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Medieval Pirates
Karl Helweg:
Baldassarre Cossa aka (Anti)pope John XXIII
Baldassarre Cossa (c. 1370 – 22 December 1419) was Pisan antipope John XXIII (1410–1415) during the Western Schism. The Catholic Church regards him as an antipope, as he opposed Pope Gregory XII whom the Catholic Church now recognizes as the rightful successor of Saint Peter.
Baldassarre Cossa was born on the island of Procida in the Kingdom of Naples to the family of Giovanni Cossa, lord of Procida. Initially he followed a military career, taking part in the Angevin-Neapolitan war. His two brothers were sentenced to death for piracy by Ladislaus of Naples.
He studied law at the University of Bologna and obtained doctorates in both civil and canon law. Probably at the prompting of his family, in 1392 he entered the service of Pope Boniface IX, first working in Bologna and then in Rome. (The Western Schism had begun in 1378, and there were two competing popes at the time, one in Avignon supported by France and Spain, and one in Rome, supported by most of Italy, Germany and England.) In 1386 he is listed as canon of the cathedral of Bologna. In 1396, he became archdeacon in Bologna. He became Cardinal deacon of Saint Eustachius in 1402 and Papal legate in Romagna in 1403. Johann Peter Kirsch describes Cossa as "utterly worldly-minded, ambitious, crafty, unscrupulous, and immoral, a good soldier but no churchman". At this time Cossa also had some links with local robber bands, which were often used to intimidate his rivals and to make highwayman attacks on carriages. These connections added to his influence and power in the region.
In May 1408 Baldassare was one of the seven cardinals who deserted Pope Gregory XII, and convened the Council of Pisa. Cossa became the leader of a group whose objective was to finally end the schism. The result was silly beyond belief as they deposed Pope Gregory XII and Anti-Pope Benedict XIII and elected a third Pope Alexander V in 1409. As the two existing popes – Gregory and Benedict – clearly enjoying their current positions of power – simply ignored this decision – there were now not just two Popes – but three!
During his absence John was deposed by the council, and upon his return he was tried for heresy, simony, schism and immorality, and found guilty on all counts. Gibbon wrote, "The more scandalous charges were suppressed; the vicar of Christ was accused only of piracy, rape, sodomy, murder and incest."
This piratical schism contributed to the Hussite Rebellion among other historical events.
https://www.beyondtheyalladog.com/2011/07/baldassare-cossa-the-pirate-pope/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antipope_John_XXIII
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsCyWIUKyAo&app=desktop
His personal coat of arms and possible pirate flag? This motto implies membership in the Odre du Croissant which was roughly the Italian equivalent of the English Order of the Garter. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordre_du_Croissant
* Curiously the original coat-of-arms that I posted with his motto and nifty chaninmail collar-of-estate has disappeared(?)* Here is the best that I can find now:
Karl Helweg:
Petar Kružić (Unknown - 1537)
He was a native of Krug in Nebljuh, a district of the same-titled tribe in the župa of Lapac in Lika. However, later chroniclers, and historians, mostly for local patriotic reasons, tried to appropriate and present him as one of their countrymen because he enjoyed incredible popularity as an anti-Ottoman fighter, especially in the areas from which Klis defenders came
A body of these "Uskoks" led by Croatian Captain Petar Kružić used the base at Klis both to hold the Turks at bay, and to engage in marauding and piracy against coastal shipping. Although nominally accepting the sovereignty of the Habsburg Emperor Ferdinand I, who obtained the Croatian crown in 1527, Kružić and his freebooting Uskoks were a law unto themselves.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petar_Kru%C5%BEi%C4%87
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uskoks
Karl Helweg:
Thorfinn Sigurdsson aka Thorfinn the Mighty, Earl of Orkney (c 1009 - 1065)
One viking era pirate was the grandson of Malcolm, King of Scots. Earl Thorfinn began his raids at the age of fifteen, and became noted for his courage and tactical abilities. Tall, strong, and ugly, he craved fame. He often raided with his nephew, Rognvald.
Perhaps the most noted of the Orkney raiders was Svein Asleifarson. After his five ships raided the Hebrides, he headed for Dublin. Along the way he captured two merchant ships laden with broadcloth. Upon his return to Orkney, Svein made awnings from the broadcloth and stitched it to his sails to give the appearance that they were made of fine fabric. Doing so earned the raid the name "the broadcloth viking trip.'"
On his last raid, he left Orkney with seven longships. Finding little plunder in the Hebrides, Svein and his men plundered settlements along the coast of Ireland until they reached Dublin. They took the town before the people even knew the pirates were there. The Dubliners offered to pay Svein whatever he wanted, but only the next day. During the night, they dug deep pits in strategic places, then camouflaged them with branches and straw. In the morning, when Svein and his men came to collect, the Dubliners positioned themselves so that the Norse fell into the pits where they were slain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorfinn_the_Mighty
http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/historicalfigures/thorfinn/index.html
Karl Helweg:
Sir Andrew Barton (c. 1466 – 2 August 1511)
Andrew Barton was a Scottish sailor from Leith, who served as High Admiral of the Kingdom of Scotland.
Some of Andrew Barton’s trading voyages to Flanders ports in the 1490s are recorded in the Ledger of Andrew Halyburton. He was the oldest of three brothers, a younger brother Robert Barton of Over Barnton became Lord High Treasurer of Scotland.
Andrew became notorious in England and Portugal as a ‘pirate’, though as a seaman who operated under the aegis of a letter of marque on behalf of the Scottish crown, he may be described as a privateer. The letter of marque against Portuguese shipping was originally granted to his father John Barton by James III of Scotland before 1485. John’s ships had been attacked by Portuguese vessels when he was trading at Sluis in Flanders.
James IV revived the letters in July 1507. When Andrew Barton, sailing in the Lion tried to take reprisals against Portuguese ships in 1508, he was detained by Dutch authorities at Veere. James IV had to write to Maximilian, the Holy Roman Emperor, and others to get him released in 1509. Andrew then took a Portuguese ship which carried an English cargo, leading to more difficulties, and James IV had to suspend the letter of marque for a year.Andrew captured a ship of Antwerp in 1509, the Fasterinsevin (the Shrove Tuesday), which did not come within his letter of marque. James IV ordered him to recompense the captain Peter Lempson and his officers for her cargo of woad and canvas.
The Bartons were in demand to support John, King of Denmark, and were allowed by him to harass the shipping of Lübeck. In return for this service, John of Denmark sent James IV timber for the masts of his ships from Flensburg. Andrew joined John’s service briefly in the spring of 1511, but sailed away without permission, also taking a ship that James IV had given to John.
Later in 1511, Andrew Barton was cruising the English coast looking for Portuguese prizes when he and his ships the Lion and Jenny Pirwyn were captured after a fierce battle with Sir Edward Howard and his brother Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, off Kent at the Downs. According to the story told in ballads, Andrew was subsequently beheaded. If true, such action would perhaps have been illegal because Barton possessed a letter of marque. Contemporary English and Scottish chronicle accounts agree that Andrew died of wounds received in the fight.
‘I am hurt but I am not slain.
I’ll lay me down and bleed awhile,
Then I’ll rise and fight again.’
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Barton_(privateer)
http://sommervillehistory.blogspot.com/2016/04/scottish-pirates.html
The ballad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHW6CZHTbDU
Karl Helweg:
Roberto Baal
Roberto Baal was a French pirate who raided the Spanish colonial city of Cartagena, Columbia in 1551(source) receiving a possible 200.00 pesos in ransom for the governor.
http://pirates.hegewisch.net/cartagena.html
https://personajeshistoricosblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/13/roberto-baal/
https://books.google.com/books?id=KHpUBiGNFWgC&pg=PA22&lpg=PA22&dq=Roberto+Baal&source=bl&ots=eee5rSPuEN&sig=ACfU3U0GQOLWgWQXwAEIZTZ1fKaD6nKUHw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiu8buHqKnxAhXKsJ4KHRa0BekQ6AEwD3oECAcQAw#v=onepage&q=Roberto%20Baal&f=false
http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~louislarocque/genealogy/RobevalPirateE.pdf
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