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Prior, Pirates and Privateers
The pirate gold and goods formed the basis of a thriving paradise community on St.Tosia that attracted rogues unleashing their inner buccaneer,
crooked marauder merchants and wild wicked women from far and wide. Recently, some evil tongues in the circles of tax authorities are badmouthing
and claiming that 17th century piracy was ground layer of the Tosiatic off-shore banking of nowadays.
Almost every former tropical pirate nest has a legend about a treasure map to a buried stash of booty. Although it is considered a fable by many,
believing that pirates tended to spend all their money as soon as they hit port. They would either splice the mainbrace and be loaded to the
gunwalls, which is the piratical way to say generously consuming booze and being drunk as a skunk. Or, they would go to the harbor's bawdy house,
the house of ill-repute, and practice acts of indecency with saucy individuals of the female persuasion. And when all was spend, they would
long to return to pirating in order to raise more money.
When the Spanish galleon "Nuestra Señora del Sol" hit the Attorador Reefs, 10 miles East of St.Tosia and instantaneously sank, there were only
two survivors rescued, the monks Padre Francesco and Padre Vicência. At that time, St.Tosia was ruled by
Captain Black Bart Blaggard who was answerin' to no man or blasted government. He was arguably the most famous evil scourge ever to set sail
in the Caribbean, a daring ruthless pirate and a courageous swashbuckler in a fight with a vicious temper. With much patience Padre Francesco
made an all-out effort to convert the pirate captain and his salty scallywags to an introspective attitude to life that at least they would go
to church pro-forma.
| Padre Francesco and Captain Black Bart Blaggard |
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The smart padre also knew that vast amounts of money can be made in the name of the Lord. When starting negotiations one should try to find some
common ground. Padre Francesco and Captain Blaggard were able to find that in the word 'Manna' and agreed that the pirate prize falls into their
hands like manna from heaven. For the prior it was needed to build up a mission geared towards a new spiritual act and task of conversing pirates
and some order and decency to the island. He negotiated that his new Catharsian Order would receive a share of each booty which was used to build
and extend his monastery. He also negotiated that he was recognized as the prior of the abbey. Francisco assured that as a return favor, he would
pray that any and each of corsairs will be rewarded with a blissful afterlife. Also, in his new capacity as Prior, Francisco could produce a
"Letter of Marque" granting Captain Blaggard the liberty in the same manner as has been done to other Captains fitted out to sea in a warlike
manner as privateers to cruise on the seas and the coast, havens, bays and anchorage places around the Serene Monastic Island Territory of
St.Tosia. "In the most divine name of our Creator, I hereby constitute .......
| ... and so, the pirates turned into sanctioned plunderers. |
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Before any raid the pirates come to the Chapel of the monastery on Kalinago Hill and ask the Prior to lead them in a short prayer. The clever
religious leader of St.Tosia introduced the catch phrase: "No prayer, no prey and no prey, no pay". Although Prior Francesco still has a bit of
a Spanish accent, he has learned to roar with all his might "Halleluja" from the pulpit in the same manner as Captain Black Bart Blaggard roars
"Booty Loot Ahoy" from the quarter deck of the pirate flagship "Rosa Nostra". After the final words of every service: "Guide us with Thy
mighty hand, Amen", all sea swabs attending the service yell: "Weigh anchor! Hoist the mizzen!!!" which essentially means "Let's go for the booty!"
Captain Black Bart Blaggard was also a person of gallant charisma. He grew his black hair long and tied it back with a red satin bow. He had one
single golden hoop hanging from his right ear lobe. The black hair was in sharp contrast to his penetrating icy blue eyes. Blue eyes and black
hair are considered a stunning and sexy combination nowadays. Actually some women think that it is freak'n hot. It plays up the gorgeous eyes
and makes them pop. At a time of an engagement with the enemy, he was stylishly dressed in a shirt with puffy sleeves and deep ruffled cuffs
drooping over the hands, made of burgundy colored silk with gold threads woven fabric. Over the shirt he wore a sleeveless plain black cotton
waistcoat with twelve shiny brass buttons. Around his waist had a burgundy sash edged with multiple tassels. His tan knee breeches were
decorated with four brass buttons above the bottom cuffs and bow ties at the knees. His three-cornered black hat bore a gold color brocade
cockade at the front and two long ostrich feathers were hanging over the back brim. Slipped over his head, he wore a triple threat pistol
leather baldric, with two holsters at the chest and one at the hip. The holsters were slightly angled so that he could easily grab and pull
out his blunderbuss pistols with his left hand while with his right hand he would draw his cutlass sword that slung on his left hip.
The St.Tosian privateers were battle hardened terrorists under false flag. Smart pirates don't unfold the Jolly Roger until the booty is within
reach. Unlike other pirates who would fly the flag of a befriended nation to get as close to their prey as possible, the St.Tosians would outsmart
them by flying the "Yellow Jack". In maritime circles, it was commonly known that the yellow flag meant that there was illness aboard; in this
case the yellow was to signify the yellow fever. It would make them look them quite harmless and their prey would be ill prepared to counter a
ferocious attack. Modern-day psychologists would qualify this as "Tosiatic Behavior" as a generic fast response that they like to use when
they don't have an academically plausible response to such circumstance.
Cdr. Bud Slabbaert
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