UU20160205
Tordenskjold Pirates - Captain Passion

Captain Passion is the 4th Tordenskjold Pirate, - and a drink based on the passion fruit. This captain is different and misjudged in several ways since it is the female kind, - the piratess. Firstly, like the male pirates were bad luck and taboo amongst civilians and authorities, the piratesses were considered bad luck and taboo amongst most sailors, - including pirates. Besides, women do not expose their criminal ways and deeds like men do, but are rather cloaked, indirect and psychological. Moreover, pirate enterprising is complex and include land-based pirate activities too, - as found in harbors, pirate havens and bays, - that were women’s domains. Lastly, there is a saying ‘behind every great man there's a great woman’, which certainly goes for the pirates too, - as spouses, lovers, employees and even piratesses like Captain Passion.

First, some general citations about piracy from Wikipedia. “Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The earliest documented instances of piracy were in the 1400 BC in the Mediterranean. Those who engage in acts of piracy are called pirates. Predictable routes make opportunities for piracy, raiding and privateering, - in similar ways as land based bandits. Privateers act under orders of a state with a legitimate form of war-like activity by outlaw freelancers. The term can include acts committed in the air, on land, on roads as well as at sea. Seaborne piracy against transport vessels estimated worldwide US$16 billion per year in 2007)” In this sense, the term piracy applies most kind of raiding goods or money, including on trains, wagons, trucks and even planes, - and it is big business.

Concerning the piratess “While piracy was predominantly a male occupation, a minority of pirates were female. Female pirates, like other women in crime, faced gender and discrimination issues in both practicing this occupation and being punished for it. Pirates did not allow women onto their ships very often. In addition, women were often regarded as bad luck among pirates. It was feared that the male members of the crew would argue and fight over the women. On many ships, women (as well as young boys) were prohibited by the ship's contract, which all crewmembers were required to sign. Because of the resistance to allowing women on board, many female pirates did not identify themselves as such. Anne Bonny, for example, dressed and acted as a man while on Captain Calico Jack's ship. She and Mary Read, another female pirate, are often identified as being unique in this regard. However, many women dressed as men during the Golden Age of Piracy, in an effort to take advantage of the many rights, privileges, and freedoms that were exclusive to men.”

The long tradition of piracy includes the Viking era. Most notable Norwegian female vikings are Rusila that fought against her brother Thrond for the thrones of both Denmark and Norway, - although it might be fictional and based on Ingean Ruadh (Red Maid) of Irish folklore. Stikla, the sister of Rusila, became a pirate to avoid marriage. Princess Sela, sister of king Koller of Jutland gave up the throne to become a pirate. Alvid, was the leader of a group of male and female pirates. The sea captains Wigbiorg died in battle, Hetha became queen of Zealand (Dane Sjælland) and Wisna that lost a hand in a duel. Elise Eskilsdotter was a noble who became a pirate to avenge the execution of her husband and operated outside the sea of the city of Bergen. Most notable piratess of in the golden age of piracy are Maria Lindsey, Maria Cobham, Ingela Gathenhielm, Anne Bonny, Mary Read, Mary Harvey, Mary Crickett, Flora Burn, Rachel Wall and Charlotte de Berry.

“Some women chose to marry pirates. These men were often very wealthy, but their wives tended not to gain wealth as a result of their marriages, as it was difficult for pirates to send home wages and booty earned overseas. These women's houses and establishments were often used as safe havens for pirates, who were considered enemies of all nations. Many women (and men) of the time were unable to perform the physically demanding tasks required of the crew.” This fact, that piratesses mostly were housewives of some kind, leads back to the relation to Ludvig Holbergs comedies (UU 2016.jan.15). The stories are highly valued in Denmark, believing he was a Dane and that the comedies are about anyone else. The mentioned comedy ‘Niels Klim's Underground Travels’ described visiting a female regime and presents some moral philosophical aspect of that. However, the most known female character is Nille, which sets this focus on the piratess of the housewife caliber.

The Holberg comedies are based on his education in laws and ethics. A brief English presentation in Wikipedia says: “Jeppe på Bjerget (Jeppe of the Hill, or The Transformed Peasant) is a comedy by Ludvig Holberg from 1722. It has a special status in Danish theater. Playing Jeppe has a similar status to playing (Shakespeare’s) Hamlet in English theater. The best known part is Jeppe's monolog, "Everybody says that Jeppe drinks, but nobody asks why Jeppe drinks", where the protagonist rationalizes his alcohol abuse as a sensible reaction to his miserable life.” Such abuse and self-medication goes for any drug abuse as well. - escalated with the Triangle trade (UU 2016.jan.29). Just as relevant is a question could be “Everybody says Jeppe is a thrall, but no one asks what his real profession is”. The reason for staying in the misery might be found in today’s lyrics by Bob Marley, - presented by the Shakespeare Sisters in this UU.

Holberg pinpoints some important psychosocial issues. Jeppe is a peasant in the fictive province Bjerget at Zealand (Sjælland). He is the town’s lowest ranking thrall that is humiliated and violated by his manager and his wife. He seeks comfort with self-medication by the local ‘snaps-pusher’, - which is just another round in the downwards spiral. Public plays rarely mention Nille’s unfaithfulness although it is a main point in the plot. One day, the baron and his servants decide to do a social experiment by manipulating Jeppe to believe he is the baron himself. Soon he alters to being despotic. He confiscates the baron’s servants’ gifts and payments, sentence the manager and children to death and initiates adultery with his wife. However, when back to his normal state, he soon enters the wicked circle of humiliation, self-medication and punishments. Still, this time, the baron realizes the causes to the consequences. His own lesson learned is that such sudden change will cause tyranny.

What to do, then? Considering some background, - Holberg came from Bergen which lost the capital status to Christiania (Oslo). Quite recently, he experienced the sudden and unexplained death of the naval hero Tordenskjold, who came from the first capital (Trondhjem). He might have made up his own mind about the present Dane regime that goes far beyond the comedy about Jeppe and Nille. Based on the comedy, one might think that the challenge was to change the cultural evolution from Homo erectus to Homo danus, - the submissive man, - like some Jeppe or Kold.

Anyways, in this UU, the focus is rather on Nille than Jeppe. No doubt, she was in serious frustration and stress about their unfair domestic situation. Soon the thrall’s wife had to do the ‘the oldest profession’ and thereby became a ‘frille’ (sex-slave), in order to save the economy and household. However, there are two different reactions to such frustration, - violent extraversion or submissive introversion. Normally there are opposite gender reaction than in the play, but Holberg’s view on Dane women’s liberation is made comic. Moreover, the whip ‘master Erik’ is symbolic, since the male violence is rather physical and women’s violence is rather mental. On the other hand, lack of love, might be as cruel as violence. Abuse of monogamy sex monopoly can cause unbearable frustrations, adultery, divorce and even rape. This is also a fundament of brothels and the breeding farms set up in Africa, America and even Asia.

Holmberg’s comedy is a social criticism of the three social classes at the time, the thralldom, the middle-management and the superiors. Quite understandable, public presentation of a full-scale version of the comedy would not last for long. Consequently, it is made unclear what this well-educated Holberg really wanted the epilogue to tell. Yet, he discretely implies that they all are the same by putting Jeppe in all three roles. The final moral-philosophical statement from the ‘baron’ does not seem to be Dane or Dutch at all, - but rather of some new and higher authority, - like the newly declared Russian empire. The Russian orthodox patriarchal regime is fundamental in the Throne/Temple-alliance and oppose activities like the colonial Dane. The Dane thrall and piracy system in Africa and America would certainly soon suffer from CCD (Colony collapse disorder) if not handed over to the Dutch. They proved more effective in colonial management.

Holberg wrote the comedy just after the execution of Peter Wessel’s and when Peter the Great declared Russia an empire. Dane management were from now on focused on the Baltic Sea and not the Atlantic. The Russian capital was moved from Moscow to St. Petersburg and the Winter Palaces became the tsar’s and tsarina’s resident. Such global re-arrangements caused opportunities and losses for several people and powers. Just as soon as that re-evolution started, - the planning for contra-revolution probably started too. With internet hindsight, it becomes clearer that new strategies were formed, - based on Moscow’s cultural heritage initiated by the ‘Pirates of the fourth Crusade’ (UU 2014.april.25). A thought might have appeared - that the most effective mean for a contra-revolution would be to put a Dane royal piratess as tsarina in the Winter Palace.

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The Captain Passion drink relates to the piratesses’ of the Virgin Islands. This recipe is also simple, - mix white rum, passion juice and ice-cubes, - 1 to 4 for grape-wine ABV and 1 to 10 for beer ABV. (See links for more advanced Captains Passion drinks.)

Some more facts about the passion fruit might be inspiring. “Passiflora edulis is a vine species of passion flower that is native to Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina. The passion fruit is a pepo, a type of berry, round to oval, either yellow or dark purple at maturity, with a soft to firm, juicy interior filled with numerous seeds. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its sweet, seedy fruit and is widely grown in several countries of South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, Southern Asia, Vietnam, Israel, Australia, South Korea, Hawaii and the mainland United States. The passion fruit is so called because it is one of the many species of passion flower. Several distinct varieties of passion fruit with clearly differing exterior appearances exist.”

“In Australia and New Zealand, where it is called passionfruit, it is available commercially both fresh and tinned. It is added to fruit salads, and fresh fruit pulp or passion fruit sauce is commonly used in desserts, including as a topping for cakes and ice cream. It can be used in some alcoholic cocktails. It is even more widely used in for food and drinks in the South American Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico and consequently Portugal.”

“The fresh passion fruit is highly nutritious and contains vitamin C (36%), dietary fiber (42%), B vitamins riboflavin (11%) and niacin (10%), iron (12%) and phosphorus (10%) in significant percentages of the Daily Value (right table). However, it is also very sensitive to several types of viruses, bacteria, - and fungus and thereby extra fragile, - like piratesses.”

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Bob Marley and the Wailers were a Jamaican reggae band and, earlier, a ska vocalist group created by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. "Could You Be Loved" was released in 1980 on their last album Uprising and is included on Bob Marley & The Wailers greatest hits album Legend. In the middle of the song, background singers quote a verse from Bob Marley's first single "Judge Not": "The road of life is rocky; And you may stumble too. So while you point a finger, someone else is judging you".

Shakespears Sister is a pop-rock act, formed by Irish-born singer–songwriter Siobhan Fahey in 1988, and based in the United Kingdom. Initially, Shakespears Sister was Fahey by herself but, from 1989, the act became a duo with the addition of the American musician, Marcella Detroit. Together they released two Top 10 albums and a string of Top 40 hits.

Shakespears Sister was conceived as a solo project by Siobhan Fahey, who left the successful girl-group Bananarama in 1988 due to disillusionment with the group's musical direction. The name was adapted from the title of the song "Shakespeare's Sister" by The Smiths, which was in turn a reference to Virginia Woolf's work A Room of One's Own.

"Could You Be Loved" - Shakespears Sister / Bob Marley (+ lyrics) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyeuuTsPZHc
http://www.metrolyrics.com/could-you-be-loved-lyrics-bob-marley.html
Shakespears Sister interview and playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__8ay-rsqH8&list=RD__8ay-rsqH8
Links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_piracy  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_piracy#Viking_Age_and_Medieval_pirates  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_colonial_empire
Receipts for advanced Captain Passion drinks
http://www.yummly.com/recipes/passion-fruit-rum
http://allrecipes.com/search/results/?wt=rum%20passion%20fruit&sort=re 

Extra UU1 – documentary The Most Famous Female PIRATES of All Time

“Piracy way, like many other parts dominated by men. But throughout history, several female pirates showed their male counterparts how it's really done and became greater legends than most of them. Check out the biographies about the pirate women Anne Bonny, Mary Read and Ching Shih in our new episode on IT'S HISTORY.”
The Most Famous Female PIRATES of All Time!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he_OyjMiISc


Extra UU2 – Playlist you're a powerful enchantress ✤【villain playlist】

This is a very incomplete list I think. Recently, I've been playing with a lot of rogue/bandit/thief/gunner characters and I kept searching for good rogue songs, but it's awfully difficult to find any good ones. Anyway, so far these are my favorite female fighter/bandit/rogue etc songs. Lots of girl power songs, I guess, but then, they fit these characters quite well.

The Rogue Lady Song Collection (thieves, bandits, pirates, assassins, highwaywomen included) https://youtu.be/NiW30I24_gw 


Extra UU3 – Ludvig Holberg’s comedy: Jeppe på Bjerget

Jeppe på Bjerget (English: Jeppe on the mountain / The transferred peasant’) is a comedy by Ludvig Holberg from 1722. It has a special status in Danish theater. Playing Jeppe has a similar status to playing Hamlet in English theater. The best known part is Jeppe's great monolog, "Everybody says that Jeppe drinks, but nobody asks why Jeppe drinks" (or dope), where the protagonist rationalizes his alcohol abuse as a sensible reaction to his miserable life.” Such abuse and self-medication goes for any drug abuse as well. - escalated with the Triangle trade.
Trailer - Jeppe på Bjerget (1981)
https://youtu.be/1QxXYpx1DT8
Lo Specchio spiller Jeppe på Bjerget del 1 & 2, full theatre
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba0QVXzxjAE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsiVUnKL4c8