Pirate Myths

In today's culture, nearly everyone knows of pirates. These infamous robbers, known for their eye patches and fierce love of treasure and gold, have become common characters and themes for TV shows and movies, including "Pirates of the Caribbean". However, in these films and shows, pirates are often depicted in extremely historically inaccurate ways, leading to widespread public misconceptions and judgments about pirates.

In most cases, pirates are represented as violent sailors who travel the seas in search of secret buried treasure while robbing other ships they meet on the way. They are shown as bloodthirsty savages who will go as far as murder to get the riches they are searching for. To further this image of pirates as harsh and brutal, they are often depicted as wearing dirty, ragged clothes, carrying multiple swords and knives, missing one or more limbs, and always having a mean, scornful look on their face. Over time, these representations have come together to create a stereotypical image of a pirate that most people think of when they hear the word "pirate". However, this representation is wrong, and what many people believe to be the truth about pirates are myths in reality.

Many pirate myths have been perpetuated due to inaccurate portrayals in popular culture. For example, pirates did not use many of the common phrases we associate with them, such as "Arghhh". This common misconception comes from erroneous portrayals of pirates utilizing such lingo and grunting noises. Additionally, many think of pirates as individuals who hid their precious, stolen treasures by burying them in the sand. However, this is wildly untrue. Most pirates never buried any of their treasure because they mostly lived very short lives. Their short life span caused them to quickly use their riches on lavish items or anything else they deemed to be valuable. Finally, perhaps the biggest myth about pirates is that they no longer exist today. Despite popular belief, pirates still exist to this day, sailing the seas and committing acts of piracy.