MYTHS
These were never really pirate pets. They would have been just a messy inconvenience or dinner.
A Parrot
Short with a curved blade, this was perfect for fights aboard a crowded ship.
A cutlass
Chased by a crocodile, this pirate is a favorite with many children.
Captain Hook
Without this important instrument, a pirate would never know which way was north.
A compass
Slender and streamlined, the bow of this ship was sharply pointed to cut through waves efficiently.
Schooner
As popular a myth as this is, throwing someone overboard would have been quicker.
Walking The Plank
Because misfires were frequent, this weapon was often used like a club.
Flintlock Pistol
Made famous by Robert Louis Stevenson, this pirate spent much of his time looking for treasure on an island.
Long John Silver
Used to spot land, ships, birds, and clouds, this tool's nickname was "Bring It Near."
Telescope
Still an economic problem today, this was one reason people became pirates.
Unemployment
Very few examples of this are known, but you'd never know it from movies and books.
Buried Treasure
The only weapon allowed a pirate who has been marooned.
A musket
Famous because he was never caught and hanged, this pirate was made governor of Jamaica.
Henry Morgan
Longitude and latitude lines were used to pinpoint where the pirates were on this.
A Map
Pirate money was known as pieces of eight because this could be done to it.
Cut into 8 pieces to make change.
Pirates didn't really wear these; they would only have gotten caught in the rigging.
Earrings
When this became damp, it was useless.
Gunpowder
One of 2 famous female pirates, she avoided hanging because she was pregnant.
Anne Bonny or Mary Read
The lead weight on the end of the line was lowered to measure this.
Sea Depth
When a wooden ship runs aground or suddenly hits a rock, her timbers shiver. This led to the this expression of surprise or shock.
Shiver Me Timbers
Would you have left behind such an easy clue to your treasure?
Map
A grappling hook was tied to the end of a long rope and thrown on the rigging of another ship to enable the pirates to do this.
Haul their own ship closer.
This pirate's terrifying appearance was increased by dense black smoke about his head. It came from smoldering cannon fuses stuffed under his hat.
(P. 16 F/F)
Blackbeard
Visual Daily Double - P. 24 Blue Book
Measuring the speed of the ship
Most pirates who were caught died this way.
Hanging