Pirate utopia
Secret islands imagined as early anarchist pirate enclaves.
Pirate utopia is a term coined by anarchist writer Peter Lamborn Wilson in his 1995 book Pirate Utopias: Moorish Corsairs & European Renegadoes. Wilson used it to describe secret islands once used for supply purposes by pirates, which he speculated were early forms of autonomous proto-anarchist societies. His concept is largely based on speculation, with Wilson admitting to adding a bit of fantasy to the idea.
Quick Facts
- Term coined by
- Peter Lamborn Wilson
- Year of coinage
- 1995
- Book
- Pirate Utopias: Moorish Corsairs & European Renegadoes
Facts from the source article.
Connection to Islam
Wilson notes that many Europeans converted to Islam, becoming the "Renegados" and joining a pirate holy war. He questions if opposition to Islam or its "positive shadow" attracted these pirates, suggesting their voluntary betrayal of Christendom was not just apostasy but an act of social resistance.
Libertatia
Libertatia, also known as Libertalia, was a possibly fictional anarchist colony founded in the late 17th century in Madagascar by pirates under Captain James Misson. Its existence is disputed; Captain Charles Johnson describes it in A General History of the Pyrates, a book mixing fact and fiction. According to Johnson, Libertatia lasted about 25 years, with its precise location unknown but stretching from the Bay of Antongil to Mananjary.
In literature and popular culture
William S. Burroughs's novel Cities of the Red Night revolves around radical pirates seeking freedom under Captain James Misson's articles. In Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End, characters gather at "Shipwreck Cove," a city built from wrecked ships. The TV series Black Sails is based on historical pirates of Nassau and characters from Treasure Island. Libertalia is a central setting in Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, founded there by Henry Avery, Tew, Anne Bonny, and Edward England. Fallout 4 features an area called "Libertalia" as a series of off-shore platforms home to raiders. Warren Ellis writes about Libertalia in Bruce Sterling's book Pirate Utopia, negatively appraising its existence.
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