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Hoist The Colors

@pirates-ahoy / pirates-ahoy.tumblr.com

Pirates and all things related. Regular pirates. Space pirates. Steampunk Pirates. Anime Pirates. Fandom Pirates. More pirates then you can shake a peg leg at.
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brekfastsoup
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ltwilliammowett

Israel Hands - the fictional and real pirate

Many people know him more as a fictional character in series like Our Flag Means Death, Black Sails or Treasure Island. But Israel or Basilica Hands is a real historical pirate. However, not much is known about him, especially not the early years of his life.

Israel Hands portrayed by David Wilmot in Black Sails (x)

He appears in 1718 as captain of the Sloop Adventure, whose command was transferred to him by Blackbeard after their old captain had refused to join Blackbeard. Later, in June 1718, Teach ran aground with his flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, at Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina. He asked Hands with the Adventure for help in trying to heel the Queen Anne’s Revenge off the bay. But the Adventure also ran aground and was abandoned. When Blackbeard was captured and killed on 22 November, Hands was not present. This was due to the fact that Edward Teach, Blackbeard’s real name, had shot him in the knee and was recovering in Bath, North Carolina.

   "During a late-night drinking party in his cabin with a pilot, Hands and a third man, Blackbeard, without provocation, surreptitiously drew two small pistols and placed them under the table. The third man noticed this and went on deck, leaving Blackbeard, the pilot and Hands alone in the cabin. Once the two pistols were ready to fire, Blackbeard blew out the candle on the table and fired at the two remaining drinking companions. Hands was hit in the knee and lamed for life. The second pistol, however, failed. When Blackbeard was then asked why he had done this, he replied that if he didn’t kill one of them now and then, they would forget who he was.“

- Captain Charles Jonson in: A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates

Because of this injury, he was unable to escape when the pirates of Bath were captured. After his capture, he and fifteen other pirates were taken to Williamsburg, Virginia, where they were tried. In exchange for a pardon, Hands testified against corrupt North Carolina officials with whom Teach had consorted. What happened to him is not really known, because according to Charles Johnson, he later died a crippled beggar in London.

But in 1721, an Israel Hynde, 29 years old with a lame leg, appears alongside Black Bart Roberts. However, when he died during a battle with the Royal Navy, his entire crew was captured. Hynde was taken to Cape Coast Castle, Ghana and sentenced to death by hanging for piracy on 13 April 1722. Whether it is the same man who merely changed his name cannot be said with certainty, but a certain resemblance exists and is therefore quite probable.

#pirates#isreal hands#historical pirates#history#black sails#our flag means death
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menfenced

Why You Should Absolutely Be Watching Our Flag Means Death

Look, I thought this was just going to be a silly little pirate sitcom that I could sit down and binge and move on with my life. But seriously, it’s SO good! 

Now, if you haven’t heard of the show, let me start with the basics. 

This is Stede. 

He used to be a fancy foppish aristocrat. 

Then he left his wife and children to become a pirate. 

Well, a Gentleman Pirate. 

But he’s not really cut out for it and things go south. 

Fast. 

Enter Blackbeard!

(pause to admire the wigmaker who crafted his glorious beard…. and we’re back)

Blackbeard has heard all about Stede and, quite frankly, he’s fascinated. What the hell is a guy like this doing on a pirate ship? 

But the thing is, Blackbeard has been in a bit of a rut himself, and he’s ready to try something new, so they work out a bit of a deal. 

Ed will teach Stede how to be a better pirate

And Stede will teach Blackbeard how to be a gentleman.

Now, I know what you’re probably thinking. 

Gee, this sounds like a silly little pirate show. Maybe I’ll get around to it eventually. 

Or maybe you’ve watched the first couple episodes and thought, “Eh, it’s alright. Kind of funny, but I’ve got limited time here and I’ve got a lot of other stuff to watch.”

But the thing is, this is SO much more than just a silly pirate show. It has hands down the best acting I have ever seen from Taika Watiti. He and Rhys play off each other with the silliness very well, but they also dive into some deep emotional stuff that is just phenomenal. 

Oh, and did I mention that this wasn’t a comedy? It’s actually a Rom-Com between Stede and Blackbeard. 

And no, it’s not subtext. It’s very much text. 

Like… Literally. The show’s creator (David Jenkins) has spent the last 3 weeks in every interview ever being like, “Hey, did you know that gay pirate marriage is a thing that existed? In actual history? Like they had a word for it and everything. Have you heard about this? If not, you should definitely hear about this, because this is a thing that 100% exists and is absolutely historical and you should all definitely know about for no particular reason.”

Anyway, I won’t spoil anything specific from the episodes because it’s all so wonderfully done, but… yeah. The creator ships it hard and he is fucking delivering with every new episode. 

And that’s not even getting into any of the wonderful side stories with the crew! 

There are multiple queer couples/romances there. Two of the characters create the first ever pyramid scheme. There’s a non-binary character with a amazing backstory and side quest. There’s roommate shenanigans, and… well, just all types of shenanigans really…  

The point is, this is seriously an amazing show and I highly highly encourage anyone who is not already on board to join in with the fun. 

EDIT: For those wondering where to watch the show, click here to see my second post about that. 

#our flag means death#pirates#i plan on subbing for a month and binging this show once it is completely out
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