I first learned that women had been pirates in 1998. Of course I knew that women probably dreamed of being pirates but I just didn't think women were ALLOWED to become pirates. It was a feminist issue. Then I began to read about women pirates, in particular the Chinese women pirates, and I realized that the pirate mentality was that NO ONE WAS ASKING ANY PERMISSION.
Some of the women pirates I learned about dressed as men at the time they were pirating. Women's clothing was too cumbersome or limiting to move in. These women pirates had to have a lot of daring and courage but they were just as dangerous, cunning, and criminal as the men.
I learned that the idea of the law that we have now, as being a rule of society that everyone was to respect, was not in place in most cultures where these historical pirates operated. Back then the attitude was more like "May the smarter or stronger person win." Some pirates were respected, some were hired to pirate by a business person's enemy, and some quit while they were still alive and used their fortunes to settle down into a land-based normal life! Basically, if they got away with pirating then it was considered fair enough!
So recently when I saw the actor Tom Hank's recent film about the Somali pirates, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, which is based on a true story, I also learned that warlords and other authorities can order other people to pirate to make them rich or to enrich the local economy.
I enjoyed the movie. Have you seen it?
Siren
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