Captain Coca is the third Tordenskjold Pirate – and a drink as well. The main association is the infamous trafficking of drugs between America, Africa and Europe. As mentioned, Tordenskjold started out as a ships boy on the Trade Triangle and must have been considerably influenced by the cultures, persons and events he encountered, - even the Caribbean pirates. The most mentioned commodities were cotton, sugar, bananas and thralls. Less mentioned are tobacco, weapons and rum. Merely mentioned is that today’s massive drug-traffic started with the first shipments. Tobacco was imported from native America to high-society Europe. Marijuana was exported from Africa and became a foundation to the Caribbean relaxed Rastafari culture. The most valuable drugs of all, cocaine, is hardly mentioned at all, although already known to Europeans for over 100 years. This illegal trade seems to be as secret as the origin of the drink Coca Cola itself.
The Trade Triangle is described in Wikipedia. “The first leg of the triangle was from a European port to Africa, in which ships carried supplies for sale and trade, such as copper, cloth, trinkets, slave beads, guns and ammunition. When the ship arrived, its cargo would be sold or bartered for slaves. On the second leg, ships made the journey of the Middle Passage from Africa to the New World. Many slaves died of disease in the crowded holds of the slave ships. Once the ship reached the New World, enslaved survivors were sold in the Caribbean or the American colonies. The ships were then prepared to get them thoroughly cleaned, drained, and loaded with export goods for a return voyage. The third leg, to their home port, from the West Indies the main export cargoes were sugar, rum, and molasses; from Virginia, tobacco and hemp. The ship then returned to Europe to complete the triangle.” Hemp is a commonly used term for high-growing industrial varieties of the cannabis plant and its products, like fiber, oil, and seed. Molasses, or black treacle, is a viscous by-product of the refining of sugarcane or sugar beets into sugar. Molasses might very well be the basis of the original secret Coca Cola syrup.
(Translated from UU 2013.Juli.26.) “The illegal side of the trade triangle (EU-AU-US) is still active, - now with narcotics. AU (African Union) has become one of the worlds transit-lands for most kinds of narcotics. One can certainly ask if this is just of recent dates. It is however unlikely that the most valuable commodities from America to Europe was exclusively cotton and sugar. It is well known that cocaine always have existed, that it was widespread in America and probably tempted Europeans at that time as well as now. One can certainly ask if the ‘bleeder illness’ in the British, German and Russian thrones was merely genetic, or if it also was due to overconsumption of the south American ‘wonder medicine’ cocaine. The trade from Europe to Africa is neither fully described. It was weapons, used to ensure positions and resources on the African west coast and certainly at the American east-coast as well.”
Coca Cola is the main ingredient for the drink Captain Coca. The history of its origin tell a lot about today’s legal and illegal production and trade of drugs. “Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink and is often referred to simply as Coke, - a registered trademark. Originally intended as a patent medicine when it was invented in the late 19th century and became the dominant world soft-drink. The name refers to two of its original ingredients: kola nuts, a source of caffeine, and coca leaves. The current formula of Coca-Cola remains a trade secret, although a variety of reported recipes and experimental recreations have been published.
Pemberton called for five ounces of coca leaf per gallon of syrup, a significant dose; in 1891, Candler claimed his formula (altered extensively from Pemberton's original) contained only a tenth of this amount. Coca-Cola once contained an estimated nine milligrams of cocaine per glass. In 1903, it was removed. After 1904, instead of using fresh leaves, Coca-Cola started using "spent" leaves – the leftovers of the cocaine-extraction process with trace levels of cocaine. Since then, Coca-Cola uses a cocaine-free coca leaf extract prepared at a Stepan Company plant in Maywood, New Jersey.” “In the United States, the Stepan Company is the only manufacturing plant authorized by the Federal Government to import and process the coca plant, which it obtains mainly from Peru and, to a lesser extent, Bolivia. Besides producing the coca flavoring agent for Coca-Cola, the Stepan Company extracts cocaine from the coca leaves, which it sells to Mallinckrodt, a St. Louis, Missouri, pharmaceutical manufacturer that is the only company in the United States licensed to purify cocaine for medicinal use.” ”Long after the syrup had ceased to contain any significant amount of cocaine, in the southeastern U.S., "dope" remained a common colloquialism for Coca-Cola, and "dope-wagons" were trucks that transported it.”
The history of coca is far older than for cola. “For over a thousand years South American indigenous peoples have chewed the leaves of Erythroxylon coca, a plant that contains vital nutrients as well as numerous alkaloids, including cocaine. The coca leaf was, and still is, chewed almost universally by some indigenous communities. The remains of coca leaves have been found with ancient Peruvian mummies, and pottery from the time period depicts humans with bulged cheeks, indicating the presence of something on which they are chewing. There is also evidence that these cultures used a mixture of coca leaves and saliva as an anesthetic for the performance of trepanation.”
“When the Spanish arrived in South America, most at first ignored aboriginal claims that the leaf gave them strength and energy, and declared the practice of chewing it the work of the Devil. But after discovering that these claims were true, they legalized and taxed the leaf, taking 10% off the value of each crop. In 1569, Nicolás Monardes described the indigenous peoples' practice of chewing a mixture of tobacco and coca leaves to induce "great contentment. When they wished to make themselves drunk and out of judgment they chewed a mixture of tobacco and coca leaves which make them go as they were out of their wittes. In 1609, Padre Blas Valera wrote: Coca protects the body from many ailments, and our doctors use it in powdered form to reduce the swelling of wounds, to strengthen broken bones, to expel cold from the body or prevent it from entering, and to cure rotten wounds or sores that are full of maggots. And if it does so much for outward ailments, will not its singular virtue have even greater effect in the entrails of those who eat it?”
Today, the Triangle trade of drugs is definitely illegal in most nations and states. As described in Wikipedia. “The beginning of the 21st century saw a drug use increase in North America and Europe, with a particularly increased demand for marijuana and cocaine. As a result, international organized crime syndicates such as the Sinaloa Cartel and 'Ndrangheta have increased cooperation among each other in order to facilitate trans-Atlantic drug trafficking. Another illicit drug with increased demand in Europe is hashish, which is generally smuggled from Morocco to Spain, where it is later exported to its final markets (mostly France and Western Europe).” Today’s Mesoamerican/Caribbean drug-wars are expanding in Europe, since US started effective collaboration with the Mexican authorities and the European prices are twice on cocaine.
Copenhagen at Zealand (Sjaelland) was also a major link between the Atlantic and Baltic seas and became the major Nordic port for the Triangle trade. The empirical city-state were thereby influenced of many Baltic cultures as well as Caribbean and African. The naval fortress ‘Christiania’ as well as the flagship Christianius Quintus, - was named after the imperial king Christian IV. However, the cold war policies converted this military stronghold to a ‘pirate haven’ for perverted versions of Caribbean Rasta cultures, with openly illegal drug trade and abuse, - mixed with political dilutions. National authoritative interferences seems symbolic and rather express acceptance or inferiority to the powerful gangs of drug pirates, - gangs on slippers and gangs on bikes.
The close relation to the Russian feudal empire is obvious. Tsar Peter the Great proclaimed Russia an Empire in 1721, the year after Tordenskjold died. St. Petersburg became the imperial capital and the dominant power of the Baltic Sea. Consequently, Denmark managed to restore control of the parts of Schleswig and Holstein at the German border in the Great Northern War. Denmark prospered greatly since it was allowed to trade rather freely. However, all the Triangle trade must have been remote controlled from Winter Palace. Looking at its spectacular appearance and the poor backland, there is no doubt that most the best from the New World was consumed in St. Petersburg.
The exaggerated consumption included the new wonder medicines, - like cocaine, marijuana and rum. Therefor, there are reasons to question if the nose bleedings amongst royalties was merely genetic or also consequences of overconsumption of ‘untested medicines’. Cocaine, marihuana and rum were used as medicine at that time, but all of them are considered to cause serious physical and psychiatric damages today. This altered views in the pharma industry is alarming, both for all related people at that time, - as well as todays questionable medical treatments. How is the illegal and legal pharmacy piracy today? This issue will be talked through in the UU about Captain Guanabana, based blogs like UU 2016.jan.15, UU 2015.aug.28 and 2014.aug.01.
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The Captain Coca drink relates to the pirates’ Triangle trades. The recipe is basically like Cuba Libre, a mix of rum, coca cola, lemon and ice-cubes, - 1 to 4 for grape-wine ABV and 1 to 10 for beer ABV. (See links for more Captains Coca drinks.)
In addition to the previous description of coca, the lemon fruit itself has some history that might inspire. “The yellow fruit is used for primarily for its juice, which has both culinary and cleaning uses. It is about 5% citric acid. The distinctive sour taste of lemon juice makes it a key ingredient in drinks and foods such as lemonade and lemon meringue pie. The origin of the lemon is unknown, though probably first grown in India, Burma or China. A study of the genetic origin of the lemon reported it to be hybrid between bitter orange (sour orange) and citron. (Note that the hybrid lemon is often mistakenly called citron that is a large fragrant citrus fruit.)
“Lemons entered Europe near southern Italy no later than the first century AD, during the time of Ancient Rome and later to Persia and Iraq and Egypt around 700 AD. It was distributed widely throughout the Arab world and the Mediterranean region about 1000 AD. The first substantial cultivation of lemons in Europe began in Genoa in the middle of the 15th century and to the Americas in 1493 with Christopher Columbus. Spanish conquest throughout the New World helped spread lemon seeds. It was mainly used as an ornamental plant and for medicine.” “In 1747, James Lind's experiments on seamen suffering from scurvy involved adding lemon juice to their diets, though vitamin C was not yet known. Lemons are a rich source of vitamin C, providing 64% of the Daily Value in a 100 g serving (table). Other essential nutrients, however, have insignificant content.” Citrus was definitely important nutrition at sea where vitamin C was scares.
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“Rum and Coca-Cola” was a popular calypso song and became a huge hit in 1945 for the Andrews Sisters, with ten weeks at the top of Billboard's U.S. Pop Singles chart. The song was published in the United States with Amsterdam listed as the lyricist and Jeri Sullavan and Paul Baron as musical composers. ‘Lord Invader’, the original writer of the lyrics, was furious about the abuse of his song and said: “I happened to see the G.I.s in the American social invasion in the West Indies, Trinidad. You know the girls used to get the candies and stuff like that, and they go to the canteens with the boys and so on, have fun. So I noticed since the G.I.s came over there, they really generally chase with soda, ordinary soda, but their chaser was Rum and Coke. They drink rum, and they like Coca-Cola as a chaser, so I studied that as an idea of a song.” The Amsterdam's version strips the song of its social commentary. The Lord Invader version laments that U.S. soldiers are debauching local women, who "saw that the Yankees treat them nice / and they give them a better price." Its final stanza describes a newlywed couple whose marriage is ruined when "the bride run away with a soldier lad / and the stupid husband went staring mad." The Amsterdam version also hints that women are prostituting themselves, preserving the Lord Invader chorus which says, "Both mother and daughter / Working for the Yankee dollar.
The Andrews Sisters ~ Rum and Coca Cola
https://youtu.be/WiayZdPESno
http://www.metrolyrics.com/rum-and-cocacola-lyrics-the-andrews-sisters.html
Lord Invader - "Rum And Coca-Cola" + lyrics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD9autVt-q8
http://www.islandlyrics.com/lyrics-lord_invader-rum_and_coca_cola.htm
Coca Cola Commercial - I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony) - 1971
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib-Qiyklq-Q
Links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangular_trade
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_drug_trade
http://www.virgin-islands-history.dk/eng/vi_hist.asp
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca-Cola#Coca_.E2.80.93_cocaine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine#History
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Drugroutemap.gif
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Drug_War#Europe
Receipts for more Captain Coca drinks
http://www.yummly.com/recipes/rum-and-coke-cola
http://allrecipes.com/search/results/?wt=rum%20coca%20cola&sort=re
The tales of ‘Captain Sparrow’ are specular and famous. That the ways it goes with Disnifications of ancient folktales. However, the concept was well established before the acquisition. Johnny Depp’s influenced of the character had to be continued even though there must have been considerable objections amongst the new owners. Depp started out in the TV-series 21 jump street where he played an undercover youth anti-drug police-agent. However, he had to become an addict in order to infiltrate the ‘pirate’ organization. Yet, the history behind Captain Sparrow is not clear, - except that he always seems continuously drunk and drugged, - presumably on Rum & Coca. Therefore, Depp’s choice of father was Keith Richards. No man is more natural for that than this Rolling Stone.
Keith & The Captain: On Set With Johnny Depp & The Rock Legend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH6-a1yYRJM
Keith Richards In Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EnOjGuQkNs
Johnny Depp & Keith Richards 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' Interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWKoaujBkyA
There is a considerable Dane reggae culture related to Christiania in Copenhagen. “Dane Caribbean music is dominated by Reggae music and Christiania culture, where even Bob Marley held a concert in 'Den Grå Hal’. However, the ‘free-state’ Christiania is mostly know for hippie cultures where illegal drugs are sold for a billion kroner annually at the ‘pusher-street’. Despite the peaceful appearance, gangs like Hells Angels appears when the business is in trouble.” (Extra2 to UU 2016.jan.15).
This playlist relates more to the drug cultures, that rather promotes marihuana than cocaine.
Dane reggae playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hqTCvg9dys&index=3&list=PL5D6048E54375832F
The story NFL1 (NewFound Land) was introduced in the extra2 to UU 2016.jan.08. As mentioned, the Greenland colony traveled far, - actually as far as the Caribbean. They even were introduced to the Mesoamerican cultures and what is related to Captain Coca.
Chapter 4.2 Teotihuacán
“They both went to the king to pay him a visit the next day. They had to wait a long time again, but got their unofficial audience. There was a long time with small talks. Harald managed to hide his impatient for the king, but Thorvald knew. Eventually he turned the talks into the issue of the aqueduct. The king showed great interest. But the visitors showed sad faces. It seemed that the king was not surprised at all. He called for a servant and gave him an order. Meanwhile, he offered them some refreshing drink. The king smiled and nodded, as he was telling them something. He pointed at the sun and then the drink. They all nodded in understanding. The servant came with a branch of leaves. Coca, he said. He crushed a bit in their cups and took a sip of his own cup. The guest did the same. Soon they understood the problem and the solution. The workers did not merely need water. They needed coca in order to do the work properly. That was not merely a need, but also a required payment.”
http://bloguu.azurewebsites.net/tales/nfl/
