Pirate Torture

In the ancient world and the Middle Ages, ships were regarded as the apex of military power. They held a revered status, and over time, those who dominated the seas emerged as the most formidable nations. However, during the Age of Discovery, when vessels were charting new territories and traversing vast oceans, sailors faced significant hardships. This period was also marked by instances of mutiny. When a disgruntled crew revolted against their captain, chaos could ensue, leaving no place to escape. Consequently, particularly harsh punishments were imposed on unruly sailors.

This brings us to the practice of keelhauling. Many viewers may be familiar with cinematic portrayals of shipboard mutinies or sailors who defy orders. Given the circumstances of being at sea, the consequences for such disobedience had to be severe, as leniency was not an option. Conversely, a captain who was excessively harsh risked inciting a conspiracy against him, leading to what is known as mutiny. One of the most famous examples of this is "The Mutiny on the Bounty." A captain needed to strike a balance between being strict and fair to maintain the respect of his crew.

Typically, the punishments meted out were not as extreme as keelhauling, which was considered one of the most brutal forms of discipline. More often, a sailor found guilty of misconduct would receive a few strokes of the cane or, in worse cases, the whip. Alternatively, he might be bound to the mast to reflect on his actions. However, if a sailor had participated in a failed mutiny, or if pirates sought to impose a severe penalty on someone, the consequences could be dire.

What was the most severe punishment they could face?

They could potentially be hanged, but this method was particularly torturous, as instead of being dropped, the individual would be hoisted upward while their head remained in the noose. This process involved being raised along a structure known as the yardarm, which is part of the timber framework on the mast from which the sails are deployed. An instance of hanging by the yardarm occurred in 1860, involving Royal Marine John Dalliger aboard the HMS Leven.

Additionally, there were instances where individuals were thrown overboard; however, in one notorious case, the victims had not committed any offense. The wrongdoing was perpetrated against them. This event is now referred to as the Zong massacre, during which 130 enslaved individuals were cast into the sea from a British ship.

Furthermore, there is a punishment that many may recognize from literature or films about pirates, which involves a man being forced to walk the plank into the ocean. Although this form of punishment is the most iconic associated with the pirate era, it is largely a product of fiction.

There have been a few documented cases, such as an 18th-century mutineer admitting to having forced his officers to walk the plank while blindfolded; however, the specifics of this account are vague, leading many to doubt its authenticity. Other reports from newspapers of that era suggest some plausible occurrences, yet walking the plank was undoubtedly an infrequent event.

Now, let us turn our attention to keelhauling, a punishment that was indeed practiced and could be considered even more severe than the aforementioned methods. The keel of a ship serves as its structural foundation, located at the bottom. When an individual is pulled beneath this keel, the act is referred to as keelhauling. This individual could be dragged with ropes from one side of the ship to the other, or, even more severely, along the entire length of the vessel from the bow to the stern. As one can imagine, this experience would be extremely distressing, to say the least.

You might think that if the process were brief, one could hold their breath and reach the other side, subsequently drying off, offering apologies, and returning to their duties. However, this was not typically the case, as being slammed against the ship's hull was a painful ordeal.

There was a significant likelihood that bones could be fractured or that a head injury might result in death. This method of punishment was notably severe, as the surfaces of ships are typically not smooth, particularly the hull, which is the portion that remains above water. The hulls of wooden ships were often encrusted with barnacles, which are extremely sharp crustaceans that adhere to surfaces.

Many of you may have experienced slipping on a rock and being cut by these razor-like creatures. Now, envision your body being dragged against them with force. A person subjected to keelhauling would suffer extensive lacerations and could emerge resembling a victim of Freddy Krueger. This punishment was considered a fate worse than marooning, where pirates would abandon individuals to perish on a deserted island.

Some pirates humorously referred to this as making someone the "governor of an island." Regarding keelhauling, it was common to place weights on the individual to give those pulling him greater control over his movements.

There were both advantages and disadvantages to this situation. He might have successfully avoided the sharp barnacles by diving deep enough, but there was also the risk of drowning. This form of punishment was uncommon, to say the least, yet it has been illustrated in artworks dating back to ancient times and the Middle Ages.

One particular sketch from 15th or 16th century England was referenced in 1880 during a discussion in the British Parliament, where a politician inquired with the Secretary of the Admiralty about a reported instance of keelhauling mentioned in Italian newspapers. This incident allegedly occurred on the HMS Alexandra, although the Navy refuted its occurrence.

Additionally, there exists a notable painting titled “The Keel-Hauling of the Ship's Surgeon of Admiral Jan van Nes.” This event took place on a stationary ship in front of numerous witnesses, and it appears that the punishment was not intended to be fatal but rather to serve as a deterrent for others contemplating disobedience.

The phrase "towing the line," which is derived from naval terminology, is relevant here. Historians have noted that keelhauling was indeed practiced in the Dutch Navy, describing the process in which a man was lowered into the water using pulleys and ropes, with weights attached to him

. He would then be pulled back up on the opposite side of the ship. It is also suggested that he might have been allowed a brief moment to catch his breath before the process was repeated. This punishment was reportedly more severe during winter months when the water was icy cold, increasing the risk of serious injury from hitting his head. However, it was not meant to be a death sentence. In this particular instance of keelhauling, it was carried out under the command of a 17th-century Dutch admiral named Jan Jansse van Nes.

We are unable to locate any information that explains what the culpable surgeon did to warrant such a cruel punishment.

Keelhauling is detailed in a book titled "A Relation of Two Several Voyages Made into the East-Indies," published in 1700. Once again, it was the Dutch who practiced this method. An excerpt from the book states: "He who strikes an Officer or Master of the Ship has no hope of pardon and is thrown into the sea, fastened by a rope, which is used to toss him in on one side of the ship and pull him up on the other. Thus, he is drawn three times around the keel of the ship, during which, if they do not provide enough rope to allow him to sink below the keel, the offender might have his skull crushed."

It appears that the deeper the individual sank, the better his chances of avoiding injury from barnacles. Additional accounts of keelhauling can be found in the journal of a Dutch Admiral named Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp, who, in 1639, recounted a similar incident.

In the 18th century, an English writer noted that while the English did not engage in this practice, the French did. One particular case described a French sailor who was subjected to keelhauling five times. This account was published in November 1869 in a magazine called Onward. The observer who documented this event remarked that the sailor sustained "injuries of the most serious nature, or death itself, certain to be the result."