Or Knights & Privateers Evening

PIRATES ET CORSAIRES

Le corsaire (de l'anglo-saxon " privateers ") lui, agit sur lettre de marque délivrée au nom du roi (bien souvent, ce dernier n'était pas averti). Ce papier est un document par lequel un pays le reconnaît comme force militaire auxiliaire. Les corsaires agissent au service de leur pays. S'il est capturé, il exhibe ses lettres de marques, ce qui lui évite la corde. Mais quelques corsaires peu scrupuleux profitaient de ce papier officiel pour piller et tuer les marchands comme les pirates
http://www.pirates-corsaires.com/definitions.htm


Prior to the development of international law among European nations, there was no legal recourse for minor grievances. Privateering was a form of covert operation used to resolve these matters without open warfare. The government of a country provided a letter of marque and reprisal to a shipowner that allowed him to arm his ship and attack other ships sailing under a particular flag. In return he received a share of the seized cargo, while the rest went to the government as payment for the grievance.

To the target country, a privateer looked very much like a pirate, and indeed this was the intention. The only difference was that pirates were considered outlaws by all nations, while privateers had immunity from the country that commissioned them, and were considered as prisoners of war if caught by other countries. Privateers were sometimes known as "gentleman pirates". Sometimes privateers would even be commissioned to hunt down other privateers, while some of the time, privateers would commit acts of piracy without being commissioned to do so if it fit the privateer's agenda.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privateer


**The Corsairs Of Malta: Enemy of the Barbary Cosairs**

Located on the small island of Malta, in the Mediterranean. These Christian corsairs led a fight against the "heathen" Islamic Barbary Corsairs. With the Knights of Malta as their patrons, the corsairs waged a religious war against their Islamic counterparts. Religious zeal amongst the Knights was paramount but as time went on commerce and material wealth also became important.

The Corsairs of Malta used galleys crewed by the Maltese, Corsicans and the French, with financial backing provided by the Knights of Malta. The corsairs brought great wealth to Malta until the late 1680's when treaties signed by the European and Barbary powers ceased hostilities

http://privateer.omena.org/privateerhistory.htm



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Note added at 3 hrs (2006-06-02 18:02:03 GMT)
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Diner or Banquet as well, which ever you prefer!