The Brethren Court is a fictional organization from the Pirates of the Caribbean film series.
Description[]
The Brethren Court was a pseudo-governmental syndicate of pirates from across the world. The Court oversaw international organized pirate efforts, while also enforcing the Pirate's Code as set down by Morgan & Bartholomew (though many chose to see the code as being more what you'd call, guidelines, than actual rules). The court consisted of nine pirate lords, each of whom represented a different sea and whom had their authority determined by holding one of the nine pieces of eight, objects handed down since the first court which were used to imprison the goddess Calypso until they were destroyed releasing her in the War on Piracy.
The Brethren Court's headquarters was the shipwreck-constructed city of Shripwreck in the inland volcanic water-body of Shipwreck Cove, on the South American island of Shipwreck (the pirates admitted to being bad at naming things). The Court was ruled by a democratically elected Pirate King, however no king was determined between the first and fourth courts due to every pirate only voting for themselves, until Captain Jack Sparrow voted for Elizabeth Swann making her Pirate King with a winning two votes.
Members[]
- Ammand the Corsair: The Pirate Lord of the Black Sea and captain of the Seref.
- Capitaine Chevalle: Capitaine Chevalle, "The Penniless Frenchman" was Pirate Lord of the Mediterranean and captain of The Fancy.
- Captain Edward Teague: Not one of the main nine Pirate Lords, Teague was Pirate Lord of Madagascar, Keeper of the Code, and father of Captain Jack Sparrow. The keys to his codex were kept by his loyal pet dog.
- Captain Elizabeth Swann: Captain Elizabeth Swann was Pirate King, Pirate Lord of the South China Sea, and captain of The Empress.
- Captain Hector Barbossa: Captain Hector Barbossa was Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea, former Captain of the Black Pearl, and captain of The Wicked Wench.
- Captain Jack Sparrow: The cunning Pirate Lord of the Caribbean, Captain of the Black Pearl, and bastard son of Captain Teague.
- Eduardo Villanueva: Eduardo Villanueva was Pirate Lord of the Adriatic and captain of the Centurion.
- Gentleman Jocard: The Gentleman Jocard was Pirate Lord of the Atlantic Ocean and captain of The Ranger.
- Mistress Ching: Mistress Ching was the blind Pirate Lord of the Pacific Ocean, and owner of many pirate ships.
- Sri Sumbhajee: Sumbhajee Angria, "The Terror of the Arabian Sea" was a Hindu priest who was Pirate Lord of the Indian Ocean.
Former members[]
- Bartholomew: One of the two pirate lords who set forth the code, may have been historic pirate Bartholomew Roberts.
- Sao Feng: Elizabeth Swann's predecessor.
- Sir Henry Morgan: A historic buccaneer, privateer and governor of Jamaica who set forth the Pirate's Code.
History[]
Background[]
Origins[]
The first court was assembled by Davy Jones who taught them how to bind the sea goddess Calypso using the Nine Pieces of Eight (or, more accurately, nine pieces of whatever the broke pirates happened to have on them at the time), so that they could rule the seas in her stead. The song, "Hoist the Colours" documented these events and could be sung by multitudes of pirates to assemble the Court as it would cause actual pieces of eight to ring across the world.
The Nine Pieces of Eight were passed on to some capacity for the following three lineups of the Brethren Court; though no king would ever be determined as every pirate only voted for themselves. At some point, the Pirate Lords Sir Henry Morgan and, "Bartholomew" created the Pirate's Code, which became enforced by Captain Edward Teague.
War for Piracy[]
In their plans to conquer the seas, the East India Trading Company began holding mass executions without fair trial of anyone associated with piracy. This prompted a group to start singing Hoist the Colours, assembling the court, unknowing this was the plan of EITC leader Lord Cutler Beckett who wished to wipe them out. The fourth Brethren Court was assembled in Shipwreck Cove where Captain Jack Sparrow voted Elizabeth as Pirate King as she wanted to go to war with the trading company which assisted Jack's schemes of leading the Brethren Court into an EITC Jack in return for his ship back and freedom issued by Lord Cutler Beckett.
Jack and Will Turner lead Beckett and the company to Shipwreck Cove, only for Elizabeth to negotiate Will switching to the court's side while Jack would be sold off to the enemies to serve his debt to Davy Jones; who was enslaved by the trading company. Before Jack was imprisoned, Barbossa took his piece of eight so that he could free the goddess Calypso, fulfilling his own debt to her for having resurrected him. Elizabeth lead the brethren's assault on the trading company's forces, during which time, Jack switched sides within the brig of the Flying Dutchman and began assisting the pirates.
Barbossa went about freeing Calypso only for her to be wrathful, and create a maelstrom which the ships fought in. During the meanwhile, Davy Jones broke free from the East India Trading Company and stabbed Will Turner in the heart, only for Jack to use Will's dead hand to hold a knife and stab Jones' own heart, causing Will to be resurrected as new captain of the Flying Dutchman while Jones died. With the joined forces of the Flying Dutchman and The Black Pearl, the pirates destroyed Lord Beckett's flag-ship The Endeavour, killing him and winning the war.
Development history[]
The Brethren Court is a fictionalized depiction of the Brethren of the Coast, a historic 17th century organization of buccaneers.
Appearances[]
Oceaneer Lab[]
Captain Mary Oceaneer has a crate, identifying her as excavating Shipwreck Cove.
Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island[]
In Dead Man's Grotto, a letter from Gibbs identifies an imprisoned undead pirate as having broken the code, hence his punishment.
Tortuga Tavern[]
The Jolly Rogers of Captain Jack Sparrow, Ammand the Corsair, Barbossa, Sri Sumbhajee, Eduardo Villanueva, and a blue variant of Sao Feng's Jolly Roger (possibly representing Elizabeth Swann).
Treasure Cove[]
Barbossa's Bounty[]
Inside of Barbossa's tavern, is a portrait showing a group-shot of the Nine Pirate Lords present at the battle against the East India Trading Company. There are also individual portraits for Sir Henry Morgan, Captain Jack Sparrow, Elizabeth Swann, Mistress Ching and Barbossa.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure[]
Within the Caverns of Misfortune are the skeletons of Edward Teague, Capitaine Chevalle, Ammand the Corsair, and Eduardo Villanueva.[1]
Trivia[]
- In Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean, Captain X has Captain Jack Sparrow' Piece of Eight hanging from his bandana.