The most famous names of pirate ships in history, literature and cinema

Pirates at all times associated with adventurers, robbers, robbers and rowdy who gained fame not only at sea, in love affairs, but even in politics. But let's look at their activities in the open sea, as it was she who brought those fabulous riches that they are looking for so far. Even the names of pirate ships were designed to frighten their opponents, and the flag "Jolly Roger" and did instill panic fear of the command of the attacked vessel.

The most famous pirates

Speaking about the era of piracy, it is worth considering that not all adherents of this way of earning and living were exactly pirates in the direct sense of the word. In those days there was a division into frank robbers, corsairs, privateers, filibusters, etc.

It is interesting that privateering was legalized in England, which tried its best to prevent Spain in the New World. Roughly speaking, the English crown secretly issued patents for the robbery of Spanish galleons, which returned with gold and silver from both Americas.

But in general, if you compile a list of the most desperate and famous in his field of personalities of that era, he could look something like this:

• Captain Kidd.
• Francis Drake.
• Edward Teach "The Black Beard."
• Henry Morgan.
• L'Ollone.
• Jethrou Flint.
• Olivier Le Wasser.
• William Dampier.
• Aruj Barbarossa.
• Jen Shi and many others.

The famous names of pirate ships. List

Naturally, each of these thugs preferred to have his own ship, and, if possible, and flotillas of three or more ships. However, if the secondary ships were sometimes even satirical, the flagship must necessarily have a name that everyone had on their lips. Often used allegories or frankly evocative names. Here is an incomplete list of the most famous ships of that time (the names of pirate ships in English or French are given along with the Russian translation):

• "Golden Hind" (Golden Hind);
• Galera "Adventure" (Adventure Galley);
• "Queen Ann's Revenge" (Queen Ann's Revenge);
• "Careless Corsair" (El corsario descuidad);
• "Periton" (Le Periton) - flying deer;
• "The Avenger" (Avenger);
• "Whydah";
• "Royal Fortune";
• "Fantasy" (Fancy);
• "Happy Delivery";
• "Rising Sun";
• "Retribution" (Revenge), etc.

And this is not all. Very often it was possible to meet the names of pirate ships like "Omnipresent death", "Victoria - bloody baroness", "The prize of luck", "Bell", "Cerberus", "Black widow", "Leviathan", "Shaving water", in In general, there was plenty of fantasy. But let us dwell on what were the famous pirate ships. Their names did not always reflect the true nature of the threat, because by and large the Spanish galleons were 36-48-cannon frigates, which it was not possible to take on boarding for capture. The pirate ship would have been shot still on the way, no matter how well it maneuvered.

Therefore, usually the robbers were satisfied with frigates of lower rank. Have on board 24, 36 or 40 guns - was considered riding. And escorting several ships with 20 or even 12 guns on board could play a decisive role in the battle.

Main characteristics of ships

Despite the loud and sometimes intimidating names of pirate ships, they could not always compare with the same Spanish ships or the English fleet.

So, for example, William Kidd's "Adventure" was a 34-gun frigate-frigate of an unusual type (with straight sails and a rowing crew).

"The Revenge of Queen Anne", originally called "Concorde," was more powerful, having 40 guns. "Golden doe" first descended from the slipways as a 3-masted sailboat called "Pelican", according to various estimates, with 18-22 cannon.

The most famous literary hero and his squadron

In the literature, the names of pirate ships were supplemented by another famous character - Captain Blood (Raphael Sabatini - Captain Blood's Odyssey, Captain Blood's Chronicle), whose unrequited love for the daughter of the governor of Barbados (and later Jamaica) made him call the 36-year- The cannon frigate Cinco Llagos by her name. Since then, "Arabella" has become a thunderstorm of the seas.

By the way, in the work is mentioned and le Wasser, but the name of the literary hero Levaser, and his ship is called "La Food" ("Lightning"). There is also the name "Avenger" (Avenger) one of the regular opponents of the main character - Captain Easterling.

Captain Blood himself in his humorous manner gave names to secondary courts like "Elizabeth" (in honor of the Queen of England) or in honor of the three Greek goddesses - Atropos, Clotho and Lachezis.

Only towards the end of the narrative was captured the 80-gun frigate "Victorious", commanded by the Baron de Rivarol. But the author could not rename it, according to the plot, because Blood became the governor, and his ships became part of the Jamaican squadron.

Cinema

And how do you do without the "Black Pearl" from the quadrilogy "Pirates of the Caribbean"? Here, too, has its own nuances. The name of Captain Barbossa clearly echoes Barbarossa.

And about the "Flying Dutchman" generally can not speak. The film denotes that it's Davy Jones's ship , although in fact no one knows who owned this ghost ship, and whether it exists at all and whether only in a single copy.

Instead of an afterword

Well, if you take into account that the kids love this kind of adventure, the name of a pirate ship for children is easy to come up with, because they often have much more imagination than an adult. Even the usual names like "Thunderstorm" or "Thunder" will do. Here children are masters of using associations that frighten their peers.

But, seriously, the names of pirate ships are often associated not with abstract concepts or mystical phenomena, but rather with the history of England, because most of these seekers of luck, one way or another, were associated with the English crown, and by and large fought Against the Spaniards. Naturally, there were those who robbed indiscriminately, but privateering in those days was, so to speak, the most gentlemanly craft with a huge number of restrictions. Take the same Henry Morgan, who later became the vice-governor of Jamaica, or Sir Francis Drake (English admiral). The story is full of surprises ...