The History of Literature Podcast is a member of the Podglamorate Network and LIT Hub Radio.

Hello, we begin today with a description from a book published in 1724 called A General History of the Pirates, that's Pirates, spelled with a why.

Our author is Charles Johnson and he's describing a real-life pirate named Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard.

Quote, this beard was black, which he suffered to grow of an extravagant length, as to breath it came up to his eyes.

He was accustomed to twist it with ribbons in small tails after the manner of our Ramelies wigs and turn them about

his ears.

In time of action he wore a sling over his shoulders with three brace of pistols hanging in holsters like

bandoliers and stuck lighted matches under his hat, which appearing on each side

of his face his eyes naturally looking fierce and wild, made him altogether

such a figure that imagination cannot form an idea of a fury from hell to look more frightful."

End quote.

Pirates have long captured our literary imagination and the cliches have piled on top of one another.

The parrots on the shoulders, the ex is marking the spot, the islands full of

treasure, the hooks for hands and pegs for legs. And we've developed a relationship with pirates as

which we've talked about before on the History of Literature Podcast. They're

compelling as heroes and villains, anti-heroes.

One might say they live outside the law, but also according to a code.

Sometimes, sometimes they're admirable, attractive, seductive, but they can also play the part of an unseen danger,

like sharks that sneak up on you in

still waters, emerging from the ocean to destroy you. Or they can be the dictators on the ship,

the paradox there, that in a band of outlaws,

they're in a band of outlaws,

...