What’s in a Name? Musings on Ship’s Names and History

-

16th Century England's Most  Infamous Privateer

Ahead of the curve on the handlebar moustache trend.
If you do any research into 16th maritime history, there’s no denying that Sir Francis Drake was an incredible mariner, explorer, tactician, and businessman. It should also be noted, however, that he got his start as a slave trader, thanks to his earlier association with his cousin Christopher Hawkins. Starting as the son of a tenant farmer, he was able to make his way to the royal court of Queen Elizabeth I. By the age of 40 he had travelled all over the known world and amassed great wealth and fame; he was also the second person to circumnavigate the globe and claimed California for England. As a privateer, he was a national hero as he filled England’s coffers with plundered Spanish gold and silver; to the Spanish, he was known as a dreaded pirate with a bounty on his head.

Capturing the Nuestra de Whatever
In 1577, Queen Elizabeth asked Drake to attack Spanish settlements and shipping routes on the Pacific coast. One of his most daring raids led to the capture of the Spanish ship the Nuestra Señora de la Concepción which became Drake’s most famous prize. Interestingly, it also earned the nickname Cacafuego, which most school books translate as “Spitfire,” but the actual translation is “Sh-t Fire” or “Fire Sh-tter.” They returned triumphantly to England, where, by law, the Queen was entitled to half of Drake’s plunder—an amount that surpassed the Crown’s income for that entire year! For one born a commoner, Drake became quite a star as he was elevated into the Queen’s inner circle and celebrated for his daring explorations and his lucrative raids and conquests. The Queen showered him with gifts, awarding him a knighthood and his own coat of arms.

Cacafuego is probably my favorite name for a warship. It’s bold, it’s coarse, and it means business. So many modern-day warships are named after people or cities. It’s an honor, but it doesn’t really intimidate anyone. If you are staring down the barrel at the Defiant, Revenge, or perhaps, Sh-tfire, that just might give you pause.

And now, here are my...

Top 10 Least Favorite Ship Names


10. Campbell’s Sloop

9. Lollipop

8. Plaga de Ratas

7. Pink Floyd

6. Mastis Mizzen

5. Bilgewater Aplenty

4. Idle Warship

3. Leaky Lightening

2. Pantelones del Fuego

1. Sinky McShipfaced

Dr. Jerry Hedrick Sexual Battery License Virginia Beach Chiropractor Leslie Gary Snead Wise Lantz Johnson Verdict Convicted Bayside Chiropractic Pleasure House


Popular posts from this blog

Dirty Little Secrets: 18th Century Hygiene

-
Image
Soap: It's Not Just for Lords Anymore! The topic of cleanliness and hygiene comes up frequently at events. You know the questions: “Why didn’t people take baths?” “They had soap, why didn’t they use it?” and so on. There is a widespread assumption that people in history bathed only once a year—if at all-- and used excessive perfumes and oils to cover body odor. Some people did use perfumes, powders, and oils to smells, of course—just as people do today with highly perfumed laundry products, scented deodorants, mouth washes, etc. But the idea that people in the 18 th century were a mass of reeking unwashed bodies is simply not true. Figure 1 We do not have an excessive amount of documentation for the process of washing and bathing for personal hygiene because, like many mundane activities, it was not noteworthy enough to be frequently documented. How often do you write about taking a shower? But people in the 18 th century did want to be clean and smell n
Read more

Brown-Bagging It: Recreating an 18th Century Leather Portmanteau

-
Image
The finished case ready to "port" a "manteau" Adventures in Colonial Luggage! A Portmanteau (from the French “porter” meaning “to carry” and “manteau” meaning “cloak” or “gown”) is a valise or suitcase made from heavy leather that was used to carry a cloak or other necessities and is shaped to be secured behind the saddle of a horse. The cloak or other clothing would be rolled, not folded, into the case. It was also used by post riders to transport mail or newspapers. It could be round- or flat-bottomed with buckles and straps to secure the lid, and often had a handle on the side or top , and could include a shoulder strap .  In some examples, portmanteaus (or should it be "portmanteaux"?) were covered with tarpaulin cloth, India rubber or oilcloth to increase the waterproofing and protect the contents. These were so common and so durably made that many extant examples still exist in a variety of sizes for men, women, and even
Read more

The Jerky Buccaneer: A Brief History of Pirates and Smoked Meat

-
Image
The origin of the word "buccaneer" leads you down the barbecue trail! A " Buccaneer " was a type of privateer or pirate who typically roamed the Caribbean Sea during the 17th and 18th centuries.  The origin of the name comes from a corruption of the name used by the French to describe the hunters of wild boars and cattle in the largely uninhabited areas of Tortuga and Hispaniola. The me at from the animals they caught was slowly smoked over a low fire on a wooden framework or hurdle the native people called a “buccan” or “boucan.” The French called them boucanes which were used to make viande boucanée – what we would call jerked meat or jerky. The Spanish called the same process "barbacoa," which later became known as "barbecue." The illustration to the right is a depiction of a "Buccaneer of the Caribbean" by famous pirate artist Howard Pyle.  The most popular meat for smoking on the boucan was pork, but any meat wo
Read more