were punishable by death.

17. Obscene expressions. It was forbidden to use obscene language on the ship.

18.Role model. For a pirate, there was only one role model - his great predecessors.

19. Lights. The lights and candles were extinguished at eight o'clock in the evening. If someone felt the urge to continue drinking alcohol, he had to do it only on the upper deck.

20. Weapon. Pistols, sabers and other weapons had to be kept clean and fully prepared.

21.First mate. Performed captain's duties during his absence.

22. Pirate. The main team cell. Freedom, a wild, cheerful life, contempt for death are the basic principles of pirate philosophy.

23.Promotion in rank. When a pirate went through a certain number of battles, acquired the necessary experience and skills, he received a promotion in rank, according to the Pirate Rank.

24. Subordination. Each pirate was obliged to obey his superiors.

25.Loss of an arm or leg. The loss of an arm up to the elbow was compensated by 400 ducats, up to the shoulder - the compensation was doubled; loss of a leg up to the knee - 400 ducats were paid from the total booty, loss of the entire leg - the amount was doubled.

26. Crimes. The most terrible crimes for a real pirate are betrayal and cowardice.

27.Risk. A pirate must always be ready to risk his life.

28. Family. For a pirate, there was only one family - the Pirate Brotherhood.

29.The pirate's word stronger than steel.

30.Cowardice in battle. Punished. Every pirate had to be desperate and brave.

31.Black Mark. A sign of punishment, a mark on a pirate's reputation for non-compliance with the code:

— 1 black mark: ban on participation in battles for 3 days;

— 2 black marks: demotion in rank;

— 3 black marks: landing on a desert island with a bottle of rum, fresh water and a loaded pistol for a week;

— 4 black marks: death penalty by one of the proven pirate methods, depending on the seriousness of the violations.

One of the very interesting topics regarding piracy is pirate code. On board the pirate ship, in a sense, equality reigned. Pirates were a kind of elite compared to other thieves and bandits. This behavior was a direct reaction to the lack of rights that many pirates experienced the hard way when they were still sailing as ordinary merchant sailors or serving in the navy. Historian Paul Gilbert notes: " Almost a hundred years before the American and French revolutions, an experiment in introducing egalitarian democracy was carried out aboard hundreds of pirate ships«.

Justice and equality were the motto of pirate life. Everyone received a fair share of the spoils, and everyone on the ship was equal.

True, in exchange for this freedom, all pirates were bound by the code, and those found guilty of violating it faced severe punishment, and sometimes death. In his book " History of piracy» Angus Konstham cites the pirate code of “Black Bart” Roberts as a typical example:

Everyone should have an equal voice in all day-to-day matters. Everyone should have equal access to provisions and alcohol at any time and can use them for their own purposes, unless suddenly there is a shortage and the need for savings arises.
Everyone has the right to freely familiarize themselves with the list of prizes available on board. But if he hides at least one dollar from the crew in the form of silver and gold dishes, jewelry or coins, he will be landed on. If one member of the crew steals anything from another, his nose and ears will be cut off and he will be thrown ashore, where he will no doubt face great hardship.
It is prohibited to play dice and cards for money.
The extinguishing of lamps and candles must take place at eight in the evening, and if any of the crew wants to drink after this hour, he must do so on deck in the dark.
Everyone must keep his pistols and cutlass clean and always ready for battle.
There should be no boys or women on board. If one of the crew is seen forcing the latter into sexual relations, and then brings her to the ship in disguise, he is subject to death.
Anyone who leaves the battle during the battle will be punished by death or marooned on a desert island.
No one can kill another person on board a ship; a quarrel must be settled on shore by a duel with pistols or sabers.
No one can even talk about changing this lifestyle until his share is £1,000. Anyone who becomes crippled during service, loses an arm or a leg, will receive eight hundred coins from the general treasury, and correspondingly less for a more minor injury.
The captain and quartermaster each receive two shares of the prize; boatswain and chief gunner - one and a half; the remaining officers - one at a time; rank and file - a share for each.
The legal day for musicians to rest is Saturday; on other days - only with the permission of the team.

If a pirate was seriously injured, the crew would chip in compensation on a sliding scale, depending on the severity of the injury. Exquemelin, in his book Pirates of America, writes that the highest compensation - 600 coins - was given for the loss of the right hand; the left arm or right leg cost 500 coins; left leg - 400; eye - 100 coins.

Pirate Code.

Compiled by Morgan and Bartholomew at the dawn of the great era of filibusters, the Pirate Code is a collection of “recommendations” revered by all “gentlemen” to help resolve disputes and avoid massacres. One of the key articles contained within its pages is the power of negotiation, which has allowed many sea robbers to negotiate their freedom instead of taking a short walk on an even shorter board. The Pirate Code is rarely consulted: the provisions of this book are usually transmitted orally, since only a few pirates can read anyway.

In the care of Captain Teague.

The keeper of the code is none other than the man believed to be Jack Sparrow's father, Captain Teague. he keeps the book locked, and the Prison Dog wears the key around his neck. Teague repeats that the code is mandatory and that he will shoot anyone who speaks out against it. However, deep down in his soul, he understands that the real law is in the pirate’s heart, and it comes down to one thing: either a person is able to do something, or he is not able to do it.

The right to negotiate.

One of the most important “recommendations” of the code is the right of negotiation granted to each pirate and giving him the opportunity to address an important message directly to the enemy commander himself who is threatening his life.

Under legal protection.

Once the right to negotiate has been invoked, the prisoner may not be killed, tortured or deprived of any body parts until he speaks out. The pirates really don't like this law - but only until the situation changes for the worse and they themselves need it.

Misunderstandings with negotiations.

Honest people who have encountered, to their misfortune, the Irats, may experience disappointment, appealing to the right of negotiation in the hope of delaying their death. To our regret, we note that in order to enjoy the privileges provided by the Code, you must be a pirate yourself. As Barbossa says, the code is just a recommendation.

How to land on a desert island.

The code of laws even contains instructions on how to land people on a desert island. It is very important to find a suitable location. The island should be located away from sea routes where a constant trade wind blows, and it is advisable that this piece of land should not be on nautical charts. Each landing person is entitled to a rifle or pistol, one cartridge and a sufficient amount of dry powder so that he can end his miserable existence.

Information taken from the book "Pirates of the Caribbean: A Guide to the World of Pirates" by Richard Platt and Glenn Dakin)))

Henry Morgan Code