- "Enough! Enough! You're a pair of superstitious goats, and it's got the best of you."
- ―Bellamy to Bursar and Quartermaster
Superstition was a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any physical process linking the two events that contradicts natural science. Opposition to superstition was a central concern of the intellectuals during the 18th century, where the philosophies at that time ridiculed any belief in miracles, revelation, magic, or the supernatural, as "superstition," and typically included as well much of Christian doctrine.
It is also commonly applied to beliefs and practices surrounding luck, prophecy and spiritual beings, particularly the belief that future events can be foretold by specific unrelated prior events.
History[]
When the infamous rogue pirate Christophe-Julien de Rapièr ordered his superstitious crew to attack the mystical island of Kerma, they refused. When he, in a fit of rage, shot his first mate, they deposed him as captain and left him in the middle of the ocean in a small boat.[1]
Notable beliefs[]
1. Whenever you step aboard a ship, be sure it's on the starboard side, no matter the inconvenience. Once onboard, spin around to leeward, as to make certain you're not bringing any trace of bad wind aboard.
2. Never whistle onboard. It's surefire way of attracting unwanted wind and spirits.
3. If a ship's bell should ring without human aid, 'tis an omen of death.
4. An overturned bowl anticipates an overturned boat.
5. A school of porpoises swimming around a ship brings good luck.
6. Golden earrings bring better eyesight.
7. A piece of silver under the masthead and a piece of gold under the keel will ensure a safe voyage.
8. Finding and tossing a coin into the winds before sailing brings favorable weather. "Finding" someone else's coin may bring unfavorable fisticuffs.
9. It's unlucky to change the name of the ship after its first berthing.
10. Most every pirate knows a woman onboard a ship brings nothing but bad luck. Even a miniature one[2]
Behind the scenes[]
- "The crew won’t stand for a woman, Jack."
"She will lead me to the Trident."
"But a woman on board brings nothing but bad luck. And rabies."
"Frivolous superstition, Mr. Scrum. As you can see, luck is steadfast on my side." - ―Scrum and Jack Sparrow
- In Jeff Nathanson's 2013 early draft of the Dead Men Tell No Tales script when Jack Sparrow's crew sailed the Dying Gull in search for the Trident of Poseidon, Scrum warned Jack that the crew didn't want Carina Smyth onbard, believing that a woman on board a ship brings bad luck, with Jack dismissing that as frivolous superstition.[3]
Appearances[]
- Climb Aboard if you Dare!: Stories from the Pirates of the Caribbean
- The Price of Freedom
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
- The Brightest Star in the North: The Adventures of Carina Smyth
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales