This post begins with the following excerpt taken from ‘A General History of Pyrates’ (yes, it is spelled that way), a book written under the pseudonym Captain Charles Johnson.
Low takes a Bowl of Punch in his Hand, and drinks to him, saying, Captain Graves, here’s half this to you. But the poor Gentleman being too sensibly touched at the Misfortune of falling into his Hands, modestly desired to be excused, for that he could not drink; whereupon Low draws out a Pistol, cocks it, and with the Bowl in ’tother Hand, told him, he should either take one or the other: So Graves, without Hesitation, made Choice of the Vehicle that contained the Punch, and guttled down about a Quart.
Who was Captain Charles Johnson? I don’t know, and to be frank, neither does anyone else so—I suppose you should take this excerpt like you would a leisurely margarita. That is, with a tiny grain of salt. Still, the specifics are not the point.
The man named Low in the above testimony was a pirate named Edward Low. (not the best artwork, I know) And although you may have never heard of him before, Captain Low was known to be the most vicious, violent and savage pirate of his time. (That time was around 1720-1724.) One of his most gruesome tales is that he once cut off a man’s lips, burnt them in a fire and forced the captive to eat them in front of his crew. Which sounds absolutely repulsive. In fact, it sounds so disgusting I almost don’t believe it. Although there were lots of vile rumours spreading through the seas (and the newspapers) about the ferocity of the notorious Edward Low – some historians (including myself) believe the man’s success was mainly due to his tall tales of savagery rather than his actual despicable behaviour. Low was not alone in his embellishments.
Some of the most widely exercised and shared piratical stereotypes are tales of exaggerated violence. For centuries pirates have been depicted as vile, soulless, barbaric. These images were endorsed by the monarchies at the time. After all, what better way to get public support for hanging those who didn’t do what they were told? But these rumours were also often perpetuated by the pirates themselves. Why? Piracy thrived on legends of savagery. The more nefarious, dangerous, and evil a captain seemed, the more likely it was that an oncoming terrified ship would surrender to their rule without a fight. It made the job easy. This is documented during Low’s time as a pirate, which was quite lucrative. In a span of only three to four years roaming the seas, the man commandeered over 100 ships. And for him, taking over a ship was a typically easy process. Because of all the frightening rumours, ships and their terrified crew immediately peacefully surrendered to the captain to avoid his horrific torture. And while that fact alone is quite a challenge to the status quo of animalistic barbarians murdering anyone in their path just to steal their treasure, there is also some compelling evidence that these rebels functioned with an air of civility. For example, violence wasn’t Low’s only claim to fame. The pirate not only valued the power of a tall tale, he also recognised the power of punch. Hence, the documented excerpt above.
One of Low’s more reasonable tactics to get prisoners to join his league (other than to hold a pistol to their head) was to send them to the lower deck to relax and drink punch with the rest of his ship. The members of the crew were told to welcome the men and share their drink with them. Much of the time, this resulted in a change of heart for his prisoners who felt bonded with the rest of their shipmates after these drinking sessions.
In many of the archives of this era, shipmates share stories of the consumption of punch. Of how it was used to bond to crew, which was a phenomenal feat if you ask me. Pirate crews were a fascinating lot, a multicultural amalgamation of people from all over the world. These ships massed individuals from different social strata, cultures, and tribes. For any of these seafaring communities to operate successfully they needed the cooperation of the entire crew. This was a tall order considering they all didn’t speak the same language. Many came from places that drastically varied in their beliefs, religious values, and customs. These outcasts of society needed something of substance to hold them together. That something was punch.
Although sailors are traditionally famous for their love of rum, it was not the consumption of a plain spirit that brought these men (and let’s please not forget the women) together. Much of their commitment to one another was traditionally sealed not with a bottle of brandy, wine or ale, but with the sharing of a bowl of punch. There was something in that magical elixir that meant more than a mere satisfying sip to get you through a tough day. This would explain why Captain Low encouraged the captured Graves to drink punch. Drinking from the same bowl with members of the crew (including the captain) was a ritual that according to pirate code, not only meant the promise of mutual drunken stupor. It meant that you were connected, bonded and that you had a mutual understanding. Drinking with the pirate crew meant that you had pledged to be one of them.
What do you think? What was it about punch that made it such a strong binding agent? Do you feel a bond toward the people you drink with? I want to know! Share your thoughts in the comments below!