Pirate Historian Rates 8 Pirate Battles In Movies And TV | How Real Is It? | Insider
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- čas přidán 11. 03. 2024
- Rebecca Simon, a piracy historian, rates pirate battles in movies and TV shows, such as the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, for realism.
Simon breaks down the accuracy of pirate battle tactics used during the golden age of piracy, such as the use of the flintlock pistol and the rope-swinging skills to capture a ship in "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" (2003), with Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley; the realism of the Jolly Roger flag and the depiction of the real-life pirates Edward "Blackbeard" Teach, John "Calico Jack" Rackham, and Anne Bonny in "Black Sails" S1E1 and S3E10 (2014 and 2016); and the battle tactics used by pirate captains in "House of the Dragon" E2 and E3 (2022). She debunks common pirate tropes, such as buried treasure, treasure maps, and the stereotypical accent used by Long John Silver in "Treasure Island" (1950); the punishment of walking the plank in "Peter Pan" (1953); and swordsmanship and the use of the cutlass, as well as the relationship between the pirates Stede Bonnet and Blackbeard, in "Our Flag Means Death" S2E4 and S2E5 (2023), starring Taika Waititi. Simon also looks at the realism of Jack Sparrow and his compass in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" (2017) and the plausibility of pirate bounties and privateers in "One Piece" S1E5 (2023).
Simon is a historian who focuses on the golden age of piracy within the Caribbean and along the coast of North America. She has written several books on pirates, including her latest book, "The Pirates' Code: Laws and Life Aboard Ship." She is also a professor of history at Santa Monica College.
You can follow Rebecca here:
rebecca-simon.com/
"The Pirates' Code: Laws and Life Aboard Ship":
press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/...
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Pirate Historian Rates 8 Pirate Battles In Movies And TV | How Real Is It? | Insider
Felt cute, might put some sparklers in my beard later
report back
LED lights would be safer
@@A0A4ful hahahah
@@A0A4ful "safety" be not in a true pirate's vocabulary, ye yellowbellied fucken landlubber
Blackbeard san UwU
5:11 "no Pirate in their right mind" - Aye but this is Captain Jack Sparrow we're talking about.
Finally, someone speaking logically about Captain Jack Sparrow
😂
Yeah, he's probably not the best pirate to judge for realism. To judge for awesomeness, yes. But not realism.
@@smittysmeee That's got to be the best pirate Hollywood has ever produced.
No PERSON in their right mind is going to take a ship by swimming/walking along the bottom to it. Was a bit funny how she basically confirmed "Yeah he's nuts." but hey - it worked!
Also I see a lot of comments about how the Black Pearl isn't a Man O' War. And like...*technically* it's not but she's also not wrong that to get a ship like that would be a huge feat. And it was - he gave up his soul for it technically.
That's the one problem when fantasy starts to try to mix with reality. Things start to become not close to reality. Much like commandeering the Interceptor. No one was going to try and take it the 'traditional' way. This was just another crazy plan that even Will himself was probably in disbelief over that it worked.
"But you have heard of me?"
If the 8 year old me knew that 'pirate historian' was actually a thing, I would have taken a completely different career path. :(
SERIOUSLY! Why is this never told to us in schools? XD
“In a world without gold, we could’ve been heroes!”
-Blackbeard, AC black flag
"The time where pirates dream of treasure, will never end"
- Blackbeard, One Piece
"So she's even ensnared my own elites with those thicc thighs, huh? No more Simping Blackbeard!"
-Blackbeard, Fate Grand Order
6:15 her way to load a flintlock pistol would be a huge surprise for both parties.
Came into the comments to say the same. Her weapons knowledge is shameful.
@@hueco5002 Well, she has a PhD in history, I'm sure she can get away with "shameful" knowledge of how to load a flintlock pistol.
@@smaller_cathedrals If you read her books you might have the same opinion of her weapon knowledge. I'm quoted near the end of Pirate Queens. She spelled my name Tyler Rodgriguez. Also she thought Captain Flint is the pirate at the start of Treasure Island and not Billy Bones.
@@LadyTylerBioRodriguez to add to her terrible knowledge, she calls Jack Sparrows shirt a 'white tunic'... Um no... It's a shirt, a tunic is from a long time before the times of piracy. Then she calls the pirate hat a tricorne! It wasn't called a tricorne until the late Victorians! It was referred to as a cocked hat and would certainly have not been made from leather like Jack Sparrows one. It would have been made from wool. Like... If she doesn't know, she really shouldn't be talking about it as an authority and spreading misinformation
@@oskarg5698 Correct on all counts, you know your material culture, nice.
It doesn't seem like a great idea to show the House of the Dragon to a historian of the golden age of piracy. There is clearly not much overlap there.
She specializes in the golden age, many historians do, but they have to understand what led up to it at least to some extent.
If you consider the Japanese of the Edo Period as pirates, then maybe the sights and sounds of House of the Dragon could be seen as analogous.
Same with One PIece; it's pure pirate fantasy and never pretends otherwise.
Also, I'm pretty sure that Mihawk would literally kill her for calling him a privateer, haha.
I agree. GRRM writes extreme characters and situations, and the pirates in the Stepstones are almost caricatures. It just seems like they could have picked something else.
House of the Dragon takes place in a fantasy world. Why would you rate it for accuracy when there's nothing to compare it to?
For the pirates of the Caribbean - the Interceptor was the small docked ship, the big one you pointed an arrow at was the Dauntless, which I think was meant as a ship of the line.
The interceptor was the smallER ship. It was still a large ship compared to sloops that were common for pirates and definitely a large ship for 2 people to crew.
4:38 That arrow is pointing to the HMS Dauntless. The Interceptor is the ship that is docked.
And the Interceptor (AKA Lady Washington) is a ship that, once off the dock, can be handled by two people... poorly. Maybe not with one green hand but that's within movie reality for me.
-" Pirates didn't use swords, they use this "
-Pulls out a sword
(see top comment about cutlasses not having much in common with swords)
@@thehobo00 A cutlass is a specific type of sword..... That's like saying grizzlies don't have much in common with bears
Cutlasses, Rapiers, Greatswords, shortswords, etc are all swords. They vary drastically in shape, use, and function, but are all still swords.
@@Artyomthewalrus Pretty much every practitioner or expert on the subject on the subject will differentiate a Cutlass from a Sword of any distinction. Because it's not used like a sword. It's not really built like a sword. Etc... It is a sharp, curved piece of metal with a very specific purpose and nowhere near as much utility or versatility as an actual sword.
@@Artyomthewalrus The FitnessGram™ Pacer Test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult as it continues. The 20 meter pacer test will begin in 30 seconds. Line up at the start. The running speed starts slowly, but gets faster each minute after you hear this signal. [beep] A single lap should be completed each time you hear this sound. [ding] Remember to run in a straight line, and run as long as possible. The second time you fail to complete a lap before the sound, your test is over. The test will begin on the word start. On your mark, get ready, start.The FitnessGram™ Pacer Test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult as it continues. The 20 meter pacer test will begin in 30 seconds. Line up at the start. The running speed starts slowly, but gets faster each minute after you hear this signal. [beep] A single lap should be completed each time you hear this sound. [ding] Remember to run in a straight line, and run as long as possible. The second time you fail to complete a lap before the sound, your test is over. The test will begin on the word start. On your mark, get ready, start!
@@Artyomthewalrus fr though yeah I agree they're swords (even though I never actually said they weren't), they're just not used in the same way that a typical finesse weapon like a longsword, rapier or what have you would be wielded. I'm sure many people watching this video are subscribed to Skallagrim or other HEMA CZcamsrs (myself included) so we know that technically it's a sword or "swordlike object," but if you go from a layman's perspective there is a big difference between knowing how to use a longsword, with its proper fighting styles, guards, ripostes, etc, etc and and a Cutlass, which by comparison is a very simple, slashy stabby thing with a handguard. Much easier to pick up a Cutlass and know how to use it than a sabre or something, and that's what the lady in the video was getting at I think. Not everyone knows all about swords so I think it's important to come at it from that perspective
black pearl may have 2 gun decks.. but she has has only 32 guns in total... probably not heavier than 12 pounders! a well defended east india man, but not a man of war AT ALL!
@@Carlton-B galleon isn't pirate ship type either, they'll choose ship like frigate or sloop that can sail fast
@@Carlton-Bin POTC canon, the Black Pearl was formerly a slave ship named the Wicked Wench, which would technically make her a merchant ship.
yup exactly what i was thinking too. Was just about to call her out on it when I saw your comment. No way that is a man o war.
You people really don't go out very often huh
@holokyttaja5476 no we don't you caught us. There is only room for one cool guy and thats you bud. 👍
Assassins Creed: Black Flag , prob the most fun I've had in a game after Halo series.
Is a fantastic game!
Hands down. You can feel the salt on your lips and the wood creaking under your feet when the shanties start.
Also silly that it's still the best pirate game. Didn't Ubisoft just make a pirate game that is a direct ripoff of the boat combat, but somehow made it bad?
It's a shame they fucked up skull and bones. ACIV is on par with PIRATES! imo in terms of fun and being able to return to it over the years easily. Holds up like crazy
I see you are a man of culture as well!
Loading a flintlock is backwards in her directions. Im aware its a bit specific but. Always gunpowder 1st. Then wad and den .......
I came looking for this comment. The whole video was topsy turvey for me after she said this and I am going to lament about it for far too long. She got paid for the video and god bless her she is a pirate bloody historian, so I hope she never sees this comment. But yes, you definitely do not load the ball first in to a flintlock.
Thanks! I'm not a flintlock expert but I get physics and was like: if you load the the ball first it's not going to work.
@@carlosarvizu7044 also if you place the gunpowder in and then ram the ball in it also wont work, you need to save some gun powder to place on the pan which the flint would then spark and ignite the powder inside the gun.
Ya, that made issues for me. An "expert" getting something as simple and basic as how you load a pistol, and they didn't catch it in post and let that glaring flaw through... It makes everything else she says suspect. Like she claimed that you would use a cutlass for thrusting? Not that they couldn't be, or that they weren't, but saying it that way suggests that it is ONLY or MAINLY used as a thrusting weapon. But when you look it up it is listed as a slashing weapon. I just wish they had her go over the info again and check to make sure she wasn't rambling and misstating facts since it makes it harder to believe that she is an expert.
0:56 'Sparklers and candles' in Blackbeards beard? Really? I've always read that it was slow burning cannon fuses.
yeah not the best descriptor. I can see some small candles on the hat if he so chose but I agree not the best choice of words. Although to be fair when you are creating something for mass consumption you would use words they are more familiar with.
She doesn't know what a cannon fuse is, so her brain reaches for something familiar to compare it to
Actually neither are true. He definitely did not do that. General History of the Pyrates in 1724 said he did, but you know what the only physical description of Blackbeard is? A man from 1718 saying to a newspaper, he was tall and had a big beard. That's it. Everything about the burning ropes is after he died and honestly just try doing that yourself and see how uncomfortable it is.
@@LadyTylerBioRodriguez to be honest it seemed a bit far fetched having to constantly be breathing that in. That being said we don't have proof that he didn't and leaning into a growing legend is something you would do. Perhaps he just put some fuses in his hat away from his own face? Although with how dangerous fire is on a ship that could also be a no go
@@sethhogberg3620 Most pirate information is from trial transcripts or newspapers. I assure you, a newspaper would have printed this if anyone had witnessed it. None did, not the Boston News Herald, Not the Boston Gazette, none. Lieutenant Robert Maynard never mentioned it in his letters after killing Blackbeard and the trials of his crews afterwards makes no mention.
The first mention as I said is General History of the Pyrates in 1724, probably edited by Nathaniel Mist a Jacobite printer who didn't leave London and whom many more legends including multiple marriages arises from.
I should probably politely note in real life, pirate ship battles are very rare things. Most of the time a ship surrenders without a fight because the crew is outnumbered. A fight usually means something went wrong.
Maynards fight with Blackbeard is the most classical idea of a pirate fight but its basically the only one. Jonathan Barnets encounter with John Rackam can barely be considered a fight, over in a minute after one volley. Bartholomew Roberts died early from grapeshot when fighting HMS Swallow.
Also ship sizes tended to go up in the Indian Ocean, Henry Everys Fancy was larger then say, Stede Bonnets Revenge. Being on the open ocean allows for bigger ships.
Stede Bonnet was captured in a larger battle than the one Blackbeard died in
@@paranormal17 It was. Also somewhat more dramatic, getting stuck in a river and fighting for hours with William Rhett.
"Pirates wouldn't fight with swords, they'd fight with this." *PULLS OUT A SWORD.*
Actually a cutlass isn't technically a sword within historical contexts and is classified as a type of saber... Historians and armorers often refer to and consider larger single-edged blades intended mostly for slashing and cutting to be kind of their own thing, whereas a "sword" (such as a rapier or medieval arming sword for example) is usually going to be a straight double edged blade longer than 12" (30cm) and designed primarily as a thrusting/stabbing weapon. A straight double-edged blade measuring 30cm or less is considered to be a "dagger" or "dirk" (no, not a knife lol). In reality the standards for these naming conventions can be rather arbitrary as there is no "official" length standard or cutoff by which a dagger would be labeled as a "sword". The 12" or 30cm limit is more of a commonly held belief for simplicity's sake rather than an actual 'hard and fast' rule. Generally speaking a blade is dubbed a "sword" or a "dagger"/"dirk" based on certain factors that lend to its overall combat effectiveness such as agility, versatility, and range/reach.
In any case I can totally understand how to the layman these differences and terminologies might seem overwhelmingly pedantic, and admittedly I can totally comprehend your frustration. Frankly it does seem a bit needlessly confusing for an expert to introduce specialized terminology and classifications to an otherwise uninitiated audience. I mean surely she had to have known and understood that basically everyone and anyone who sees a large edged weapon immediately thinks "sword", right? Like all specifics aside a large one-handed or two-handed bladed weapon is just a friggin' sword to most, at least as far as the average person is concerned; so holding up a cutlass and proudly declaring to the audience that "This is not a sword!" just seems pointlessly contrarian and entirely unnecessarily confusing. Completely accurate given the subject matter mind you, but perhaps not the best or most tactful approach all things considered.
@@jaketheripper7385 Bro. Chill.
its a sword calm down @@jaketheripper7385
@@SJR4815 he's right tho.
@@jaketheripper7385lol shut up bro
As an avid flintlock shooter I can say she has the loading sequence completely arse about.
In a military scenario they would have pre measured charges. You would rip it open with your teeth, then fill the pan, the remainder poured down the bore. The paper cartridges would have a ball enclosed you would then ram home the ball and paper cartridge with the latter acting as wadding.
Civilians would typically have a horn or flask. They would measure out the powder, pour it down the barrel then either put in a ball followed by wadding or a patch with a ball over top to create a tight seal. The former for smoothbore and latter for rifled bores. After that had been rammed home you would prime the pan and then you’re good to go.
sorry you fill the pan before turning the gun towards you and ramming the ball down???? ouch dude you fucked yourself there no no no you pour the powder down the barrel then ram the ball AND THEN you pour on the pan rookie rookie mistake. why in gods name would you cock and prime your weapon before you've even loaded the thing?? what if you hit the hammer when loading and ramming the ball now you've just blown your face off....
by avid do you mean you've watched a lot of pirates of the Caribbean?
thank you
I really wanted to see the Muppet Treasure Island on here.
Zheng Yi Sao was the most infamous pirate out there, I listened into one of those history podcasts. She commanded 1,800 ships and over something like 60,000 people. Maybe Bartholomew Roberts was the most infamous pirate in the Atlantic Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea.
But hey, it doesn't count because only white people do amirite (inb4 comments reeeeeeing that pirates in China or Japan or otherwise outside of Disney setting don't count, somehow)
she wasnt a traditional pirate. she commited piracy, but it was around china, not in the carribbean sea. Different time and place, so like i said she cannot be concidered a traditional pirate, because she wasnt one. The most infamous traditional pirate, and arguable the most infamous pirate in general is Edward Teach AKA Black beard.
Idk if The editor just did her dirty or what, but she literally said with HOTD Oh yeah, in the early days of pirating, they would use land-based strongholds and yeah see how the captain isn’t fighting in the battle that’s accurate. They wouldn’t fight in the battle so I’m gonna give it an 1/10……….. Huh!??? 😭😭😭
WHAT? NO Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World on the list?
that's shameful, very underrated movie
its not about pirates though
It was more of an anti-privateer action.
It’s straight up a naval movie. British Navy vs French Navy.
doesnt contain pirates unfortunately
Pirate movie scenes, being the key words.
After watching this vid, I get the idea that Oda-sensei got the name of his One Piece characters from actual pirates from history. This is one part of history that still amazes me, though the existence of these pirates are less of being free and more of being tropical Vikings with bigger ships with cannons
Pirate sloops and long boats were actually about the same size, on average long boats were actually a bit longer as they are mostly around 60 feet, sloops tend to cap out at 60 feet but many were smaller.
Most of them are named after irl pirates/sailors in the past. Kidd, Jewelry Bonney, X Drake, etc. You could tell Oda sensei did a lot of research when making One Piece.
@@q_tfiaw I mean, yes on the names, but it's worth noting that in over 1000 chapters/episodes, there is almost no actual piracy in One Piece, in the sense of pirates raiding civilian vessels. You get a bit in episode 1, and basically nothing after that.
I'm not complaining, it's obviously not even trying for historical accuracy, but a 'pirate' in OP is basically 'anyone who travels by sea and the World Government doesn't like'...which given OP's world is like 95% sea and the WG are arseholes, is a _brooooad_ category.
Only one of the straw hats, though. Roronoa Zoro was named after the Japanese pronunciation of François L'Ollonais, one of the most brutal of the Pirates of the Caribbean.
Very disappointed about the omission of Muppet Treasure Island from this summary
Cutlass not a sword? Since when?
Simce 2 days ago apparently. But i dont follow that curriculum.
Only if it cuts less than a sword!
OW OW STOPPIT OW
A sailor knife?
The semantics of swords is complex and not especially relevant to this video...
Cutlasses were as much cutting tools as weapons, too. In much of the carribean today, the term "cutlass" now refers to a machete!
It's because there's a standard for how long a blade has to be for it to be considered a sword. There's knife, dagger, short sword, cutlass, standard, longsword, broadsword. I don't know the specific lengths of each one, but I can see the differences in my mind's eye.
Nassau definitely had a fleet of priate ships protecting it. Black Sails has a fictional battle where Nassau gets assulted, which is shown here. But Nassau 100% would have been protected as shown here by a fleet of every ship in the bay with Hornigold as the admiral. Yes Teach, Rackham and Bonny never assulted the pirate capitol but if they had this should be fairly accurate.
Black Sails should’ve won awards for more than just visual effects.
"They'd have a more-Cockney-ish accents"
Yeah, if they are from East London
This lady might know "pirates" but she has no idea about Captain Jack Sparrow.
Wow. It’s almost like she studies real pirates instead of fictional ones.
@@Misogynisticfeminist What are you on about? Captain Jack Sparrow is the greatest pirate to have ever lived.
@@HeWhoShams Greatest? He must be the worst pirate I’ve ever seen.
@@Misogynisticfeminist I am just going to assume you rode the short bus
It's also worth mentioning that the British abolished the death penalty except for one offense... Piracy.
Henry Every actually rose to the greatest crack of all (which means that he could enjoy his prey in peace). Not only did he capture one of the fattest ships ever, but he also got hold of the pretty princess who was supposed to be taken to her groom on the ship. He married her. It is even very likely that he lived in England. And then he spent his loot (around 4,000 annual salaries of a typical British employee, e.g. a clerk) in peace and quiet...
$2.75 - Apple in Dominica
$3.15 - Cherry in Haiti
$2.55 - Pecan in St. Kitts
These are the pie rates of the Caribbean.
it is criminal you dont have more likes than this
Pie rats ahoy!
Glad Black Sails got mentioned several times. Great show!
I was hoping “the black spot” would’ve gotten mentioned from several pirate movies.
The Black Spot was a fictional invention by Robert Louis Stevenson in Treasure Island a couple decades after the end of the golden age.
In Myanmar history, many Portugal pirates served as mercanaries of Burmese kings. Their descendents can be seen at villages near Mandalay. Still they inherited green or blue eyes with Iberian peninsula looks. Also still worship Christianity.
The most famous and successful Portugues pirate was De Britoe who became governor of big port city with huge army. Later he tried to conquer more land with rogue Burmese prince and then both of them were impaled to death by Burmese King.
The Cornish accent isn't too inappropriate, a lot of sailors of that period would come from southern England, and have an accent somewhat like that.
Many also came from Scotland and Ireland 😊
They came from all around the world, not only england
That’s the prevailing theory anyway. And also that the Plymouth accent has been influenced by Welsh/irish/scots accents over the years.
Also generally speaking, there’s a lot of like glorifying pirates and then historians defending them, but for the most part they were conscripted as children into a pretty horrible naval industrial complex and had a a great deal in common with e.g Somali pirates of today.
Obv there’s more to it than that but there’s really not a lot of difference between ‘I’m the captain now’ and ‘yarr oi be Blackbeard and oi’se commandeering this vessel’, except the latter was ostensibly sponsored as an extension of the Royal Navy for a while
@@elgatonegro1703 Spot on! There's a really good book about this called The Wager by David Grann (author of Killers of the Flower Moon). It's based on a true story/possible mutiny. It talks about the lives of buccaneers from all over the UK on one ship. Really worth the read.
Robert Newton was from Dorset NOT Cornwall
Black Sails is arguably the most realistic piece of media involving piracy and naval warfare
Master and Commander is by far the most realistic piece of media about naval warfare in the Age of Sail. Black Sails is very good though
@@cleverusername9369 You might be right, i didn't watched Master and Commander. Is it good?
@@arthurmont-morency5027 it's an absolute masterpiece. Widely regarded by historians as the most historically accurate and authentic movie ever made. It's fantastic, one of my favorite movies
Love that i recognize so many of these names because of playing AC Black Flag
Y E S
'They were Veterans of war going after pirates' Imagine sending out ex navy seals to catch some robbers. I know this isn’t really an accurately description but it made me laugh a bit hahaha
I mean, literally US Navy fighting against Houthis in the sea is modern day equivalent, or any other fleet facing Somalian pirates... weapons change but piracy is always a thing and sometimes it needs entire naval force to stop it.
@@KasumiRINA ah interesting! I know nothing about this topic so you got me interested there, thank you for explaining!
For the flintlock pistol:Put in the little bullet, then use the stick, then load the black powder, huh? Sure about that?
probably referring to how you load the powder twice, one down the muzzle, again in the pan. what is real criminal is she doesn't mention the wadding. its powder, wadding, bullet, powder.
She might have been talking about the chamber for the primer pin
There's a historical Sylvester the Cat cartoon I believe she got this from.
@@itshunni8346genuine question: why do you put powder again after the projectile?
@@demeter-the-great It goes in the pan, the part of the flintlock under the flint and the lock. it is put there, and the white hot shards of flint from the action ignite it, there is tap hole into the barrel that the powder is in that lets the flame reach the powder in the barrel, firing the bullet.
5:05...
Not gonna mention the way AIR under WATER works?? At all???
Mythbusters did a full episode on specifically that, it works and watch that for the explanation.
@@Bigbooster126 just looked that up on CZcams
It totally does NOT work lmao
Boat totally makes them float lol
Even with an extra 60 pounds of weight on each of them
Then even anchored to the bottom with like a ton of weight, still no go lol
@@RedBeerdMaybe you want to talk about how realistic it is to have a bunch of skeletal pirates walking under the moonlight?
4:40 wrong. That's not HMS Interceptor, that's HMS Dauntless. HMS Interceptor was the much smaller brig that Jack and Will wound up in.
Pirate Historian must rank up there with the coolest job roles
depends on your definition of cool. I did partake in a research project about piracy (specifically in northern Europe during the late middle-ages, with focus on the North-Sea and Baltics) and it is increadibly interesting BUT: you mainly search to the equivalent of small-claims court cases in order to get some sort of real picture about historical piracy and even IF you find something, usually it's the only mention of a person whatsoever.
Don't get me wrong, the topic is increadibly interesting and one of historys topics where even the fundamentals are heavily debated (specifically because interest in scientific research is VERY recent as far as historical topics go) but as it stands right now there are not many people who focus on it and even more in the scientific community that (sort of) look down on it (it is considered pretty "nerdy" of a topic and not widely seen as something worth of major attention, though I don't share the sentiment).
Since when is a cutlass, or any short sword, not a sword?
From a fencing perspective (which is what matters for her analysis there), a cutlass has very little in common with a sword. As she mentions, it is very small, has little reach, it's held near the body, it's made for close quarters and it's used for both cutting and thrusting.
By contrast, a shortsword is thinner so lighter and faster, slightly longer, held in front of you; it is used for thrusting and can be used in rooms, but you need to work on your footwork nonetheless, and it'd be inefficient in cramped spaces like aboard a ship.
(Of course, the cutlass is even further removed from a longsword which wouldn't work at all on a ship due to being too cumbersome, both in and out of combat.)
Source: I practice HEMA fencing.
There is a place for linguistics, and one might argue that you can call anything sharp or pointy with a handle a sword as long as you're understood, but this is not that place; as a matter of fencing, and with respect to the point she's making, a cutlass is no more a sword than a sweihander.
That's an interesting perspective; but it seems to come from a very narrow definition of what a sword is. I would define a zweihander as a large, two handed sword, but a sword all the same. A gladius is roughly the same length as that cutlass, and used in the same fashion, and I don't think anyone would claim it's not a sword. To me the definition of sword is actually pretty broad. Like, when does a very large seaxe become sword, or how long of a handle do you have to put on a falx before it becomes a polearm?
@@momom6197so a gladius isn’t a sword either then or a falcata or kopis or any other of the numerous shorter swords?
A lot of historians like to make this distinction: sword used for double-edged, and other terms for single-edged.
It's stupid, but deh.
They are full of such oddities, for example: they also like to call the thrust-centric bronze swords "rapiers".
I think it comes down to the academic's need for classification, when historically, things were much more blurry.
@@amaurylorin6018
What you call "shortsword" is actually called a "smallsword".
As for inefficient in cramped quarters, it's predominantly a thrusting weapon (some versions exclusively), and since on average is not much longer than a cutlass, it's about as effective.
The cutlass was preferred on ships for its cutting ability - especially for the rigging.
Yes, you can use a boarding axe for that, but axes are not as good for self-defense as swords.
Both you and her are bullshitting people, and for a so-called HEMA practitioner, you should be better than that.
@amaurylorin6018 A gladius is about the same size as a cutlass and it's considered a sword. Nice try.
Buried treasure is generally like an urban legend, as opposed to more myth-like legends like Flying Dutchman or the Kraken, it's more realistic, so we think it's more grounded in reality. But most hidden treasure map legends are just that, even if not linked to pirates.
the kraken is real.... so
also look up oak island the only thing you got right was the flying dutchman yeah that is a myth
yup it orriginates in the book treasure island. which is highly fictional and from the late 1800s lol
@@kaffemachine102 it was my fav book as a kid! But I am sure treasure maps existed before and after, it's just Treasure Island is SO GOOD, everyone started copying it and tropes from it became stereotypes.
As in: ALL pirates have a wooden leg, sing about rum, bury their treasure, have a pet parrot, and strut with a swagger like Doctor Livesey! xD
Three movies I would like to have seen her rate are: "Captain Blood", "The Seahawks", and "The Spanish Main".
Which Sea Hawk? There were two.
I think she meant to say “saber” and not sword, because a cutlass is essentially a shortened saber.
The concept of naming sword by particular name is pretty recent, at the time it was just called a sword
Maybe not, because she could also be saying that they most likely wouldn't use any sword longer than a "short sword," like a cutlass. I was actually surprised to find out that, while this is mostly true, there were pirates who preferred the use longer swords, like rapiers, they were just in the minority and most wanted shorter weapons due to close quarters, and those that did use those longer types, tended to be the minority who did have fighting experience. Back in those days people got a lot less hung up on using the very specific word for a thing and were most likely to just call something a sword or a knife than to use the specific words like cutlass, saber, dagger, dirk, etc. Who knows, though, and props for saying it's just what you were thinking rather than you knew or it was what she should say. Sometimes we just don't know for sure what the person meant by what they said or if the meant to say it a bit differently or more specifically. 🫡
A sabre (and a cutlass, for that matter) is a...wait for it...sword. Honestly couldn't watch after that. That and when she tried telling people how to thrust with it. I'm pretty sure the comedy was unintentional.
@@erincooke9732 She never... Wait for it... Actually said a cutlass wasn't a short sword. she was probably just referring to the broad category of swords which the majority of pirates didn't use and then showed the specific kind of short sword most of them did use, which is the cutlass. A cutlass also has a... Wait for it... Point, which means that it can be used to thrusting and, depending on the features of the sword, there are various techniques to thrust with them more effectively. Also, she is an expert in pirate history, so if you chose to ignore the rest of this video because she didn't say something about swords and short swords, a very small facet of the subject in which she is an expert, exactly how you would like, then you missed the main point of the video. Ya know, kinda like you missed the poit of the uhhh POINT on a cutlass. These crticisms in this comments section are ridiculous...
@@erincooke9732a sword is a Bladed weapon, just as a sabre is, they have different definitions and are names by style. Similar to how cars are not all just cars, their are ford cars and Nissan cars and mitsubishi cars. There are swords, sabres, katanas so on and so forth.
2:19 "Pirates didn't fight with swords." _immediately pulls out sword_
According to her, a cutlass is not a sword.
@@andrewpotts Does it cut less?
she explains everything so well omg. im from the caribbean and hearing her discuss some things we learnt in school was cool :)
"Oh, so you work for billionaires and agencies, or like for conservationists or anthropologists?"
"Oh, no. Nothing so exciting like that. I said PIRATE historian."
I don't care about the realism score or going off on a tangent (an informative one though),
I'm just happy you included One Piece.
There would have been a number of Cornish pirates because many were sailors and smugglers. Working on the coast would lead to that.
A cutlass is a type of wide, cutting sword that was developed by navies from infantry hanger swords. They weren't really in use in the golden age of piracy because they hadn't really been developed by then.
So they had small swords, side swords, rapiers, Daos, sabres, hanger sabers, shamshirs, kilijs...
You got the ships wrong on Pirates of the Caribbean. The smaller one is the interceptor, which is why he points at it and says 'were stealing that ship'. They re board it from the big ship later cause the small ships rigging is 'done' so they can sail it with 2 people (Idk how that stuff works I'm not a pirate).
Still too big for two people to commandeer
He pointed at the Dauntless. One, you then got the joke that "he's the worst pirate" because they can't handle the bigger ship with two people, and two, you got the reveal that his real target was the Interceptor (which they still couldn't handle, but hey, go with it).
The thing about the Articles is it was a ship by ship basis. No two ships had the same articles (outside fleets sailing under a single commander)
Her: "He's probably thinking about other girls"
Him: "If Blackbeard wore sparklers in his beard, how did he not set himself on fire?"
Love that Our Flag Means Death was the highest rated… also, had no clue Steve Bonnet was a real person!
**stede bonnet
Play Assassins Creed: Black Flag
meany characters were actually real from that game@@vsznry
Ofmd sucks
@@activelyrandom7652 Are the main characters gay for eachother?
She said it’s “pretty much impossible” to steal a ship with only two people. Clearly she doesn’t know Jack Sparrow enough.
All jokes aside, I enjoy these videos. Both informative and entertaining.
Correction it's CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow; that's important. Now I need to go hide the rum least he breaks into the rum cellar again.
What bugged me was that this was addressed in universe.
It is essentially impossible to rig and sail a ship like that. However if you can have someone else rig the ship for you...
@@Devenix8527 Why is the rum always gone?
@@commanderiosifstalin4938 'Stumbles around while walking'
Oh that's why. Gonna need to restock (At least Captain Jack Sparrow didn't get in this time)
@@JPINFV still unrealistic. why did ALL the crew assault the ship where Jack was on? Then the other one would be impossible to control in any less than ideal condition for the whole travel.
This is fascinating! I could listen to her talk about pirates all day.
She sucks ar weapons
shes got a few things wrong, and a few things vague. i feel like she doesnt always know what shes talking about. but sure.
@@kaffemachine102 she’s literally a professor on pirates. It takes 8-10 years of study to receive a doctorate. She’s studied them nearly her whole life. You’re just someone on the internet. I’m fairly positive she knows what she’s talking about more than you do.
I'm happy that you choose The Curse of the Black Pearl as your favorite pirate movie.
"Nothing happened"
- roronoa zoro
Nothing older than 20 years? All those Steve Reeves and Errol Flynn movies?
"High Wind To Jamaica" (James Coburn)?
I think you might have a slightly skewed understanding of when Treasure Island was made...
@@Rystefn My question stands. I couldn't care less when Treasure Island was made
Either her or another 1800's ship expert reacts to Return of the Obra Dinn, I'd be VERY happy
1800s is way past the golden age of piracy
7:55 This is so funny to me "We may be outlaws, but we are not lawless.". Just the idea that there was something like an Official Pirate with rules and regulations is just so funny. It's so human, wherever we go we install Laws.
The moment we are more than 1 person we need to establish trust, so some ground rules are always needed
No Captain Blood??? We skipped the classic swash and buckle magic of Errol Flynn? Say it ain't so!!!
OMG finally some pirate historians talking about Black Sails!
This is amazing as all your videos are but please please please add adequate subtitles. As a non native English speaker I don't understand everything without subs, and the automatics subs are not always correct and the way they pop up word per word is very distracting. Not to mention this would be mega helpful for deaf and hard of hearing folks. Y'all are a big channell with more than 8 million subs, you should have no issue finding the resources to do this. Thanks.
The cockney accent doesn’t refer to every English accent other than the queens english, it’s from a specific part of London
cockney accent refers to the queens English? go back to school. yes its specific region of London weirdly the queens English was just for highborn toffs didn't matter if they were in London or Scotland.
@@ashleytaylor7621 read my comment 🙄
I could not be happier they included Our Flag Means Death!!! I adore that show!
0:33 Black Sails
1:51 Our Flag Means Death
4:29 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
10:28 Peter Pan
11:39 Treasure Island
13:56 Black Sails
16:23 One Piece
18:10 House of the Dragon
20:09 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Black Sails love!
Thank you so much for the review. I learned a lot. Johnny Depp deserved all the awards for creating an international icon in Capt Jack Sparrow. Truly brilliant.
Black Sails is such an awesome show. I think I have watched the series through like 3 or 4 times.
New game: Take a sip of rum every time she says "The Golden Age of Piracy." Then pass out.
9:33 Nice freeze frame; my girl makes the exact same face when we're trying to leave a party and I have to do one more Mario Kart race with the boys.
I agree with her that curse of the black pearl is awesome!
Would you call the black pearl a man of war or a merchant galleon used by pirates? I don’t think it was shown carrying as many guns as even a frigate and the raised stern castle also makes me think galleon.
I think in the lore, it's an East Indiaman that Jack steals from Cutler Beckett. So, an armed merchant ship. A spanish galleon would have been closer to what Salazar was sailing. They were massive, heavily armed, and no joke for pirates to take on.
the pearl was originally used to transport slaves and was a merchant ship
its a galleon
its a frigate, its got like 40 guns lol. Also galleons are not what you think they are.
@@ashleytaylor7621 nope
Perfect timing. I’m in my pirates phase
great video, and I would like to see the Monkey Island series evaluated
"Pirates didn't fight with swords, they faught with swords"
A cutlass is a sword, much the way a falchion, scimitar or other short slashing swords were.
And there is nothing inherently inaccurate about a flintlock pistol. Slow to load and reload yes. Accuracy was related to rifling, and many flintlock pistols were rifled, but even most smoothbore were accurate enough at reasonable ranges. The bigger issue is that the powder would have been drenched by their underwater escapades on the way to the ship.
She may know history, but she does not know much about historical weapons.
absolutely wrong, a sword is a double edged weapon that has a fuller a cross guard and the blade is over 12" long and is used for thrusting thats the literal definition of a sword if its single edged its not a sword. katana is not a sword, a falchion not a sword an axe not a sword.
2:11 "I don't drive a motor vehicle, I drive a jeep."
I gotta say I was not expecting a House of the Dragon clip.
Yeah that had nothing whatsoever to do with her field of expertise. Weird inclusion
I like how she called the black pearl a man-of-war but the wicked wench a sloop. They are literally the same ship
When I was a boy I wanted to be a pirate. Practiced stick fighting a lot.
I really had no idea what it might really be like!
Where is her cutlass from it’s beautiful 😍
Great video all in all too.
The pirate was an English man who worked for the kingdom of Tunis where he lived and died
AC Black Flag helped so much with understanding this video! :3
Sounds like someone is jealous of the Black Beard Steve Bonnet relationship.
I was Not ready to be jump-scared by That Izzy Hands scene
That's a gorgeous cutlass
While watching House of the Dragons, I never realized the Crabfeeder's army was actually supposed to be pirates. I thought they were a cult or something
16:22 I was thinking vaguely "wouldn't it be funny if they included One Piece (animated or live action) in this video" but then dismissed that thought as absurd pretty much immediately. IMAGINE MY SURPRISE AND DELIGHT
The Chinese pirate queen, Zheng Yi Sao, had several hundred ships and upwards of 80,000 men in her fleet. Although rare, I am surprised the historian didn't mention her.
0:21 she mentions her focus areas, caribbean and coast of america.
@@mojoblues66her website states "Rebecca is a historian of piracy from all time periods and geographic locations." Maybe the scope of the video is limited to the Caribbean and coast of America(s).
she wasnt a traditional pirate. i dont like when people talk about her in the conext of traditional pirates. she doesnt belong.
Could you add chapters in the description for this video?
Great job, Rebecca!
The cutlass actually wasn't used by pirates because the naval cutlass as we know it was designed as the 1804 pattern, in the 19th century, not the 17th century....Pirates used something called a 'hanger' but also basket hilted broadswords. and backswords.
The Jolly Roger ...or ....Jolie Rouge.. was a flag meant as a☠️ ⚠️ warning to other ships to keep away. It was bright red ..hence Jolie Rouge
Sorry but did this historian really say that when loading a pistol you put the shot in first and then the gunpowder? 😳
She stupid when it comes to weapons
A cutlass is a short, broad sabre or slashing sword, with a straight or slightly curved blade sharpened on the cutting edge, and a hilt often featuring a solid cupped or basket-shaped guard.
and it wasnt invented in the golden age of pirates lol
what is the name of the movie or series anybody can tell please ? 17:22
She knows her history well. You do have to take into account though that House of the Dragon has its own complete lore regarding pirates and soliders. The differences are creatively so.
no she doesnt. she gets so many things wrong its almost funny.
She looks exactly like Janice from the sopranos
I've been led to believe that quite a few pirates HAD fighting backgrounds, as many of them were ex-navy. Some were made redundant after a war ended and to end piracy, especially the British navy had to take better care of their veterans, Some desterted, fed up of the harsh discipline and punishments in the navy. Pirates were, after all, working voluntarily and demanded fair payment. Also, several successful pirate captains had learned their good seamanship in the navy, which made them very hard to take down.
Historian watching HOTD clip: 1/10 nothing’s accurate here.
Insider’s Producer’s: Thank god we didn’t add the huge dragon part
😂😂😂😂😂
One question for you. Do you think the Pirates of the Caribbean character Anna Maria was in reference to the Anne Bonney and Mary Reed in name?