Pirates and Renfaire - Your Thoughts.

[Catastrophe]

I've been a pirate from my first step onto renn faire soil. (That goes without saying if you know me for longer than five minutes.) I have also attended separate pirate themed events, many of which were created by my friends. Those events don't take away from anything, but give us another reason to drink and be merry.
Between the fake costumes, the fantasy characters (elves, faeries, etc), and movie characters who show up every day, why are the pirates getting picked on? I carry a much bigger dagger...

PS I didn't hear any arguement from the knights I met this weekend! In fact, I never do.

[Carl Heinz]

Between the fake costumes, the fantasy characters (elves, faeries, etc), and movie characters who show up every day, why are the pirates getting picked on? I carry a much bigger dagger...

Who's picking on the pirates?  You're more than welcome.  Have a good time whatever you're wearing.  The only folks who have to be HA are the participants (exceptions are made such as Lightning Scooter-Horse).  Otherwise, if it won't get you arrested, enjoy.

[Squire Mickey]

I was thinking of trading in me pirate persona o' Mickey Flint and becomin' one o' those STORMTROOPERS. They seem to get all the wenches.

As fer HA, our fair at BARF be graced with His Majesty, King Henry VIII. I do have in me possession, a copy o a letter of marque signed by his hand in the year of our lord 1543. I do be hoping fer him to present a copy o' this letter to our Crew of the Harbinger this season, As such, I do be looking into creating a garb ensemble to match the period.

[Count Adolfo]

I don't think my countryman  was "picking on" anyone at all... and those who live elsewhere may not really fully understand from where he comes in this inquiry... but here in Florida, there are a great number of Pirate festivals.
Specifically pirate.
Now, truth be told, if you attend one of those multiple festivals, you may be treated to the sight of a few non-pirate rennie types... so we do the "turnabout is faire play" thing here...

Now, I DO think it's kinda funny when the stormtroopers arrive at Faires... but then again... I've gone to a Sci-Fi convention in garb... so...

[Anna Iram]

Mickey, I think that's wonderful that you are working on a more period correct pirate persona. True, many may not instantly "get" that you are a pirate compared to something more expected, but I think you'll add something very interesting to the tapestry of our faire while still being true to your character.

[mehan]

Ok, now I now I am getting old.... I thought the subject was PRIVIES at ren faire - your thoughts...... and my thoughts were nae verra good.....

Pirates on the other hand - that's much better!

[Anna Iram]

LOL..I have the same problem now and again, just mis read now and again. Someone started a thread abouts boots and leaking and I read it as boobs!! I thought...yikes!!

..and don't even *want* to think about HA privies....

[DonaCatalina]

LOL..I have the same problem now and again, just mis read now and again. Someone started a thread abouts boots and leaking and I read it as boobs!! I thought...yikes!!

..and don't even *want* to think about HA privies....

OK LOL
H/A Privies might not be so bad, if a little weird, depending on your rank. A noble's gentleman or lady of the stool in the Renaissance was responsible for emptying the pots under the velvet chamber stools. So a noble might never have first hand knowledge of a general use privy.
-no smells, no muss and no fuss.
Read a little about Henry VIII's longtime Gentleman of the Stool and his dealing with Henry's chronic constipation.
- no offense meant to VIII of course -

[Celtic_Fae]

Dress as pirate? Fine.
Get into pirate character at faire? Fine.
Have a few drinks while you're there? Fine.
Embrace the child within at faire? Fine.

But, please, don't use "being at pirate" as a reason to get terribly sloshed and then as an excuse to harass others. I don't know, maybe it's because of all the guild BS at my home faire, but I'm sick of the pirates who have turned the whole matter into a mass-produced, in-thing, exclusive club used to bully and cause trouble with others both inside and outside the gates. Maybe if it were just at faire, and folks left the drama at the gates, it would be fine, but when it spills into everyday life as well, it gets on my nerves. As much as we would like to think otherwise, faire is NOT the real world. The sad thing is, the people who cause it don't even realize it. I'm sorry, but it ruins my fun at faire when false rumors are being spread, I'm treated like garbage, and I'm being taken advantage of by those who are too far gone to understand that "no" means "NO", with their excuse being "I'm a pirate, I can get away with anything since pirates aren't meant to follow the rules". It makes me not want to go back when the maltreatment extends even further to outside of the gates via the Internet by the Pirate Guild.

That being said, if you can keep it so you have fun without infringing on others' rights or fun, go ahead! I'm not a tightwad by any means, I just wish for the same right to have fun and respect as the next person.

[DeadBishop]

Taken at MNRF on Sept. 19th, Talk Like A Pirate Day!  This was just a small portion of the pirates that can be found at any given time at MNRF.

[renren]

And the pirates are *the nicest* people at MNRF! 

[Athena]

I love pirates at faire, though I'm sick to death of all the Jack Sparrows. I remember around the time Dead Man's Chest came out it seemed like every faire I went to was invaded by a Jack Sparrow army. It got really bad at GLMF when pirate weekend rolled around, you couldn't walk ten feet without bumping into a JS wannabe. We were bird watching all weekend!

[Celtic_Fae]

We were bird watching all weekend!

Nice! 

[Athena]

 

It was amusing, there were something like 20 of them counted in ONE DAY. Sheesh.

Other than JS, I loves me some pirates at faire. H/A, GAoP, and everything in between. Granted, real life pirates were NOT nice people, but pirates at faire - there's just a certain kind of glamour there!

[Celtic_Fae]

Since I caught some flack from my post, let me just say:
NEVER did I say ALL pirates are bad! I just said I'd had some bad run-ins with people who can't always distinguish the fantasy of faire from reality, taking things wayyy too far into the real world where it has no place to be. By all means, dress as a pirate (I do for the pirate events in my state, would at the Ren events if I hadn't just gone through a custom order nobility ensemble that a. cost a lot and b. I love) if it suits you. Just be nice about it. I've met some very nice, sexy, cool pirates so I know you are out there!