Women as pirates? You bet.
There are a few notable female pirates—Anne Bonny, Mary Read, Grace O’Malley, Ching
Shih, and more. But why turn to piracy? For the same reasons as men, only many
had to do so incognito.
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| Anne Bonny |
Women’s equality has always
been a topic of discussion. Whether it be in opportunity, pay, rights or
freedom, the fairer sex has struggled with gender discrimination for, like,
ever. You can bet, if men had few options in life, women had fewer. There were
only a handful of professions a woman could fill that was morally
acceptable—milliners, seamstress, laundress, confectioners, food vendors, midwives,
and, of course, domestic servants. In that, it stands to reason that those jobs
were not as plentiful as the women to fill them. And if a girl was lucky enough
to land a job, she often faced very low wages, poor treatment, and was often the
target of wanted sexual attention or abuse. A woman not born into the upper echelons
might hope to marry into a wealthy, respectable family and even play a role in
the family business or estate management. But she would occupy a small
percentage of her demographic. Being well-off didn’t ensure a lifetime of security
and most women fell into the poor or middle-class social caste. Therefore,
there were more women scratching out a life of survival than their privileged sisters.
From raising families to politics, no matter the era, women’s roles in society
is a veritably complex subject.
When times were hard. Being a
woman made them harder. Being a poor woman was worse. The same lure of a better
life, adventure, earning a wage, and learning a trade that appealed to men also
appealed to women—especially if she was begging for food or forced into thieving
or prostitution. Going to sea, though extremely harsh, was actually a better
choice than staying on land. Bonus, there were regular meals. Most of the time.
It wasn’t always young women making the decision to gamble on impersonating as
a seaman, either. Sometimes girls followed their lovers or wives followed their
husbands to sea rather than be destitute and/or alone.
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| She dressed as a lad and was caught. Click here for more! |
Women were not accepted on pirate
ships. They were considered bad luck and a distraction. (I’ve was once told
this when I asked my employer to move me to a predominately male part of the
company. Humph.) Remember, voyages were long. There was the danger of sexual
assault and in-fighting among men over a woman. The fairer sex (along with young
boys) were not allowed to sign the ship’s articles. But did that stop the few
determined, intrepid ladies. Nope. They faked it, dressed and behaved like young
men.
How did they get away with it?
They would change their name, cut their hair, bound their breasts with cloth
tightly around their bodies, and wear loose fitting clothes, all to appear more
masculine. Since the crew slept in their clothes and bathing was practically nonexistent,
the chance anyone would see her naked was slim. Menstruation wasn’t much of an
issue. The likely reason is that low body fat and improper nutrition restricts
the body’s periodic menses. How convenient.
Like with any other occupation,
women, posing as new sailors, would “learn the ropes” of sailing. The unforgiving
conditions and daily chores strengthened their bodies. These ladies kept up
with their male counterparts while avoiding casting suspicion upon their
gender. No wilting flower could survive as a seaman, living essentially a lie
as a man. To be a pirate meant the woman would be extraordinary. She have to not
only be tough, but daring and courageous. And that very well could be scarier
than any male pirate.
About
the Author
Jennifer is the award-winning author of the Romancing the Pirate series. Visit her at www.jbrayweber.com or join her mailing list for sneak
peeks, excerpts, and giveaways.
