Problems with Pirates and PTSD (yeah, I know that's a lot of p's)

[Hir i-Chorvath]

Ok, so I have a bit of a problem with the story that I'm working on right now and I have two main things that I need help with.
Quick background info: This is taking place on a ship during/after a battle where the MC's ship was defeated and they have been taken prisoners. (I can elaborate on this if it's needed)

Question 1: The first mate of my ship is female and they just got captured by a crew of pirates. I don't want to get into the typical stuff that usually happens in that kind of setting and I don't want it to happen to her. So...ideas? I didn't plan on the pirates having the greatest morals but I really don't want to write that type of thing or imply it. Would it be believable if I gave the pirates that scrap of honour so that they wouldn't treat her that way? She is the type of person that would be thoroughly against the whole thing.
(On this world/area pirates are generally outcasts from their respective homes because they lacked the specific qualities that are wanted, such as calm, cool-headed, methodical, etc. I can go into this more if it's needed but it isn't overly related.)

Question 2: My MC in the story, (a sea elf called Rathalas) has PTSD or as I like to call it, a personalized phobia, because of an experience that he had with a certain pirate (a Teifling called Rezimer) a few years before the incident where Rezimer tried to whip him to death. Rathalas survived but with bad scars and is now technically crippled though he refuses to admit it. Since that experience, he can't stand being around whips, and seeing someone getting whipped has him in a panic attack. Rathalas has trouble sleeping at night because of the nightmares and is a heavy alcoholic, (though by the time the story starts he is trying to quit) Now this whole time Rathalas has been told that Rezimer was dead and Rezimer is very much not dead. When they get captured by the pirates, Rezimer is there and seeks him out (He has a grudge against Rathalas which I can elaborate on if needed (also his being on the ship is not a coincidence)) So my question is what would be Rathalas' reaction if he suddenly sees Rezimer alive and he has problems with things that just remind him of Rezimer? What is his reaction going to be to actually seeing Rezimer and being forced into contact with him?

Again, I can elaborate or clarify any points that need it, and thank you so much for taking the time to read this!

EDIT: I just realized that this probably should have gone in "Brainstorming and Planning". Oops.

 

[Eduardo Ficaria]

Here are my thoughts about your questions:​

• Question 1:
  1. Make the pirates corsairs: corsairs had laws to follow set by the country/kingdom they were working for, rules which were quite detailed including the treatment of people if I remember correctly. Of course, far into the sea real corsairs would act like pirates in the end,no matter the contract, but this way it wouldn't be surprising that they had a bit higher moral standard (they may think of themselves as better than pirates), enough to spare your female character of that gruesome treatment.
  2. The woman is valuable: as a second-in-command officer, she may be perceived as a valuable ransom. An alternative is that she's a terrific sailor and knows her ways in the seas, and the pirates happen to need some good navigator for some other raid somewhere else. A final option would be that they just respect her since she's an officer, and perceived more as a fellow sailor rather than just an "enjoyable" woman.
  3. Cultural, social or racial norms: maybe she's from a race/country/tribe your pirates fear, respect, or completely despise. Depending on this consideration they may treat her like any other prisoner, maybe better or worse, but without the need for going into the kind of treatment you want to avoid.
• Question 2: I'll suppose that they meet each other again after the battle, so.
  1. Desperate killing frenzy: Rathalas is still kind of "hot" from the recent battle, so when he sees that man his mind just snaps and tries to kill him with whatever weapon he grabs from any close enemy.
  2. Complete mental block: the man he thought dead and buried appears again just in front of him, almost like seeing a ghost. He's speechless, and maybe starts to shake or to have convulsions, meanwhile Rezimer does all the talk against him.

A final consideration I have is that I find strange to have PTSD just because of being whipped once. Sure it's really harmful and painful, but back in the day sailors had to endure really hard living conditions on their ships, and the possibility of being whipped was just part of it. Of course, I don't know how common it was for officers to use such corrective action, or the rules for it on different fleets, but bear in mind that our ancestors were probably more used to death and suffering than we are now.

 

[jacksimmons]

With regards to your first question, I think it really depends on the tone of the piece you are writing. I wouldn't expect that sort of thing to come up in YA Fantasy, or high fantasy with a lighter tone, just because it doesn't fit the genre. Sexual abuse and rape happens in real life, but if you don't think it would fit your story, don't write it. You aren't obliged to come up with a valid reason why it doesn't happen. I wasn't shocked or confused that in Peter Pan or Disney's Treasure Island there was no sexual assault. It's not what I expected going in.

I would say that if you are deliberately writing something that is dark, adult and realistic, it may be right to include. If, say, you are going to be graphically depicting battles and you want your story to be a realistic telling of war, it may be necessary to include those aspects or else whitewash the issue.

 

[Prince of Spires]

You could have a significant part of the pirate crew be female. If the captured ship has a mixed male female crew then it's plausible enough the pirates would have this as well. And while I have no numbers to support this, my feeling is that a female crew would frown upon rape more then a 100% male crew. It would be enough reason for me not to question it while reading.

 

[Nighty_Knight]

For the PTSD situation. At the very least he would have heavy anxiety, likely an adrenaline dump. I tend to get it to the point of tunnel vision. The length depends on the situation, could be 20 seconds, could be a half hour depending on the environment. Panic attacks would be on the worse end of the spectrum, breathing attacks as well as going into a light case of shock (a drop in blood pressure)

 

[skip.knox]

What sort of reaction would work that point in the story? I'd look first at the behavior you want, then check to make sure it's a believable sort of reaction. If
you want him to suppress and have internal struggle, that works. If you want a blind rage, that works. If you want a meltdown and crying in the corner, that works. What does the story *need*?

As for the other, Eduardo Letavia gave good options, but jacksimmons makes an important point. Much depends on what sort of expectations you have established up to that point.

 

[Hir i-Chorvath]

Sorry that it has taken me so long to respond.
Every time I get halfway through a response I end up managing to delete it somehow and am completely motivated to start over.

Eduardo Letavia reminded me of something that I forgot to add when I noted important points which was that elves are hunted in this world. They're hunted because they turn into things when they die (or are killed because they don't die of natural causes(and I still need to come up with a term for elves turning into things because just saying that they turn into things is kind of really lame)) The first mate (and Rathalas) are Sea Elves. Sea elves, in particular, have it bad because they turn into a type of elixir that can heal any physical injury. As far as magical healing in the world there isn't much and the elixir is by far the most reliable. The only problem is that it is super rare and expensive because sea elves don't really fancy being dead.

Ok, now that that is out of the way.

• The woman is valuable: as a second-in-command officer, she may be perceived as a valuable ransom. An alternative is that she's a terrific sailor and knows her ways in the seas, and the pirates happen to need some good navigator for some other raid somewhere else. A final option would be that they just respect her since she's an officer, and perceived more as a fellow sailor rather than just an "enjoyable" woman.

• Cultural, social or racial norms: maybe she's from a race/country/tribe your pirates fear, respect, or completely despise. Depending on this consideration they may treat her like any other prisoner, maybe better or worse, but without the need for going into the kind of treatment you want to avoid.

That would be a reason that people would be more careful with her and not want her to get injured and certainly not kill her except on certain terms. I am planning on there being a significant amount of females on either ship. I went over that idea after Prince of Spires brought it up and I think it would work because most of my ships don't care as much about the difference between male and female. On the mainland, it's a different story but that's not super important at the moment.

With regards to your first question, I think it really depends on the tone of the piece you are writing. I wouldn't expect that sort of thing to come up in YA Fantasy, or high fantasy with a lighter tone, just because it doesn't fit the genre. Sexual abuse and rape happens in real life, but if you don't think it would fit your story, don't write it. You aren't obliged to come up with a valid reason why it doesn't happen. I wasn't shocked or confused that in Peter Pan or Disney's Treasure Island there was no sexual assault. It's not what I expected going in.

I would say that if you are deliberately writing something that is dark, adult and realistic, it may be right to include. If, say, you are going to be graphically depicting battles and you want your story to be a realistic telling of war, it may be necessary to include those aspects or else whitewash the issue.

I like the point that you have there because I don't plan on the book to have that kind of tone and it's probably more of an in-between YA and adult fantasy. So I suppose that means I shouldn't worry so much about it.

A final consideration I have is that I find strange to have PTSD just because of being whipped once. Sure it's really harmful and painful, but back in the day sailors had to endure really hard living conditions on their ships, and the possibility of being whipped was just part of it. Of course, I don't know how common it was for officers to use such corrective action, or the rules for it on different fleets, but bear in mind that our ancestors were probably more used to death and suffering than we are now.

You make a good point there. I have realized that a whip would not give me that result but I'm not 100% on what I should do to get it to happen. I need Rathalas to have partial use in his left arm because of some traumatic event that was caused by Rezimer and I don't care if it's gory. Someone suggested torture to me and that was basically what I had in mind but I'm not sure how to do it.

What sort of reaction would work that point in the story? I'd look first at the behavior you want, then check to make sure it's a believable sort of reaction. If
you want him to suppress and have internal struggle, that works. If you want a blind rage, that works. If you want a meltdown and crying in the corner, that works. What does the story *need*?

As for the other, Eduardo Letavia gave good options, but jacksimmons makes an important point. Much depends on what sort of expectations you have established up to that point.

At this point in the story what it "needs" is for Rathalas to be out of commission. I'm just not sure what would be the best reaction and I want it to be believable. So having a panic attack or completely freezing up would work for the story. A blind killing rage wouldn't work as well and I just can't see it for Rathalas' character.
I need whatever it is to be severe enough that it is a significant obstacle and not just something on the side. Rathalas getting put out of commission is the key reason that the ship gets captured and why the rest of the story happens the way it does.

 

[Rosemary Tea]

Ok, so I have a bit of a problem with the story that I'm working on right now and I have two main things that I need help with.
Quick background info: This is taking place on a ship during/after a battle where the MC's ship was defeated and they have been taken prisoners. (I can elaborate on this if it's needed)

Question 1: The first mate of my ship is female and they just got captured by a crew of pirates. I don't want to get into the typical stuff that usually happens in that kind of setting and I don't want it to happen to her. So...ideas? I didn't plan on the pirates having the greatest morals but I really don't want to write that type of thing or imply it. Would it be believable if I gave the pirates that scrap of honour so that they wouldn't treat her that way? She is the type of person that would be thoroughly against the whole thing.
(On this world/area pirates are generally outcasts from their respective homes because they lacked the specific qualities that are wanted, such as calm, cool-headed, methodical, etc. I can go into this more if it's needed but it isn't overly related.)

The pirates could have a deeply ingrained cultural belief that sexual contact with a woman while they're out at sea being pirates depletes their masculine essence, which would make them too weak to succeed in battle. That very belief is the reason many indigenous American warriors did not rape female prisoners of war: they weren't necessarily too moral for that, but in their worldview, sex while on the warpath, consensual or otherwise, would unman them, so they would never dare do it. Even the most hot headed and impulsive among them wouldn't cross that line.

For pirates who are outcasts, it doesn't make much sense that they'd forebear to do something to a captive because of a sense of honor, ethics, or concern for the captive - they'd be operating out of self interest with nothing left to lose; any code of honor they would have would be strictly between themselves and their shipmates - but it does make sense that they'd forebear out of self interest. If they believe it would have immediate and dire consequences for themselves, that would stop them.

Question 2: My MC in the story, (a sea elf called Rathalas) has PTSD or as I like to call it, a personalized phobia, because of an experience that he had with a certain pirate (a Teifling called Rezimer) a few years before the incident where Rezimer tried to whip him to death. Rathalas survived but with bad scars and is now technically crippled though he refuses to admit it. Since that experience, he can't stand being around whips, and seeing someone getting whipped has him in a panic attack. Rathalas has trouble sleeping at night because of the nightmares and is a heavy alcoholic, (though by the time the story starts he is trying to quit) Now this whole time Rathalas has been told that Rezimer was dead and Rezimer is very much not dead. When they get captured by the pirates, Rezimer is there and seeks him out (He has a grudge against Rathalas which I can elaborate on if needed (also his being on the ship is not a coincidence)) So my question is what would be Rathalas' reaction if he suddenly sees Rezimer alive and he has problems with things that just remind him of Rezimer? What is his reaction going to be to actually seeing Rezimer and being forced into contact with him?

Kill Rezimer. Or try to.

But first, if he's been having panic attacks at anything that reminds him of Rezimer, he's pretty definitely going to have a panic attack at seeing Rezimer himself.

 

[Miles Lacey]

What's between the legs of a prisoner is irrelevant - and unlikely to matter to any pirate inclined towards rape after weeks or months at sea. What is relevant is that prisoners are extra mouths to feed so, unless those prisoners have a use to the pirates, they are going to be dumped on the nearest island or killed.

To prevent rape in that situation requires nothing more than ensuring that the Captain and whomever is responsible for enforcing discipline on the ship imposes a "no rape" policy. This policy is not going to be driven by political correctness or humanitarian reasons.

It could be a superstitution that having sex with someone on board a ship brings bad luck. It could be that raping prisoners will lower their ransom value. The most plausible reason is the knowledge that if news got out they raped someone - especially someone rich, powerful or well-connected - it could result in the entire crew being executed for piracy by the authorities rather than just the Captain and their most senior officers.

In a context of a story like this the very notion of PTSD would not exist. Anyone who was on board a ship prior to about the the early 19th Century would've seen someone they knew being whipped so savagely they either died at the time or later on. Being around others who had experienced the same things was often how they coped. The problems would only come when they were among people who hadn't been through those experiences and, therefore, could not understand why they were the way they were.

If Rathalas had a panic attack every time he saw a whip there is no way he would've ever got back on board a ship as whips and whippings would've been as much a part of a ship as the masts, ropes and ladders. Instead of having Rathalas traumatised by whips and people being whipped in general it would be better to have him traumatised by people being sadistically whipped (a distinction that anyone working on a ship would've understood) or if they're being whipped with a specific type of whip used primarily (or exclusively) by pirates that is designed specifically to cripple people.

The moment Rathalas sees that whip and Rezimer he's going to be a mixed bag of emotions when he sees Rezimer. He would be terrified to see him because of what happened and also because Rezimer is supposed to be dead. He will also be very angry and he'll want revenge. However, he will also be frustrated because the circumstances make revenge difficult.

 

[pmmg]

If these are all pirates, its possible they all know each other, and all live in Tortuga together. If the lady has a reputation, it might go some way to addressing how she might be treated.

 

[Mad Swede]

What's between the legs of a prisoner is irrelevant - and unlikely to matter to any pirate inclined towards rape after weeks or months at sea. What is relevant is that prisoners are extra mouths to feed so, unless those prisoners have a use to the pirates, they are going to be dumped on the nearest island or killed.

To prevent rape in that situation requires nothing more than ensuring that the Captain and whomever is responsible for enforcing discipline on the ship imposes a "no rape" policy. This policy is not going to be driven by political correctness or humanitarian reasons.

Nothing more than the Captain enforcing discipline? If only it were that simple. And I write that as something of an expert on war crimes, having presented scientific papers on the subject (Yes, even we army officers can have some intelligence )

The ability to maintain discipline like that is all about setting the standards for the crew concerned. This is partly about leadership and the standards set by the captain, but it's also about how the crew see themselves contra other groups in society and that is determined by how the crew was formed (what brought them together etc). For the captain to be able to enforce a rule like that the crew must respect him, his standards and what he brings to them as a crew. Otherwise they'll just ignore him and rape the prisoners behind his back, then frighten them into silence.

In short, if you're going to have a captain able to do that with a pirate crew then as an author you need to have a well developed character for the captain and the crew's own backstory needs to be there.

It could be a superstitution that having sex with someone on board a ship brings bad luck. It could be that raping prisoners will lower their ransom value. The most plausible reason is the knowledge that if news got out they raped someone - especially someone rich, powerful or well-connected - it could result in the entire crew being executed for piracy by the authorities rather than just the Captain and their most senior officers.

The problem is that if the crew know they'll be executed if they're caught then they have no incentive to keep prisoners alive. In short, they'd just rape them then throw them overboard. No witnesses, no grounds for charges and execution. (I have, sadly, seen this happen in real life - it wasn't a terribly pleasant investigation to work on.)

The only way that would work would be if the authorities could always find put what had happened during a pirate raid, but that would then beg the question as to why they didn't stop the piracy.

In a context of a story like this the very notion of PTSD would not exist. Anyone who was on board a ship prior to about the the early 19th Century would've seen someone they knew being whipped so savagely they either died at the time or later on. Being around others who had experienced the same things was often how they coped. The problems would only come when they were among people who hadn't been through those experiences and, therefore, could not understand why they were the way they were.

Er, no. PTSD will exist, but won't be diagnosed as such. Instead, what you'll see is the sort of thing older people remember about those veterans who'd fought in one of the world wars. Their odd silences, their refusal to talk about things. Maybe a dislike of sudden noises or certain situations (I have a friend and former colleague who's PTSD is so bad that he dives under the table if he hears a sudden unexpected noise - even in public). They may have a drink problem, or they may be unable to settle in "normal" society, spending their lives wandering. The way other people see veterans like that determines how accepted they are - and it may drive their desire to stay at sea, even as part of a pirate crew. Being pushed away from society becasie society can't cope with them might even be a reason for them to be violent, to rape others etc.

As a veteran with PTSD myself, I'm all too aware of how hard it can be to settle down - and how hard it can be for others to cope with me and my moods.

If Rathalas had a panic attack every time he saw a whip there is no way he would've ever got back on board a ship as whips and whippings would've been as much a part of a ship as the masts, ropes and ladders. Instead of having Rathalas traumatised by whips and people being whipped in general it would be better to have him traumatised by people being sadistically whipped (a distinction that anyone working on a ship would've understood) or if they're being whipped with a specific type of whip used primarily (or exclusively) by pirates that is designed specifically to cripple people.

More than that, he wouldn't even function in society, given that people use whips to drive horses, oxen etc. So it has to either be a specific sort of fear conected to a whipping, as Miles writes, or it has to be something else that makes him panic.

The moment Rathalas sees that whip and Rezimer he's going to be a mixed bag of emotions when he sees Rezimer. He would be terrified to see him because of what happened and also because Rezimer is supposed to be dead. He will also be very angry and he'll want revenge. However, he will also be frustrated because the circumstances make revenge difficult.

I'm not sure about that. My experience is that it depends on how long it has been since the person saw the one they hate or are afraid of. Some may not care a jot, they may have got over things enough to just ignore them. Others will fly into an immediate rage and attack. Some will be so stunned they won't know what to say or do. Still others will turn and run. And a few will show no reaction but will immediately start thinking about how they can take revenge.

 

[Miles Lacey]

In real life pirate ships often did operate to a moral code including the one below which was imposed by Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts. Thus, it's not unrealistic to suggest that pirates could have a code that specifically forbids rape. As for my idea of only the captain and officers being punished for their actions this is loosely based on the fact that rank and file military and SS personnel were rarely tried for war crimes committed during the Second World War. Even most Nazi concentration camp guards never ended up being put on trial.

The original poster asked for ideas about how rapes could be avoided if female prisoners were captured by pirates and I put forward a few ideas.

As an aside I came across a site (Royal Navy Museum I think) in which it stated that pirates found it more lucrative to sell prisoners as slaves than the cargoes they seized. Equally interesting is that most pirates were working for a government so they had to adhere to certain rules about they conducted themselves.

Anyhow, here's the Roberts moral code for pirates:

1. Rock the Vote
“Every man shall have an equal vote in affairs of moment. He shall have an equal title to the fresh provisions or strong liquors at any time seized, and shall use them at pleasure unless a scarcity makes it necessary for the common good that a retrenchment may be voted.”

2. Be Smart: Don’t Steal from Pirates
“Every man shall be called fairly in turn by the list on board of prizes, because over and above their proper share, they are allowed a shift of clothes. But if they defraud the company to the value of even one dollar in plate, jewels, or money, they shall be marooned. If any man rob another, he shall have his nose and ears slit, and be put ashore where he shall be sure to encounter hardships.”

3. Gambling’s for Landlubbers
“None shall game for money, either with dice or cards.”

4. Mind the Curfew
“The lights and candles shall be put out at eight at night, and if any of the crew desire to drink after that hour they shall sit upon the open deck without lights.”

5. Keep Battle-Ready
“Each man shall keep his piece, cutlass and pistols, at all times clean and ready for action.”

6. Never Bring Your Date Home
“No boy or woman [shall] be allowed amongst them. If any man shall be found seducing one of the latter sex and carrying her to sea in disguise, he shall suffer death.”

7. Stand by Your Hearties
“He that shall desert the ship or his quarters in the time of battle shall be punished by death or marooning.”

8. Settle Disputes Onshore (with Pistols & Cutlasses, of Course)
“None shall strike another on board the ship, but every man's quarrel shall be ended onshore by sword or pistol in this manner: at the word of command from the Quartermaster, each man being previously placed back to back, shall turn and fire immediately. If any man do not, the Quartermaster shall knock the piece out of his hand. If both miss their aim, they shall take to their cutlasses, and he that draws first blood shall be declared the victor.”

9. Lose a Limb, Get Worker’s Comp
“Every man who shall become a cripple or lose a limb in the service shall have eight hundred pieces of eight from the common stock, and for lesser hurts proportionately.”

 

[Rosemary Tea]

Anyhow, here's the Roberts moral code for pirates:

1. Rock the Vote
“Every man shall have an equal vote in affairs of moment. He shall have an equal title to the fresh provisions or strong liquors at any time seized, and shall use them at pleasure unless a scarcity makes it necessary for the common good that a retrenchment may be voted.”

2. Be Smart: Don’t Steal from Pirates
“Every man shall be called fairly in turn by the list on board of prizes, because over and above their proper share, they are allowed a shift of clothes. But if they defraud the company to the value of even one dollar in plate, jewels, or money, they shall be marooned. If any man rob another, he shall have his nose and ears slit, and be put ashore where he shall be sure to encounter hardships.”

3. Gambling’s for Landlubbers
“None shall game for money, either with dice or cards.”

4. Mind the Curfew
“The lights and candles shall be put out at eight at night, and if any of the crew desire to drink after that hour they shall sit upon the open deck without lights.”

5. Keep Battle-Ready
“Each man shall keep his piece, cutlass and pistols, at all times clean and ready for action.”

6. Never Bring Your Date Home
“No boy or woman [shall] be allowed amongst them. If any man shall be found seducing one of the latter sex and carrying her to sea in disguise, he shall suffer death.”

7. Stand by Your Hearties
“He that shall desert the ship or his quarters in the time of battle shall be punished by death or marooning.”

8. Settle Disputes Onshore (with Pistols & Cutlasses, of Course)
“None shall strike another on board the ship, but every man's quarrel shall be ended onshore by sword or pistol in this manner: at the word of command from the Quartermaster, each man being previously placed back to back, shall turn and fire immediately. If any man do not, the Quartermaster shall knock the piece out of his hand. If both miss their aim, they shall take to their cutlasses, and he that draws first blood shall be declared the victor.”

9. Lose a Limb, Get Worker’s Comp
“Every man who shall become a cripple or lose a limb in the service shall have eight hundred pieces of eight from the common stock, and for lesser hurts proportionately.”

And note that every "thou shalt not" on the list prescribes a punishment for breaking the rule. It's not that pirates never did those things, it's that they faced dire punishment if they did. If just having a rule were enough to prevent it, there would be no need for punishment.

I still think the only realistic way to ensure pirates won't rape anyone is for them to have a deep seated belief of their own that doing so would harm them. Punishment imposed by an authority isn't necessarily a deterrent, especially for people who, as the OP essentially describes these pirates, lack the ability to think things through. Believing that the act itself would carry its own severe punishment, would make them lose their manhood, or worse, would be.

 

[Mad Swede]

In real life pirate ships often did operate to a moral code including the one below which was imposed by Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts. Thus, it's not unrealistic to suggest that pirates could have a code that specifically forbids rape. As for my idea of only the captain and officers being punished for their actions this is loosely based on the fact that rank and file military and SS personnel were rarely tried for war crimes committed during the Second World War. Even most Nazi concentration camp guards never ended up being put on trial.

The original poster asked for ideas about how rapes could be avoided if female prisoners were captured by pirates and I put forward a few ideas.

As an aside I came across a site (Royal Navy Museum I think) in which it stated that pirates found it more lucrative to sell prisoners as slaves than the cargoes they seized. Equally interesting is that most pirates were working for a government so they had to adhere to certain rules about they conducted themselves.

Anyhow, here's the Roberts moral code for pirates:

1. Rock the Vote
“Every man shall have an equal vote in affairs of moment. He shall have an equal title to the fresh provisions or strong liquors at any time seized, and shall use them at pleasure unless a scarcity makes it necessary for the common good that a retrenchment may be voted.”

2. Be Smart: Don’t Steal from Pirates
“Every man shall be called fairly in turn by the list on board of prizes, because over and above their proper share, they are allowed a shift of clothes. But if they defraud the company to the value of even one dollar in plate, jewels, or money, they shall be marooned. If any man rob another, he shall have his nose and ears slit, and be put ashore where he shall be sure to encounter hardships.”

3. Gambling’s for Landlubbers
“None shall game for money, either with dice or cards.”

4. Mind the Curfew
“The lights and candles shall be put out at eight at night, and if any of the crew desire to drink after that hour they shall sit upon the open deck without lights.”

5. Keep Battle-Ready
“Each man shall keep his piece, cutlass and pistols, at all times clean and ready for action.”

6. Never Bring Your Date Home
“No boy or woman [shall] be allowed amongst them. If any man shall be found seducing one of the latter sex and carrying her to sea in disguise, he shall suffer death.”

7. Stand by Your Hearties
“He that shall desert the ship or his quarters in the time of battle shall be punished by death or marooning.”

8. Settle Disputes Onshore (with Pistols & Cutlasses, of Course)
“None shall strike another on board the ship, but every man's quarrel shall be ended onshore by sword or pistol in this manner: at the word of command from the Quartermaster, each man being previously placed back to back, shall turn and fire immediately. If any man do not, the Quartermaster shall knock the piece out of his hand. If both miss their aim, they shall take to their cutlasses, and he that draws first blood shall be declared the victor.”

9. Lose a Limb, Get Worker’s Comp
“Every man who shall become a cripple or lose a limb in the service shall have eight hundred pieces of eight from the common stock, and for lesser hurts proportionately.”

I didn't write that pirates didn't have a moral code, I wrote that it wasn't as simple as the captain giving orders. The very first rule illustrates my point. The pirates concerned operate as a sort of joint company, where everyone gets a share of the loot and has a say in what goes on. Leadership of a group like that is far more than just handing out orders. It's about being accepted as a captain who takes the right (read most profitable) decisions without taking undue risks (everyone wants to live long enough to spend their share of the loot). In that sense this crew is like the crews of many Viking longships - they operated on similar principles, and an incompetent captain wouldn't get a crew or, if he did, wouldn't have very good crew.

This is why wrote that if we as authors are going to have pirates who follow some moral code then we have to explain why they have one, how it's enforced and how the crew as a whole lives and works together. We also have to explain why the captain has his position, particularly if the captain and crew have a sort of joint company.

A good example of this sort of writing is Frans G Bengtsson's books about Röde Orm (The Long Ships, as the novels are known in English). In them the reader learns why Krok is accepted as the leader and later why Orm himself becomes leader.