Code of conduct on a desert island. Along the waves of pirate ethics: the pirate code from A to Z

The Pirate Code or Articles of Agreement is a code of conduct for pirates. Their codes were written by Henry Morgan, George Lowther, Bartholomew of Portugal, Bartholomew Roberts and other captains. Before the code came into force, each team member had to sign it. After this, the rules were placed in the most visible place.

Four complete or nearly complete pirate codices have survived. First published in 1724, Henry Morgan's Pirate Code was preserved thanks to the book Alexandre Exquemelin wrote in 1678 while traveling the seas and oceans with American pirates. There were a lot of codes, but not many of them survived, because the pirates, before surrendering, burned any reminders of it in order to prevent the possibility of the code being used against them in court.

Henry Morgan Code

I. Everyone has the right to vote when decisions are made; everyone has equal rights ownership of the team's spoils. The team member also has equal share in stocks of liqueurs seized during work, and can use it for his own pleasure, if this moment the team does not experience a shortage of a specific resource.

II. Everyone has the right to receive their share in order of priority. If a team member steals the property of another team member, then if guilt is proven, the victim has the right to publicly cut off the robber's ears or nose.

III. No one on board the ship is allowed to play cards or dice for money.

IV. Torches or candles must not be used on board the ship at night. If anyone wants to drink, he must do it on the open deck.

V. Keep your blade, pistols and dirk clean and check their cleanliness regularly.

VI. Women and children are prohibited on board. If someone, for the purpose of satisfying the flesh, brings a disguised woman on board, he will be punished by death.

VII. Deserting a ship is punishable by death.

VIII. No disputes on board. If you need to decide controversial issue, then you need to wait until you go ashore and resolve the issue using a blade pistol. During the duel, a representative of the captain is present, who places the duelists back to back. On command, the opponents take ten steps, turn around and fire a shot. If both miss, then blades are given. The duel ends after the first blood appears.

IX. A pirate is forbidden to show off his scars and lost limbs.

X. The captain and quartermaster receive two shares of the jackpot, the helmsman, boatswain, and gunner - one and a half shares, other non-rank and file receive one and a quarter shares each.

XI. Musicians have the right to rest every Saturday evening, the rest of the time the captain's permission is required.

Captain John Phillips just as Henry Morgan established a code for his team in 1724:

I. The captain has one and a half shares of the jackpot, the helmsman, carpenter, boatswain and gunner each receive one and a quarter shares.

II. If a pirate betrays the crew, tries to desert, or hides a secret, then he must be marooned on a desert island with one bottle of gunpowder and one bottle of water. The traitor is shot in the hand as a farewell.

III. If one pirate on board steals from another, he must be landed and killed.

IV. If a crew member sees a person on a desert island, then he is prohibited from contacting him. He must convey this information to the captain. The captain makes a decision about the fate of this person. (In most cases, the person was left on the island because he was left there by another ship for some crime)

V. If a pirate, without reason, strikes another, then the law of Moses comes into force. The Law of Moses states that for such an act, the offender is punished with 40 blows of the rod on the bare back.

VI. A person who smokes, uses candles, near gunpowder, lights torches and candles on board at night, is liable to be punished as in previous paragraph.

VII. If a pirate does not keep his weapons clean, the captain has the right to deprive him of part of the reward.

VIII. If a pirate is wounded in battle, he is paid 400 pesos; if he loses a limb, he is paid 800 pesos.

IX. In any place, at any time, if you witness an attempt to rape a lady, then you are obliged to punish the rapist with death by the blade.

Pirate Codes of the Pirates Edward Lowe and George Lowther

I. The captain has the right to two shares of the jackpot; quartermaster one and a half shares; the doctor, helmsman, gunner and boatswain are entitled to one and a quarter shares.

II. Anything on board is prohibited illegal weapon, collusion and secrets. Violations of the rule are punishable by death, the method is chosen by the captain.

III. The pirate is punished for cowardice during battles. The captain chooses the punishment.

IV. All gold, jewelry, silver and other valuables and resources hidden from the team are confiscated. The culprit is punished by the captain.

V. For cheating during games of cards or dice, the culprit is punished by deprivation of a share.

VI. Anyone who loses a limb in battle receives compensation of 600 pesos. He also has the right to remain on board if he can contribute to the team.

VII. Team loyalty is rewarded with an additional quarter share.

VIII. Anyone wishing to join the team must have a pistol and short blade.

IX. State alcohol intoxication during a planned attack is punished by the ship's captain.

John Gough's Pirate's Code

The following set of rules was written by the pirate John Gow with my own hand and was found on board his ship, in 1729, when he went ashore and the crew were captured. The code reads as follows:

I. Every one must obey his captain in all respects, as if the ship were his own.

II. No one except the captain has the right to dispose of the ship, but everyone has the right to an equal share.

III. Insulting and using obscene language on a ship is punishable by death.

IV. No one has the right to leave the ship while the ship is about to go to sea.

V. During the eight hours of the night, the use of fire for lighting and the consumption of alcohol on board the ship is prohibited.

VI. Anyone who doubts the points of this code deserves death.

Also, I would like to give a few additional items from the Codex Henry Morgan.

I. The jackpot is divided after the ship is replenished. No production - no payment.

II. The salary of a carpenter or shipwright is fixed at 200 pesos. The doctor's salary is 250 pesos.

III. Compensation is provided to maimed and disfigured pirates.

A loss right hand six hundred pesos, or six slaves;
Loss of left arm five hundred pesos, or five slaves;
A loss right leg five hundred pesos, or five slaves;
The loss of the left leg is four hundred pesos or four slaves,
The loss of an eye is one hundred pesos or one slave,
The loss of a finger is one hundred pesos or one slave.

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The idea that anarchy reigned among the pirates is erroneous. The life of pirates was subject to certain laws - the pirate code, the requirements of which had to be strictly followed. Each of the sailors put his signature on the agreement, which was concluded between all members of the team. The most respected and experienced sailor was elected to head it, who acted as captain and was also obliged to adhere to the rules defined by the agreement.

In many ways, the pirate agreement resembled a letter of marque. Here is one example of a real-life pirate agreement drawn up by members of John Phillips' crew on board the Avenger:

Each team member has equal decision-making rights, an equal share of the spoils, and is free to use this share as he pleases, unless the team experiences hunger or other hardships.

Each team member must contribute a share to the total spoils and then has the right to participate in its division. Anyone who tries to hide part of what was captured will be marooned on a desert island.

Playing cards or dice for money is prohibited.

Lights and candles must be extinguished at eight o'clock in the evening. If anyone wants to continue drinking alcohol, he should do so only on the upper deck.

Pistols, sabers and other weapons must be kept clean and fully prepared.

Women are not allowed on the ship. Anyone who brings a woman onto the ship will be executed.

Anyone who leaves the ship during the battle will be executed or marooned on a desert island.

Fighting on a ship is prohibited; duels with swords or pistols can only take place on shore.

If anyone decides to leave the team, he must pay a ransom of a thousand doubloons for each of those remaining.

Each team member must obey the requirements of this agreement. Everyone has the right to own share total production. The captain and quartermaster receive a double share. The boatswain, gunner and owner of the ship receive one and a half shares, the mate, carpenter and other officers receive a share and a quarter.

If any member of the team shows cowardice, tries to hide part of the total loot from others, or tries to escape, the team must land the culprit on a desert island with a bottle of gunpowder, a bottle of rum, a bottle of fresh water and a loaded pistol.

If any member of the crew is caught stealing or cheating, he must be marooned on a desert island with only a loaded pistol.

If a person, sailor or pirate is found on a desert island, he must sign this agreement, but only with the consent of the entire crew and captain.

If one of the team hits another, the offender will be punished with 40 blows with rods.

Whoever shoots a pistol, smokes a pipe, or lights a candle near the ship's gunpowder reserves is punished with 40 blows of the rod.

Anyone who does not keep their weapons clean or does not carry out assigned ship work will lose their share of the total spoils, even if it is the captain himself.

If any of the team loses an arm up to the elbow, he is paid compensation of 400 ducats. If the arm does not reach the shoulder, the compensation doubles. If a leg is lost up to the knee, 400 ducats are paid from the total loot; if the leg is completely cut off, the amount is doubled.

If anyone tries to take possession of a woman without her consent, he will be sentenced to death.

Division of spoils.

Depending on the situation, the division of spoils could occur in different proportions. If the captain acted under the cover of a letter of marque, he was obliged to pay a commission to the state in the amount of 10 to 90% of the spoils, for example, according to the rules of Queen Elizabeth, the spoils were divided on a 50/50 basis. All other spoils were divided among the team members. Each part was called a share. The captain was usually entitled to two shares, the most important members of the crew: the quartermaster - 1 3/4, the rest of the officers (ship owner, carpenter, boatswain, gunner) 1 1/4 shares. The rest of the team members received the whole promotion, newcomers - 1/4. Boarding crew members received an additional 1/4 share as a bonus. This division of the spoils concerned goods and gold, but the weapons belonged to the one who took possession of them in battle and were not subject to redistribution.

One of the very interesting topics related to piracy is pirate code . On board pirate ship in a certain sense, equality reigned. Pirates were a kind of elite compared to other thieves and bandits. This behavior was a direct reaction to the lack of rights that many pirates experienced the hard way when they were still sailing as ordinary sailors on merchant ships or serving on navy. Historian Paul Gilbert notes: " Almost a hundred years before the American and French revolutions an experiment to introduce egalitarian democracy was carried out on board hundreds of pirate ships«.

Justice and equality were the motto of pirate life. Everyone received a fair share of the spoils, and everyone on the ship was equal.

True, in exchange for this freedom, all pirates were bound by the code, and anyone guilty of violating it was subject to severe punishment, and sometimes death. In his book " History of piracy» Angus Konstham cites the pirate code of “Black Bart” Roberts as a typical example:

1. Everyone should have an equal voice in all day-to-day matters. Everyone should have equal access to provisions and alcohol at any time and can use them for their own purposes, unless suddenly there is a shortage and the need for savings arises.
2. Everyone has the right to freely familiarize themselves with the list of prizes available on board. But if he hides at least one dollar from the crew in the form of silver and gold dishes, jewelry or coins, he will be landed on. If one member of the crew steals anything from another, his nose and ears will be cut off and he will be thrown ashore, where he will no doubt face great hardship.
3. It is prohibited to play dice and cards for money.
4. The extinguishing of lamps and candles must take place at eight in the evening, and if any of the crew wants to drink after this hour, he must do so on deck in the dark.
5. Everyone must keep his pistols and cutlass clean and always ready for battle.
6. There should be no boys or women on board. If anyone from the team is seen forcing the latter to sexual relations, and then in disguise will lead her to the ship, he is subject to death.
7. Anyone who leaves the battle during the battle will be punished by death or marooned on a desert island.
8. No one can kill another person on board a ship; a quarrel must be settled on shore by a duel with pistols or sabers.
9. No one can even talk about changing this lifestyle until his share is £1,000. Anyone who becomes crippled during service, loses an arm or a leg, will receive eight hundred coins from the general treasury, and correspondingly less for a more minor injury.
10. The captain and quartermaster each receive two shares of the prize; boatswain and chief gunner - one and a half; the remaining officers - one at a time; rank and file - a share for each.
11. The legal day for musicians to rest is Saturday; on other days - only with the permission of the team.

If a pirate was seriously injured, the crew would chip in compensation on a sliding scale, depending on the severity of the injury. Exquemelin, in his book Pirates of America, writes that the highest compensation - 600 coins - was given for the loss of the right hand; left hand or the right leg cost 500 coins; left leg - 400; eye - 100 coins.

When you look pirated films, one gets the impression that pirates - the terror of the seas and oceans - live outside of any rules, are mired in riotous life, are villains, discipline does not exist for them, they are greedy, vicious and prone to betrayal for their own benefit. My image of a pirate from childhood is a cocked hat with a death’s head, one eye, a beard, an earring, a parrot on my shoulder, a bone leg. What laws can be written for this type?

And yet, the pirates had a code of honor. Moreover, each ship had its own, but they were all very similar. Each of the sailors put his signature on the agreement that was concluded between all members of the team, in a way, he pledged to observe the Code of Honor. Only the doctor did not do this. Women were allowed to become pirates only if they were not inferior to men in determination, courage and willpower.

So, set out on the waves pirate ethics!

1.Gambling . Gambling (playing cards or dice) with money was prohibited.

2. Boatswain Vedal technical condition ship and managed the crew.

3.Jolly Roger. Only a pirate had the right to touch To the Jolly Roger. If a person, not being a pirate, touched the flag, he had to be taught a lesson for it.

4.Theft.Punished. The thief landed on a desert island with a bottle of rum and a loaded pistol.

5.Share in production. Each team member had to contribute to the total spoils and then had the right to participate in its division. Anyone who tried to hide part of what was captured was marooned on a desert island. I think so, in the golden era of piracy, the desert islands were overpopulated: almost to a desert island, poor fellow!

6.House For a pirate there was only one home - a pirate ship.

7.Fights.On the ship it was forbidden, on the shore - fight as much as you want.

8. Duels.Like fights, they could only take place on the shore

9.Women.Evil. Worse than a hole. Women were not allowed on the ship. Anyone who dared to bring a woman on board doomed himself to death.

10.Life of a Pirate.An unceasing chain of battles.

11.Law.Pirates are free people who live by the Code of Pirate Honor. Every other law ends at the edge of pirate knives.

12.Name.Every real pirate should be proud of his big name.

13.Gunner He was responsible for the serviceability of the guns, their readiness to fire, and also personally commanded their guidance during the battle.

14.Captain.

14.1. The most experienced and courageous member of the team was elected captain.

14.2. The captain never had the right to be last anywhere.

14.3. If the captain showed cowardice or cruelty towards his crew, the pirates could rebel and throw the captain overboard, or land him on a desert island.

15.Quartermaster.Responsible for the condition of the ship,

16.Punishment for disobedience. Usually, a guilty pirate was given shackles on his feet or given a good spanking. More serious crimes were punishable by death.

17. Obscene expressions. It was forbidden to use obscene language on the ship.

18.Role model For a pirate, there was only one role model - his great predecessors.

19. Lights. The lights and candles were extinguished at eight o'clock in the evening. If someone felt the urge to continue drinking alcohol, he had to do it only on the upper deck.

20. Weapon.Pistols, sabers and other weapons had to be kept clean and fully prepared.

21.First mate. Performed captain's duties during his absence.

22. Pirate. The main team cell. Freedom, wild, cheerful life, contempt for death are the basic principles of pirate philosophy.

23.Promotion in rank. When a pirate went through a certain number of battles, acquired the necessary experience and skills, he received a promotion in rank, according to the Pirate Rank.

24. Subordination. Each pirate was obliged to obey his superiors.

25.Loss of an arm or leg. The loss of an arm up to the elbow was compensated by 400 ducats, up to the shoulder - the compensation was doubled; loss of a leg up to the knee - 400 ducats were paid from the total booty, loss of the entire leg - the amount was doubled.

26. Crimes.Most terrible crimes for a real pirate, this is betrayal and cowardice.

27.Risk. A pirate must always be ready to risk his life.

28. Family. For a pirate, there was only one family - the Pirate Brotherhood.

29.The pirate's word. A pirate's word to pirates is stronger than steel.

30.Cowardice in battle. Punished. Every pirate had to be desperate and brave.

31.Black Mark. A sign of punishment, a mark on a pirate's reputation for non-compliance with the code:

1 Black Mark: ban on participation in battles for 3 days;

2 black marks: demotion in rank;

3 black marks: landing on a desert island with a bottle of rum, fresh water and a loaded pistol for a week;

4 black marks: the death penalty one of the proven pirate methods, depending on the severity of the violations.

The Pirate Code or Articles of Agreement is a code of conduct for pirates. Their codes were written by Henry Morgan, George Lowther, Bartholomew of Portugal, Bartholomew Roberts and other captains. Before the code came into force, each team member had to sign it. After this, the rules were placed in the most visible place.

Four complete or nearly complete pirate codices have survived. First published in 1724, Henry Morgan's Pirate Code was preserved thanks to the book Alexandre Exquemelin wrote in 1678 while traveling the seas and oceans with American pirates. There were a lot of codes, but not many of them survived, because the pirates, before surrendering, burned any reminders of it in order to prevent the possibility of the code being used against them in court.

Henry Morgan Code

I. Everyone has the right to vote when decisions are made; everyone has equal ownership of the team's spoils. Also, a team member has an equal share in the supply of liquor seized during work, and can use it for his own pleasure if the team is not currently experiencing a shortage of a particular resource.

II. Everyone has the right to receive their share in order of priority. If a team member steals the property of another team member, then if guilt is proven, the victim has the right to publicly cut off the robber's ears or nose.

III. No one on board the ship is allowed to play cards or dice for money.

IV. Torches or candles must not be used on board the ship at night. If anyone wants to drink, he must do it on the open deck.

V. Keep your blade, pistols and dirk clean and check their cleanliness regularly.

VI. Women and children are prohibited on board. If someone, for the purpose of satisfying the flesh, brings a disguised woman on board, he will be punished by death.

VII. Deserting a ship is punishable by death.

VIII. No disputes on board. If you need to resolve a controversial issue, then you need to wait until you go ashore and resolve the issue using a blade pistol. During the duel, a representative of the captain is present, who places the duelists back to back. On command, the opponents take ten steps, turn around and fire a shot. If both miss, then blades are given. The duel ends after the first blood appears.

IX. A pirate is forbidden to show off his scars and lost limbs.

X. The captain and quartermaster receive two shares of the jackpot, the helmsman, boatswain, and gunner - one and a half shares, other non-rank and file receive one and a quarter shares each.

XI. Musicians have the right to rest every Saturday evening, the rest of the time the captain's permission is required.

Captain John Phillips, just as Henry Morgan established the code for his team in 1724:

I. The captain has one and a half shares of the jackpot, the helmsman, carpenter, boatswain and gunner each receive one and a quarter shares.

II. If a pirate betrays the crew, tries to desert, or hides a secret, then he must be marooned on a desert island with one bottle of gunpowder and one bottle of water. The traitor is shot in the hand as a farewell.

III. If one pirate on board steals from another, he must be landed and killed.

IV. If a crew member sees a person on a desert island, then he is prohibited from contacting him. He must convey this information to the captain. The captain makes a decision about the fate of this person. (In most cases, the person was left on the island because he was left there by another ship for some crime)

V. If a pirate, without reason, strikes another, then the law of Moses comes into force. The Law of Moses states that for such an act, the offender is punished with 40 blows of the rod on the bare back.

VI. A person who smokes, uses candles, near gunpowder, lights torches and candles on board at night, must be punished as in the previous paragraph.

VII. If a pirate does not keep his weapons clean, the captain has the right to deprive him of part of the reward.

VIII. If a pirate is wounded in battle, he is paid 400 pesos; if he loses a limb, he is paid 800 pesos.

IX. In any place, at any time, if you witness an attempt to rape a lady, then you are obliged to punish the rapist with death by the blade.

Pirate Codes of the Pirates Edward Lowe and George Lowther

I. The captain has the right to two shares of the jackpot; quartermaster one and a half shares; the doctor, helmsman, gunner and boatswain are entitled to one and a quarter shares.

II. All illegal weapons, collusion and secrets are prohibited on board. Violations of the rule are punishable by death, the method is chosen by the captain.

III. The pirate is punished for cowardice during battles. The captain chooses the punishment.

IV. All gold, jewelry, silver and other valuables and resources hidden from the team are confiscated. The culprit is punished by the captain.

V. For cheating during games of cards or dice, the culprit is punished by deprivation of a share.

VI. Anyone who loses a limb in battle receives compensation of 600 pesos. He also has the right to remain on board if he can contribute to the team.

VII. Team loyalty is rewarded with an additional quarter share.

VIII. Anyone wishing to join the team must have a pistol and a short blade.

IX. Being intoxicated during a planned attack is punishable by the ship's captain.

John Gough's Pirate's Code

The following set of rules was written by the pirate John Gow in his own hand and was found on board his ship in 1729, when he went ashore and the crew were captured. The code reads as follows:

I. Every one must obey his captain in all respects, as if the ship were his own.

II. No one except the captain has the right to dispose of the ship, but everyone has the right to an equal share.

III. Insulting and using obscene language on a ship is punishable by death.

IV. No one has the right to leave the ship while the ship is about to go to sea.

V. During the eight hours of the night, the use of fire for lighting and the consumption of alcohol on board the ship is prohibited.

VI. Anyone who doubts the points of this code deserves death.

Also, I would like to cite a few additional points from Henry Morgan's code.

I. The jackpot is divided after the ship is replenished. No production - no payment.

II. The salary of a carpenter or shipwright is fixed at 200 pesos. The doctor's salary is 250 pesos.

III. Compensation is provided to maimed and disfigured pirates.

Loss of right hand six hundred pesos, or six slaves;
Loss of left arm five hundred pesos, or five slaves;
Loss of right leg five hundred pesos, or five slaves;
The loss of the left leg is four hundred pesos or four slaves,
The loss of an eye is one hundred pesos or one slave,
The loss of a finger is one hundred pesos or one slave.