Cup of Gold: Cultural References
Sir Frances Drake
Nuncio: ecclesiastical diplomatic title.
Glendower: Owain Glyndwr (c. 1354 or 1359 – c. 1416), Welsh noblemen; last Welsh person to hold the title of Prince of Wales.
Iolo Goch: (1320 – 1398) Medieval Welsh Poet.
Cumric: A Welsh dialect closely related to Gaelic.
Corpse-candles: Mythical lights often seen in churchyards and graveyards. Presumed to be the souls of the dead.
Pierre le Grand: Possibly fictionalized 17th Century Privateer written about in Alexandre Exquemelin's Buccaneers of America (1678).
Tortuga: Part of the contemporary nation of Haiti. Major center of Caribbean piracy in the 17th Century.
Papist: Protestant's derogatory term for Catholics taken from Catholic loyalty to the Pope after Britain's break with Rome during the Protestant Reformation.
Galleon: Large European, multi-decked sailing ship in use from the 16th to 18th centuries.
Cambria: Classical name for Wales.
Tylwyth Teg: Welsh name for fairies.
Avalon: Mythical island from the Arthurian legends. Supposedly where Arthur's sword, Excalibur, was forged and a place of great healing and spiritual power.
Llew Llaw Giffes: Figure of Welsh mythology.
Cadwallo: Legendary Medieval King of the Britons.
Geoffrey of Monmouth: Born circa 1100 AD possibly in southeast Wales. Monmouth, a Bishop and author, is credited as the primary originator of the Arthurian legends.
Cromwell: Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) help to defeat the British Royalists (supporters of the King) and established himself as the "Lord Protector" of England, Ireland and Scotland during the Commonwealth period from 1653-1658.
Druids: Mythical race of wizards and sorcerers.
Cardiff: Capital of Wales.
Drake: Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596). First English explorer to circumnavigate the globe. He played a critical role in helping Britain defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588, which sparked Britain's role as a major colonial force.
Crimps: A person who tricks others, like sailors or soldiers, into service.
Capstan: A rotating cylinder around which a ship's cable or rope is wound.
Kraken: Legendary sea monsters that are historically rumored to exist off the coast of Norway.
Taffrail: The railing around a ship's stern.
Lodestone: Magnetite used for magnetizing compasses.
Miserere Domine: Latin for "Lord have mercy." Part of the Kyrie Eleison prayer at the beginning of a Latin mass.
Separatists: English Puritans who broke away from the Church of England in the 17th Century. The pilgrims who settled in America where English separatists.
Argot: Slang or idiosyncratic dialect of a particular region.
Cato: (the Elder) Roman statesman.
Halberdier: Weapon with an ax-like blade and a steel spike mounted on the end of a long shaft.
Roundheads: Parliamentarians or Puritans who supported Oliver Cromwell and Parliament during the English Civil War.
Free Brotherhood: Band of pirates.
Gibbet: Gallows for hanging.
L'Ollonais: (Francois L'Ollonais) Famed 17th-century pirate.
Edward Mansveldt: (Edward Mansfield of Rotterdam) 17th Century privateer who attempted to capture Costa Rica, Cartago, and Natá, in Veraguas. Left Henry Morgan in charge of his fleet after his death.
Garotte: Implement for executing civilians in Spain.
Freebooter: One who plunders treasure.
Bride of Orpheus: Eurydice; mythological nymph, daughter of Apollo, Muse.
Balboa: Vasco Núñez de Balboa (1475–1519). Spanish explorer famous for crossing the Isthmus of Panama.
Pedrarias: Pedro Arias de Ávila (1440-1531). Spanish soldier and colonial administrator. Ordered the execution of Vasco Núñez de Balboa.
Pizarro: Francisco Pizarro (c. 1471 or 1476-1541). Spanish conquistador famous for conquering the Incan Empire.
Morass: Low-lying, wet ground.
Circe: Powerful witch in Greek mythology who turned men into animals.
Chagres: A river in central Panama.
Zeerover: Dutch word for pirate/privateer.
Savonarola: Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498). Italian religious and political reformer dedicated to defending Christian spirituality and morality against the growing movement of humanism.
Duenna: Spanish for a female chaperon.
Ora pro nobis: Latin for "pray for us"; supplication to the Virgin Mary.
