When women roamed the high seas in search of fortune, freedom, and sometimes revenge.
We look at fifteen women pirates who operated between 480Bc and the mid-1800s. Some commanded single ships, others fleets of pirate ships. There were Scandinavian, French, Irish, English, Middle Eastern and Chinese women pirates.
One was Grace O’Malley (a. 1530 – 1603), one of the most famous pirates of all time. From the age of eleven, she forged a career in seafaring and piracy and was considered a fierce leader at sea and a shrewd politician on land. She successfully defended the independence of her territories at a time when much of Ireland fell under the English rule and is still considered today ‘the pirate queen of Ireland’. She defied Queen Elizabeth, met with her to negotiate a truce in Ireland and died on the same day.
Another was Jeanne de Clisson who painted her ships black and dyed her sails red. She was known as “The Lioness of Brittany” and in revenge for the execution of her husband attacked all French ships and aided the English in their war against France. The entire time that Jeanne de Clisson was fighting off the French king, she was working the age-old working mom routine. With her husband gone, de Clisson couldn’t exactly count on anyone to look after her kids. She took them with her as she sailed the high seas and dominated the king’s men. What a woman.
Warami Eora:Hello Sydney 