There’s so much mythology surrounding pirates thanks to modern entertainment.

Yet these swash-buckling, rum-drinking criminals of the sea are far more than what films made them out to be (yes, they still exist, but in a different form).

Pirates had traditions, superstitions, and even a code of law that varied from captain to ship. Make no mistake about it, pirates did indeed steal and kill to survive.

Read on to learn more thing you probably didn’t know about these sea bandits.