Women in piracy
Piracy has been viewed as predominantly a male activity or occupation, but a significant minority of historical pirates have been female. Female pirates, like other women in crime, faced unique issues in practicing this occupation and in punishment for it.
Historical female pirates
- Charlotte Badger, widely considered to be the first Australian female pirate
- Anne Bonny, lover of "Calico Jack" Rackham
- Flora Burn, a pirate who was active during the Golden Age of Piracy
- Ching Shih
- Mary Crickett
- Jaquotte Delahaye
- Jeanne-Louise de Belleville, the "Lioness of Brittany"
- Anne Dieu-Le-Veut
- Alice "Pirate Aunty" Fish
- Ingela Gathenhielm, Swedish pirate-queen, widow after legendary pirate Lars Gathenhielm.
- Catherine Hagerty
- Johanna Hård, Sweden's last pirate; arrested but acquitted for lack of proof in 1813.
- Lady Mary Killigrew
- Grace O'Malley, The Sea Queen Of Connemara
- Mary Read, a crossdressing female pirate
- Sadie the Goat, who headbutted her victims before taking their money
- Emmlesby Stumbalaugh, who faked intoxication prior to running the shiv up her foes.
- Rachel Wall, considered to be the first American female pirate ya
Female pirates whose existence is disputed
- Awilda, the runaway daughter of a 5th century Scandinavian king
- Charlotte de Berry, a supposed pirate captain in the 17th century.
- Maria Lindsey, the wife of Captain Cobham
- Elizabeth Shirland aka "Cutlass Liz," a supposed survivor of the ill-fated Roanoke Colony
- Sofia, the first Swedish pirate.
Female pirates in fiction
While most fictional and dramatic depictions of pirates have been male, some notable female pirates have been depicted.
See:
- Cutthroat Island
- Elaine Marley (in Monkey Island series of games)
- Multiple fictional depictions of Anne Bonny and Mary Read
- Elizabeth Swann from Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean films.
- Nami and Nico Robin among others (from the manga and anime series, One Piece)
See generally:
References
- David Cordingly, Seafaring Women: Adventures of Pirate Queens, Female Stowaways, and Sailors' Wives
- John Druett, She Captains: Heroines and Hellions of the Sea. Simon & Schuster, 2000.
- Sara Lorimer, Booty: Girl Pirates on the High Seas. Chronicle Books, 2002.
- James L. Nelson, The Only Life That Mattered
- Sandra Riley, Sisters of the Sea
- Jo Stanley, Bold in Her Breeches
See also
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