- Image via Wikipedia
If you start thinking about pirates what comes to mind? Those fools in Somalia that may be effective but ultimately are hunted by every Navy in the world including the British, French and the Good Old USA and then shot with pinpoint accuracy in high seas by the greatest fighting force the world has ever known? Or do you think (as you should) about the so called Golden Age of Pirates, that time between 1650 and 1750 when pirates and privateers ravaged the Spanish fleets, all for gold stolen from the indigenous peoples of America.
That era holds a romance and fascination for this Coot that is for sure. That is why this weekend will be so fun. Today is my birthday as Ralph has so pointed out on Wednesday in this post, but contrary to his opinion the big celebration this weekend is for International Talk Like a Pirate Day! If you have never heard of TLAPD, now is the time to amend your ways. It is a day to celebrate pirates, and most things pirate.
Look at it this way, Pirates really were bad people. Rape Pillage and Plunder was their Modus Operandi and stealling other peoples ships is not very nice. But then again it was the Spanish….but I digress. Many pirates were larger than life characters with reputations that would never hold up today with a quick google search and the AP following their every move on sattelite. But over 300 years ago stories were spun and fear grew from the exploits of a few men.
Fast forward to a time where these stories are all that is left. A time when Hollywood was just getting started and needed stories to capture imaginations. Stars were born and pirates were movie stars. See the Sea Hawk or Captain Blood with Errol Flynn, they are still great adventures. Walt Disney loved pirates so much he made a whole ride dedicated to them. And then came Treasure Island. A movie based on Robert Louis Stevenson‘s book (go read it if you have not, it is great and the movie barely does it justice) that truly defined an imaginary world of pirates that we have all fallen in love with.
It was Robert Newton who played Long John Silver that has perpetuated much of how we think pirates were in the past. They may have been nothing like that but here we are now and pirates are cool. Look at the success Disney had with the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, movies based on a freaking amusement park ride! People love them so much they had to modify the ride to fit the movie that was based on the ride!
But that brief and only partially accurate history brings us to two guys who had a screw loose and decided not to tighten it but to talk like pirates on an international holiday. John “ol Chumbucket” Baur and Mark “Capn Slappy” Summers created this fantastic lunacy and I have been celebrating faithfully for 5 years now.
Here is your assignment for this weekend. Go watch a pirate movie. Wear something black and Talk like a Pirate on Sunday! It is a bunch of fun. There are phrases and helpful hints over on the pirate guys website http://talklikeapirate.com. Spend some time there, download some songs, especially Tom Smith’s talk like a pirate day anthem. Oh and use this google address: http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=xx-pirate&q=&oe=UTF-8&tab=dw it will make google speak pirate at you…it’s pretty cool.
Be a pirate this weekend, you can be truly Cantankerous as a saltly sea dog! Now I just have to figure out how to teach Sunday School in Pirate….
-Justin
When I think of pirates my mind automatically turns to Washington, DC…especially the whole rape and pillage thing.
AAARRRGH!
AAARRRGH! is something you yell when dying, or in great pain. the proper pireate speak is just ARRRRRRRR!
I heard about ITLAPD a few years back. I always always liked this “holiday” and thought it was a cute Idea. My idea of the pirates is more along the lines of the independent freebooter rather than the realistic truth that they were a bunch of bloodthirsty rapists and murderers who just happened to be on the water.
I even go as far as to have the jolly roger (skull and crossbones) as my avatar on twitter and a few other places.
All that being said…I have tried the whole “talk like a pirate” thing and I have to say it is not for me. I love it when other people do it, but it always simply makes me feel a little bit foolish. Guess I am just too self-conscious.
Happy birthday today and enjoy your talking like a pirate weekend. I will do my best to join in with as little self-conscious laughter as I can..
Join the foolishness Gene! it is a lot of fun and begins to creep into your everyday speech….my kids love it.
Ummmmmmm….Unnngggg………Urggg…..Unghhhhhhhh…
Oh hell…none of that sounds right. I’ll keep practicing.
Bob
Back in the day, pirates all said AARRRGH!
Hi Justin,
I came from Steve’s blog. I did not know Sep 19th is a Pirate Day! My 5 year old would have a great fun! He thinks all pirates are fun and friendly 🙂
Recent pirate movie is also indication is Pirates are loved and talked about it with kids as well adults too.
I have some pirate stuff that I get out (clothes decorations etc) and my kids played pirate for the whole weekend! It was hard to get them ready for church without pirate gear! If you haven’t, check out Veggie Tales: The pirates who don’t do anything, your 5 year old will love it. And who doesn’t love Captain Feathersword from the Wiggles? It is great fun to play for a while. And yes, I do fly a pirate flag almost all year long. Except for holidays when it is replaced by the American flag. I can’t wait to get a flagpole, there will always be 2 flags on it!
Thanks for dropping by!