Pirates of the Atlantic
Scotland’s a long way from the Caribbean glamour of Jack Sparrow and crew. But as Dominic Roskrow
reports, it’s still well and truly on the pirate map.
Sunday afternoon at Madam Tussaud’s in London, and a large throng of tourists are going through the ritual of having their photo taken with a wax dummy of someone famous they will otherwise never get close to.
All the stars of film, politics and sport are here, and some attract more interest than others. But the biggest queue – the one with all the youngsters in – is for a small darkened room where pirate Jack Sparrow sits in all his bohemian glory.
We have a strange relationship with personalities of the past. Like cowboys, pirates have taken on a mystical quality, a heady mix of glamour, drama and danger.
Time acts as a crash barrier between the present and the gory, vicious and violent past. We are happy to condemn a DVD, music or computer pirate today, but we’ll revel, almost idolise, men who hundreds of years ago terrorised people, slit throats and went around with a patch over their mutilated eyes or wore hooks to replace severed hands.
Not only that, we have completely reinvented some of the characters, portraying them in the role of pantomime goody or baddy as we see fit.
Take the case of the Orkney Pirate John Gow, who committed murder, attacked the Orkney homes of old friends, and abducted two women, who were either released bearing gifts a day later or so brutally treated that one died from her injuries, depending on whose account you read.
On the internet you’ll find robust defences of him, with some pointing out that his part in the murder of three senior o.....
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By Dominic Roskrow
Section : Scotland Piracy
Page number : 22
