Pirates of the Caribbean Wiki

READ MORE

Pirates of the Caribbean Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Pirates of the Caribbean Wiki
CottonAndParrot2
"He's a mute, sir. Poor devil had his tongue cut out."
You could always train a parrot to speak for this article, though adding at least one quote will suffice, using the {{Quote}} template. Once finished, this notice may be removed.
QAR Screenshots 65

Greek fire spat out of the Queen Anne's Revenge.

Greek fire was an incendiary weapon used by the Byzantine Empire. Used to set enemy ships on fire, it consisted of a combustible compound emitted by a flame-throwing weapon and could continue burning while floating on water. The Byzantines typically used fire in naval battles to great effect. The technological advantage it provided was responsible for many key Byzantine military victories, most notably the salvation of Constantinople from the first and second Arab sieges, thus securing the empire's survival. The composition of Greek fire remains a matter of speculation and debate.

The secret weapon located in the bow of Blackbeard's flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge was based on the Greek fire device of the ancient Byzantine Empire. Unleashed by a skeletal figurehead, a sulphurous spray spreads all the terrors of the inferno through enemy ranks.

History[]

Byzantine Empire[]

Incendiary and flaming weapons were used in warfare for centuries before Greek fire was invented and developed at a critical moment in the Byzantine Empire's history. The formula of the components that made up the Greek fire was a closely guarded secret, making it used in only the Byzantine ships. The impression made by Greek fire on the western European Crusaders was such that the name was applied to cannons and any other sort of incendiary weapons, including those used by Arabs, the Chinese, and the Mongols. However, these mixtures used formulas different from that of Byzantine Greek fire, which was a closely guarded state secret. Byzantines also used pressurized nozzles to project the liquid onto the enemy.

Blackbeard[]

Through mysterious circumstances, Blackbeard learned a variety of beliefs and techniques,[1] as a Brujos,[2] and then acquired the necessities needed for a secret weapon based on the Byzantine's Greek fire device and placed this fiery weapon on the bow of his flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge. Unleashed by the ship's skeletal figurehead, a sulphurous spray spreads all the terrors of the inferno through enemy ranks.[3][4] Blackbeard used his flagship to spit fire from its bow to incinerate enemy ships, or the occasional crew member fallen out of favor.[5][6] Because of his passion for the forbidden dark magic, Blackbeard also used Greek fire as part of a voodoo ritual used to resurrect those he had killed in order to create his zombie officers.[7]

Pirates4-disneyscreencaps

Greek fire unleashed upon the Cook.

The fiery power of the Queen Anne's Revenge was witnessed most notably during the quest for the Fountain of Youth. Having single-handedly quelled Jack Sparrow's attempted mutiny aboard the Revenge, Blackbeard sent the Cook out on a longboat, then unleashed Greek fire upon the scapegoat crew member used as an example for the other mutineers. On deck, the crew's faces were lit by flames rolling over the water toward the longboat, and the Cook was burned alive. As the shooting fire stopped and the Cook's longboat continued to burn, Angelica turned away from the deck and Blackbeard used the Cook's apparent death in the context of proving to the missionary Philip Swift that faith and prayer were useless and helpless in the face of true evil.[2] As Philip found his resolve, saying there was still hope, Blackbeard ordered for another shot of Greek fire to be unleashed upon the Cook. At the rail, the firelight was reflected on Jack's face before Sparrow was taken to Blackbeard's cabin.[6] Unbeknownst to Jack and the human crew of mutineers, the fire was part of a voodoo ritual that had transformed the Cook into a zombie, just like the other officers on the ship, a fate worse than death.[7]

Mermaidsrun1

Mermaids flee from a wave of Greek fire.

Later, during the battle at Whitecap Bay, Greek fire was used during Blackbeard's mermaid hunt. As mermaids were attacking his crew members in the water, Blackbeard used the Sword of Triton to control the Queen Anne's Revenge to unleash a wave of Greek fire against the mermaids in an attempt to drive them to shore. Mermaids fled from the fiery blasts from the Revenge and swam toward the trap set by his crew members, who all held fishing nets.[6]

It is unknown if the weapon was still used after Hector Barbossa defeated Blackbeard and became the new captain of the Queen Anne's Revenge.

Behind the scenes[]

Appearances[]

Wiki
The Pirates of the Caribbean Wiki has a collection of images and media related to Greek fire.

Sources[]

External links[]

Notes and references[]

Advertisement