Contrary to Hollywood, these pirates didn’t have horns on their helmets (a 19th-century opera invention). However, they did have a ruthless democratic structure similar to Caribbean buccaneers.
East and West Frisia (modern-day northern Netherlands and northwestern Germany) were fragmented politically. Local chieftains frequently offered safe harbor, provisions, and markets for stolen goods to pirates in exchange for a cut of the loot. pirates of the north sea
The Forgotten Reivers: Exploring the Real Pirates of the North Sea Contrary to Hollywood, these pirates didn’t have horns
Originally operating as the Victual Brothers, these sailors were hired by the King of Sweden to smuggle food into besieged Stockholm. When the war ended, the mercenary sailors refused to lay down their weapons. Instead, they turned to full-time piracy, rebranding themselves as the Likedeelers. Their philosophy was radical for the time: they divided all captured booty completely equally among the crew. they turned to full-time piracy