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Ahoy, mateys! It’s Talk Like a Pirate Day! If you choose to skip this swashbuckling festivity, you might find yourself being told to "Walk the plank!" by some pirate-clad enthusiasts.
This form of punishment has been the subject of tales for hundreds of years. Treasure Island, the iconic adventure by Robert Louis Stevenson, brings up plank-walking multiple times. Hollywood also played a part in spreading the legend, as seen in the catchy tune from Disney’s Peter Pan:
All the media exposure led many to assume that walking the plank was a common practice on real pirate ships. However, historical records suggest the truth is more uncertain and less clear-cut.
One of the earliest non-fiction English books to explore the world of pirates and their ways was A General History of the Pyrates. First published in 1724 under the pseudonym “Captain Charles Johnson,” it suggests that, in ancient Roman times, Mediterranean pirates would humorously offer prisoners their freedom by holding ladders over the open sea and encouraging them to swim home.
However, the majority of recorded instances of plank-walking are vague at best. Before his execution in 1769, seaman George Wood admitted to forcing at least one prisoner to walk the plank. But, it’s worth noting that Wood was no pirate—he was merely a common mutineer.
Fifty-three years after Wood's confession, an eyewitness recounted an incident involving British ship captain William Smith, who was captured by some true pirates. The survivor recounts that “a plank was extended on the starboard side of [their] schooner, upon which [they] made Captain Smith walk, and… as he neared the end, they tilted the plank, causing him to fall into the sea.”
Most historians agree that while plank-walking did happen, it was quite rare. For example, many captives would have been kept alive as hostages, similar to how the case was with a young Julius Caesar in 75 BCE. Moreover, when pirates actually intended to execute someone, there were far more effective methods available, such as marooning, which almost always led to death.
If pirates wanted to be even more cruel, “keelhauling” was a much harsher alternative. This gruesome punishment involved stripping the victim, tying him to a rope, throwing him overboard, and dragging him beneath the ship as sharp barnacles tore into his flesh. Yikes!
