Curious About Pirates

PODCAST 204: CURIOUS ABOUT PIRATES

RELEASE DATE: SUNDAY, AUGUST 28TH, 2022

D:  AHOY, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  ARRR ALL YOU MATEYS READY TO GET CURIOUS WITH US THIS WEEK?  IF YOU STICK AROUND WITH US FOR JUST A FEW MINUTES, THERE ARE ENOUGH INTERESTING FACTS IN THIS EPISODE TO FILL UP A TREASURE CHEST.  ALRIGHT SCALLYWAG OLIVIA, LET’S GET THINGS STARTED.

O:  AYE, CAPATAIN.  DOUBLE-MAILBAG!

D:  DOUBLE-MAILBAG!

“HI!  MY NAME IS CONNOR!  I AM 5 YEARS OLD AND I LIVE IN ARKANSAS.  I LOVE LISTENING TO CURIOUS KID PODCAST BECAUSE I LOVE TO LEARN!  WE MOSTLY LISTEN IN THE CAR WHEN WE ARE GOING ON TRIPS TO VISIT FAMILY.  MY FAVORITE EPISODES ARE THE ONES ON BIGFOOT AND ALIENS.  I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD DO A PODCAST ON PIRATES.  I’M CURIOUS ABOUT PIRATES BECAUSE I LOVE PLAYING WITH PIRATES.  I HAVE LOTS OF PIRATE LEGOS!  THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING MY EMAIL!

FROM CONNOR OF ARKANSAS”

“HI, MY NAME IS PAUL.  I AM EIGHT YEARS OLD AND I’M FROM WASHINGTON D.C.  I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD DO A PODCAST ON AT LEAST ONE OF THESE THINGS:  HUNTERS, THE GREAT DEPRESSION, PIRATES, OR HOW YOU MAKE BASKETS.  I REALLY LIKE THE PODCAST!  I THINK MY FAVORITE EPISODE WAS THE ONE ABOUT RATS. 

FROM PAUL OF WASHINGTON D.C.”

O:  WELL, SHIVER ME TIMBERS.  THOSE ARE GREAT MESSAGES WE GOT FROM LISTENERS BY E-MAIL AND ON INSTAGRAM.  WE ARE GOING TO LEARN ALL ABOUT PIRATES THIS WEEK FOR BUCKO CONNOR AND BUCKO PAUL.

D:  THERE IS A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT PIRATES, AND THERE MAY EVEN BE SOME THINGS WE THINK WE KNOW ABOUT PIRATES THAT AREN’T REALLY TRUE.

O:  IN A FEW MINUTES, WE’RE GOING TO LEARN ABOUT A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT COME TO MIND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT PIRATES THAT AREN’T REALLY TRUE.

D:  WE DID SOMETHING SIMILAR IN EPISODE 59, CURIOUS ABOUT THANKSGIVING, THAT CAME OUT ALMOST THREE YEARS AGO.  IN THAT EPISODE, WE LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT THE HOLIDAY, AND WE EVEN DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE THINK ABOUT THANKSGIVING, LIKE THE FACT THAT TURKEY WAS PART OF THE FIRST THANKSGIVING MEAL, THAT PROBABLY AREN’T TRUE.  LET’S GET OUR PIRATE LEARNING STARTED WITH OUR QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  

O:  THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS, WHY DID LOTS OF PIRATES WEAR AN EYE PATCH?  I’LL GIVE YOU A HINT.  IT’S NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL MISSING AN EYE.  

D:  THE EYE PATCH IS PART OF THE OUTFIT PEOPLE IMAGINE WHEN THEY THINK OF PIRATES.  I ALWAYS FIGURED, LIKE MANY OTHER PEOPLE, THAT THE EYE PATCH COVERED UP AN EYE THAT WAS DAMAGED, OR EVEN MISSING, BECAUSE THE PIRATE WAS INJURED IN BATTLE.  IT TURNS OUT THE EYE PATCH SERVES ANOTHER PURPOSE THAT I WASN’T EVEN AWARE OF UNTIL WE STARTED DOING RESEARCH FOR THIS EPISODE.  CAN YOU GUESS WHY LOTS OF PIRATES WEAR AN EYE PATCH?    

O:  I THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO DESCRIBE WHAT REAL PIRATES ARE.  PIRATES ARE PEOPLE THAT COMMIT ACTS OF PIRACY.  

D:  PIRACY IS STEALING SOMETHING THAT BELONGS TO SOMEONE ELSE.  THERE IS OFTEN VIOLENCE INVOLVED WITH THE PIRACY THAT IS CONDUCTED BY PIRATES.  PIRACY OFTEN INVOLVES PIRATES THAT OPERATE ON A BOAT, RATHER THAN ON LAND.  

O:  PIRACY STARTED THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO IN ANCIENT GREECE BY PIRATES THAT ATTACKED TRADING SHIPS.

D:  COUNTRIES TRADE GOOD WITH EACH OTHER.  IF YOU EVER LOOK AT THE TAGS ON YOUR CLOTHES OR STAMPS ON YOUR TOYS, YOU MIGHT NOTICE THAT THE COUNTRY WHERE THE CLOTHING OR TOY IS MADE IS IDENTIFIED ON THE TAG OR STAMP.  

O:  SO, THINGS YOU HAVE AT HOME MIGHT SAY SOMETHING LIKE MADE IN CHINA OR MADE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, EVEN IF YOU DON’T HAPPEN TO LIVE IN THOSE COUNTRIES.  THAT’S BECAUSE THOSE THINGS WERE IMPORTED FROM THE COUNTRY THAT THEY WERE MADE IN INTO THE COUNTRY WHERE YOU LIVE.  

D:  THAT’S RIGHT.  AND LOTS OF THOSE IMPORTS MOVE FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY ON LARGE SHIPS CALLED CARGO SHIPS.  SO, PIRATES STRATEGICALLY SPENT LOTS OF TIME AT SEA IN THE TRADE ROUTES USED TO MOVE VALUABLE GOODS FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY.  WHEN THEY SAW A SHIP WITH LOTS OF VALUABLE GOODS ON IT, THEY WOULD TRY TO STEAL THE GOODS, AND THINGS WOULD SOMETIMES GET VIOLENT IF THE CREW OF THE CARGO SHIP TRIED TO PROTECT THEIR GOODS.  

O:  PIRACY WAS VERY BIG ABOUT 400 YEARS AGO.  THE YEARS FROM 1620 TO 1720 WERE CONSIDERED THE GOLDEN AGE OF PIRACY.  

D:  THERE WERE EVEN PIRATES CALLED PRIVATEERS, WHO WERE GIVEN PERMISSION BY THEIR GOVERNMENT TO STEAL FROM SHIPS OF ENEMY COUNTRIES.  IN RETURN FOR PERMISSION, THEY SHARED THEIR STOLEN GOODS WITH THE GOVERNMENT.  ONE SUCH PRIVATEER WAS CAPTAIN HENRY MORGAN, WHO FOUGHT AGAINST SPAIN ON BEHALF OF ENGLAND.  CAPTAIN MORGAN LOOTED ENEMY SHIPS FOR ABOUT A DECADE AND SHARED HIS HAUL WITH ENGLAND.  

O:  PIRATE SHIPS OFTEN HAD LOTS AND LOTS OF PIRATES ON THEM.  THERE WERE A FEW GOOD REASONS FOR THIS.  FIRST, WHENEVER A PIRATE SHIP WITH TONS OF PIRATES ATTACKS ANOTHER SHIP, THE OTHER SHIP WILL OFTEN SURRENDER WITHOUT A FIGHT AFTER SEEING HOW MANY PIRATES THEY WOULD HAVE TO DEFEND AGAINST.  

D:  ANOTHER REASON FOR ALL THOSE PIRATES IS THAT ENOUGH PIRATES WERE NEEDED SO THAT, IN THE EVENT THEY NEEDED ENOUGH TO START A CREW ON A SHIP THEY WERE ATTACKING, THE PIRATES COULD BE SPLIT BETWEEN THE TWO SHIPS.  

O:  PIRATE SHIPS ARE ALSO KNOWN FOR FLYING FLAGS.  A WHITE FLAG MEANS THAT THE PIRATE SHIP IS WILLING TO NEGOTIATE, AND IF THOSE NEGOTIATIONS GO WELL, THINGS MIGHT NOT GET VIOLENT.

D:  BUT THEN, THERE’S THE JOLLY ROGER FLAG, WHICH IS NOT JOLLY AT ALL.  THAT’S THE BLACK FLAG WITH THE SKULL AND CROSSBONES ON IT THAT IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH PIRATE SHIPS.  WELL, THAT FLAG MEANS NO MERCY.  IF YOU SEE THAT FLAG ON A PIRATE SHIP, THOSE PIRATES MEAN BUSINESS.  

O:  PIRATES HAD A FEW CHALLENGES SPENDING SO MUCH TIME AT SEA.  ONE OF THOSE CHALLENGES WAS SCURVY, WHICH IS A DISEASE THAT COMES FROM NOT HAVING ENOUGH VITAMIN C.  THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLE.  JUST A LITTLE BIT OF VITAMIN C, FROM THINGS LIKE FRUIT, WOULD BE GOOD ENOUGH TO PREVENT SCURVY.

D:  PIRATE SHIPS ALSO HAD LOTS OF RATS ON BOARD.  RATS WERE A BIG PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY ATE THE FOOD ON THE SHIP, AND ALSO BECAUSE RATS CARRY LOTS OF DISEASES, SO THEY OFTEN MADE THE PIRATES SICK.  

O:  EVEN THOUGH PIRATES ARE NOT KNOWN FOR DISCIPLINE, THEY FOLLOWED A STRICT SET OF RULES CALLED THE PIRATE CODE.

D:  THE PIRATE CODE WAS A BIT DIFFERENT FROM SHIP TO SHIP, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE PIRATE CODE WAS USUALLY HOW ANY STOLEN GOODS WOULD BE SPLIT AMONG ALL OF THE CREW MEMBERS.  AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, THE CAPTAIN USUALLY GOT THE MOST.

O:  AND PIRATES REALLY NEEDED TO FOLLOW THE RULES OF THEIR SHIP, OTHERWISE THE PUNISHMENT WAS SOMETIMES REALLY HARSH.

D:  PIRATES THAT ACTED UP WERE OFTEN MAROONED ON A DESERTED ISLAND.  THAT’S AN ISLAND WITH NOTHING AND NOBODY.  THE UNRULY PIRATE WOULD THEN HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO SURVIVE WITH ALMOST NO RESOURCES.  

O:  PIRATES OFTEN HAD PET PARROTS.  THEY WERE EASIER TO TRAVEL WITH THAN OTHER TYPICAL ANIMALS LIKE A DOG.  THEY COULD BE BOUGHT AT CARIBBEAN PORTS.  THEY ARE SMART, AND PIRATES WERE ABLE TO TEACH THEM TO TALK, WHICH PROVIDED THEM WITH ENTERTAINMENT.  

D:  MANY PIRATES ALSO WORE EARRINGS, BUT THEY DIDN’T DO IT TO LOOK FASHIONABLE.  THEY ACTUALLY WORE EARRINGS BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT IT HELPED PREVENT SEA-SICKNESS.  IT TURNS OUT THAT EVEN THOUGH OUR INNER EARS PLAY A BIG ROLE IN BALANCE, PIERCING YOUR EARLOBES DOES NOTHING TO HELP WITH SEA-SICKNESS.    

O:  IT’S TIME TO LEARN ABOUT SOME THINGS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH PIRATES THAT AREN’T REALLY TRUE.  FOR EXAMPLE, PIRATES DIDN’T REALLY SPEAK PIRATE.  THEY ACTUALLY SPOKE THE SAME WAY ALL OTHER SAILERS DID.  WE ACTUALLY HAVE A MOVIE TO THANK FOR LOTS OF THE PHRASES THAT HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH HOW PIRATES SPEAK.  THAT MOVIE IS THE 1950 DISNEY FILM TREASURE ISLAND, FEATURING A FAKE PIRATE BY THE NAME OF LONG JOHN SILVER.  

D:  SPEAKING OF PIRATE PHRASES, WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT IF I TOLD YOU THAT I WAS USING THE PHRASE “SHIVER ME TIMBERS” INCORRECTLY ALL THIS TIME?  I THOUGHT IT MEANS SHIVERING COLD.  WELL, I WAS TOTALLY WRONG.  SHIVER ME TIMBERS IS SOMETHING THAT IS SAID WHEN YOU HEAR SOMETHING REALLY SHOCKING.  TIMBERS ARE SUPPORT FRAMES USED TO KEEP A PIRATE SHIP TOGETHER.  SO, SAYING THAT THE TIMBERS ARE SHIVERING IS LIKE SAYING YOU HEARD SOMETHING THAT WAS REALLY SURPRISING AND SHOCKING TO THE EXTENT THAT YOUR PIRATE SHIP MIGHT COME CRASHING DOWN.  SHIVER ME TIMBERS WAS ONE OF THE PHRASES MADE POPULAR IN THE MOVIE TREASURE ISLAND.  

O:  ANOTHER PIRATE MYTH… PIRATES DIDN’T USUALLY BURY THEIR TREASURE.  THEY WOULD OFTEN SPLIT THE TREASURE, OR BOOTY, VERY QUICKLY.  

D:  I FEEL LIKE LOTS OF THE STORIES ARE OF PIRATES BURYING TREASURE CHESTS AND THEN CREATING A MAP THAT SHOWS THE LOCATION OF THE TREASURE CHEST, WHICH IS USUALLY MARKED WITH THE LETTER X.  IT TURNS OUT THAT THEY PREFERRED TO JUST SPLIT THE TREASURE RIGHT AWAY SO EVERYONE GETS THEIR PORTION OF THE STOLEN GOODS.  

O:  HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THAT PIRATES MADE PEOPLE WALK THE PLANK?  THAT’S ANOTHER PIRATE MYTH.  WALKING THE PLANK MEANT TYING UP AN ENEMY AND HAVING THE ENEMY WALK ON A WOODEN PLANK STICKING OUT OF THE SIDE OF THE SHIP UNTIL THEY FELL OFF THE OTHER END AND INTO THE SEA.  

D:  VERY FEW REAL CASES OF WALKING THE PLANK HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED.  IT TURNS OUT THAT THE CONCEPT OF WALKING THE PLANK CAME FROM A POPULAR BOOK FROM THE YEAR 1390 CALLED CANTERBURY TALES.  THE SAME WAY THAT PIRATE LANGUAGE CAME FROM A MOVIE, WALKING THE PLANK CAME FROM A BOOK.  AS THE YEARS PASSED, PEOPLE STARTED TO BELIEVE THAT PIRATES SAID THINGS LIKE SHIVER ME TIMBERS OR HAD ENEMIES WALK THE PLANK, EVEN THOUGH THOSE IDEAS CAME FROM MOVIES AND BOOKS.  

ALRIGHT OLIVIA, LET’S ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  PIRATES OFTEN WORE EYE PATCHES, BUT IT WASN’T TO COVER AN INJURED OR MISSING EYE.  WHY DID PIRATES WEAR EYE PATCHES?

O:  PIRATES WORE EYE PATCHES TO HELP THEM SEE BETTER IN THE DARK.  IT HELPED THEM ADJUST FROM LIGHT TO DARKNESS VERY QUICKLY, AND GAVE THEM AN ADVANTAGE OVER THEIR ENEMIES.

D:  IF YOU EVER GO FROM SUNLIGHT, OR EVEN ARTIFICIAL LIGHT LIKE WE HAVE IN OUR HOMES, TO DARKNESS, IT USUALLY TAKES A WHILE, SOMETIMES AS MUCH AS 25 MINUTES, FOR OUR EYES TO GET ADJUSTED TO THE DARKNESS.  FOR EXAMPLE, MY ROOM IS DARK WHEN I GO TO SLEEP.  AS SOON AS I TURN THE LIGHTS OUT AT NIGHT, IT TAKES A WHILE FOR MY EYES TO GET ADJUSTED TO THE DARK, SO I HAVE TROUBLE SEEING, EVEN JUST A FEW FEET IN FRONT OF ME.  BUT THEN, IF I NEED TO GET UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, LIKE TO USE THE BATHROOM, I’M ABLE TO SEE PERFECTLY FINE IN THE DARK, BECAUSE MY EYES HAVE ADJUSTED ALREADY.  WHEN PIRATES GO INTO BATTLE WITH ENEMIES, THEY OFTEN NEED TO GO FROM AREAS ABOVE DECK WHERE THERE IS SUNLIGHT TO AREAS BELOW DECK THAT COULD BE VERY DARK.  WHAT PIRATES DO TO HELP THEM SEE WELL BELOW DECK IS MOVE THE PATCH FROM ONE EYE TO THE OTHER.  THE EYE THAT WAS BEHIND THE PATCH IS ADJUSTED TO DARKNESS ALREADY BECAUSE IT WAS BEHIND THE PATCH, SO THE PIRATE CAN SEE VERY WELL IN THE DARK, WHEREAS THE ENEMY WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO SEE WELL, IF BOTH OF THEIR EYES NEEDED TO ADJUST TO THE DARK SURROUNDINGS.  IT’S A VERY CLEVER TRICK PIRATES USED TO GAIN AN ADVANTAGE OVER THEIR ENEMIES.  

WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

O:  204 - PIRATES.

D:  GREAT JOB OLIVIA, AND GREAT JOB CONNOR AND PAUL FOR THE WOND-ARRRRRRR-FUL EPISODE TOPIC SUGGESTION THAT HAD A TREASURE TROVE OF INTERESTING FACTS FOR US TO LEARN.  BEFORE WE SAY GOODBYE, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF AWESOME PEOPLE TO THANK.  

O:  WE WANT TO THANK OUR NEWEST PATREON SUPPORTERS, BENJAMIN L., CAROLINE L., AND LIAM C.

D:  THANK YOU SO MUCH, BENJAMIN, CAROLINE, AND LIAM, FOR THE SUPPORT.  WE REALLY COULDN’T CONTINUE DOING THIS WITHOUT YOU AND ALL OF OUR OTHER AMAZING PATREON SUPPORTERS.  NEXT WEEK, WE WILL GET CURIOUS ABOUT SOLAR PANELS FOR LISTENERS IN SINGAPORE AND LITTLETON, COLORADO.  AS ALWAYS,  THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.