Brethren Court

**The Brethren Court** is a group from the *Pirates of the Caribbean* franchise.

## History

The Brethren Court was an international allegiance of pirates which was formed c. the 17th century. The court would be assembled by the being Davy Jones who made a bargain with them, offering them control over the seas if they went through a ritual to imprison the sea goddess Calypso. This action would be performed by the brethren's first Pirate King through the use of the, "Nine pieces of eight", nine objects used to imprison Calypso in mortal form.

For the ages to come, the nine pieces of eight would be passed into the safekeeping of pirate to pirate with whichever pirate who possessed it being a pirate lord of the Brethren. The titles of the Brethren Court included: *Lord of the Caribbean, Lord of the Caspian Sea, Lord of the Mediterranean, Lord of the Black Sea, Lord of the Pacific Ocean, Lord of the Adriatic Sea, Lord of the Arabian Sea, Pirate Lord of the South China Sea, and Pirate Lord of Madagascar*. While originally run by a Pirate King, it would be rare for kings to be appointed due to the need for one to be elected and each pirate only ever voting for themselves.

During the golden age of buccaneering, the second pirate court would come to create the Pirate's Code which was a set of rules (or guidelines depending on who is asked) made to maintain peace amongst the different pirates. The code was created by the pirate lords Sir Henry Morgan and Bartholomew with the position of *Keeper of the Code* also being created amongst their ranks. The Keeper of the Code would serve as a law enforcer and judge amongst the pirates who kept the pirate's codex for safekeeping.

Around 1727, the court was assembled when Davy Jones and the Flying Dutchman came under the command of the East India Trading Company which wished to conquer the globe. This brethren court would elect the pirate lord Elizabeth Swann as their pirate king as she intended to declare war on the East India Trading Company. Meanwhile Barbossa, the pirate lord of the Caspian Sea wished to free Calypso and later did though to no support from her.

## Appearances

### Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure

The skeletons of six pirate of the nine lords appear in the Caves of Misfortune on Treasure Cove. Namely the corpses of: Captain Teague, Capitaine Chevalle, Ammand, Eduardo Villanueva and two unidentified members.

### Tortuga Tavern

The Jolly Rogers of Ammand the Corsair, Captain Jack Sparrow and Sri are hung over the entrance to this restaurant. More generic flags used by Barbossa and Eduardo Villenuava are also hung at this entrance.

## Connections

### Oceaneer Lab

S.E.A. member Captain Mary Oceaneer is in ownership of several objects from the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Crates identify her excavating Shipwreck Cove, the pirate haven operated by the fourth brethren court.

### Other

* **Peter Pan**: Captain Hook is referenced existing the book *Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom* where he is referred to as begin a past affiliate of the Brethren Court. He is mentioned to have previously gone by the moniker of of **James the Mysterious** before disappearing in the early 18th century. He then reappeared years later having not aged a day while also with his hand being replaced by a hook. It is unknown if this is inferring Hook travelled back to Earth after having lost his hand before returning to Neverland or if it is set after the main story of Peter Pan when Hook was chased off the island and Neverland exists outside of normal time.

## Trivia

* The Brethren is based off of the historic **Brethren of the Coast**, a 17th century allegiance of Caribbean privateers and buccaneers that was established around the Thirty Year War but was long since defunct by the golden age of piracy. Additionally, while the terminology of the Pirate Code is true to history in actuality they were more along the lines of, "Terms of service" for specific crews rather than enforced laws amongst a loosely defined criminal underworld.
* In an unused script for the film, the court would have been made up of famous pirates from history and fiction such as Blackbeard, Anne Bonny and potentially Captain Hook.
* In Pirates of the Caribbean, the piece of eight of the Caribbean is seen decorating the bandanna of Captain X in the Blue Bayou. This might work to imply a connection between X and the Brethren and/or Jack Sparrow.
* Sir Henry Morgan was once proposed to appear within Disneyland's *Pirates of the Caribbean* attraction as one of its famous pirates with late-animator Marc Davis having created concept-art of him for said purpose.