Brecksville: Blimey! Pirates Are Everywhere

Press release from the Cleveland Aquarium:

September 17, 2021

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Blimey! Pirates are Everywhere

September 17, 2021 /

• Holiday

Written by Greater Cleveland Aquarium

Ahoy, me hearties! International Talk Like A Pirate Day be comin’ ‘round again on Sunday, September 19. To commemorate the day, we be divin’ into the tales of some pirates not as well-known in these parts as the likes of Blackbeard and Captain Kidd, but just as fearsome:

ANCIENT PIRATES

• Cilician Pirates: Famous for kidnapping Julius Caesar for ransom in 78 B.C.
• Teuta of Illyria: Queen who took over the fleet after the death of her husband and raided Roman forces (231-228 B.C.)

AFRICAN PIRATES

• Black Caesar: War chieftain who raided during the “Golden Age of Piracy” in the 18th century who later became a member of Blackbeard’s crew
• Barbary Corsairs: Raided North Africa and the Mediterranean; the Barbary Coast is named for them

ASIAN PIRATES

• Ching Shih: One of the most successful pirates in history, this queen commanded more than 1800 vessels, 100 times more ships than Blackbeard
• Zheng Chenggong (better known as Koxinga): Drove the Dutch from Taiwan and took control for the next two decades

FEMALE PIRATES

• Anne Bonny and Mary Read: Mates to Calico Jack, both Bonny and Read dressed as men to fool other pirates
• Sadie the Goat: American pirate queen who raided the northeast coasts
• Sayyida al-Hurra: Muslim who used her fleet to terrorize Spanish and Portuguese ships

Getting in the spirit, are you? Then maybe you’ll be wantin’ to know a wee bit more ‘bout some of them pirate movies ye have a hankerin’ for:

Treasure Island: Disney’s 1st live action feature (released in 1950). Phrases like “Argh!” and “Avast, me hearties!,” as well as the sword style used in modern costumes originated from this movie.

Princess Bride: The character Dread Pirate Roberts was based on Bartholomew Roberts, a Welsh pirate from the 1700s.

Pirates of the Caribbean franchise: Many scenes from the Disney World ride were incorporated into the movies, including:

• the pirate song, “A Pirate’s Life for Me”
• the skeletons featured throughout
• the dog with the keys to the cell
• the treasure room

Make sure you buy your tickets online to ensure entry to our swashbucklin’ celebration, wear your best gear and get ready to TALK LIKE A PIRATE!

ARRGH!

-Neda S

This press release was produced by the Cleveland Aquarium.The views expressed here are the author’s own.