Fifteen (15)
The combination of the words “five” and “ten,” according to the dictionaries I checked. Nothing more interesting than that.
One of my favorite numbers, for another thing. Why? I don’t know. I have favorite numbers and 15 is one that is most comfortable. It looks good; it’s not too small, it’s not too large.
But it also reminds me of "Fifteen men on a dead man's chest." That’s a lot of people sitting on some expired pirate, yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum to the contrary notwithstanding.
“elizabethan-era.org.uk” showed how it’s not quite that bad – but don't write home about if you are the fifteen men.
“Dead Man’s Chest,” it says, “is a tiny island that forms part of the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. Pirate legends claim that the notorious pirate, Edward Teach (Blackbeard), marooned 15 of his crew on 'Dead Man's Chest' as a punishment for their mutiny and desertion. The Pirate Code stated: He that shall desert the ship or his quarters in time of battle shall be punished by death or marooning. The Pirate Code of Blackbeard stated that each pirate who was marooned should be given a cutlass and a bottle of rum.”
And a yo-ho-ho to you. Sorry you missed the boat.
One of my favorite numbers, for another thing. Why? I don’t know. I have favorite numbers and 15 is one that is most comfortable. It looks good; it’s not too small, it’s not too large.
But it also reminds me of "Fifteen men on a dead man's chest." That’s a lot of people sitting on some expired pirate, yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum to the contrary notwithstanding.
“elizabethan-era.org.uk” showed how it’s not quite that bad – but don't write home about if you are the fifteen men.
“Dead Man’s Chest,” it says, “is a tiny island that forms part of the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. Pirate legends claim that the notorious pirate, Edward Teach (Blackbeard), marooned 15 of his crew on 'Dead Man's Chest' as a punishment for their mutiny and desertion. The Pirate Code stated: He that shall desert the ship or his quarters in time of battle shall be punished by death or marooning. The Pirate Code of Blackbeard stated that each pirate who was marooned should be given a cutlass and a bottle of rum.”
And a yo-ho-ho to you. Sorry you missed the boat.
posted by Tom Carten at 10:59 AM
3 Comments:
I never knew this story. Now it all makes sense ! Thanks!
I've cruised around the BVI a little bit. Next time I'm down there I think I'll try to find out exactly which island the song refers to.
I have a book on the subject of Edw. Teach, who operated around the Carolinas. In fact I bought the book in Ducks, OBX. Anyway, my ancestor, Jeremiah Vail was a ship's captain, he was from Orient Long Island and in the book, ''Blackbeard the Pirate'' it is mentioned that Blackbeard and Jeremiah Vail were opn speaking terms.
Cold Josh Vail (CJV)
1(one) is the loneliest number according to 3 Dog Night.
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