Sir Francis Drake : Patriot Explorer, Pirate or Ghostly Hunter in the Wild Wood

Sir Francis Drake An Elizabethan Explorer

Sir Francis Drake is probably one of the most famous figures in maritime history. Born in Devon, England. Drake, began his maritime career in the coastal trade and then moved onto to voyages to the Americas and beyond.  There are some monumental feats that belong to the explorer Francis Drake, including, the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe, completing the voyage between 1577 and 1580. Drake, was also the second person ever to circumnavigate the globe within the ‘Golden Hind‘ ship originally called ‘The Pelican‘

Let us make no mistake that Sir Francis Drake’s was a hugely successful mariner, and a great source of enormous wealth, but let us look closer to how this wealth was attained. Apart from the gold, silver and silk, he also introduced crops like potatoes and tobacco to England after his 1586 voyage. Sir Francis Drake’s exploits caught the attention of the people of England who celebrated him as a national hero and public figure. It should also be noted here, that Drake’s activities also caught the attention off Queen Elizebeth 1st, who supported his privateering missions . . .

Sir Francis Drake : Patriot Explorer, Pirate or Ghostly Hunter in the Wild Wood. Image ©Solarglide Limited.  All right reserved

The Pirate or Privateer . .

What was the secret to his success? Solarglide have explored this narrative before with other notable maritime explorers, including ‘Blackbeard‘ and ‘Captain Morgan‘. A Legal Loophole called a “Letter Of Marque” which basically transformed a sea faring outlaw into a more respectable Privateer. And, if this letter was signed, sealed and delivered by the Queen herself . . . who would contest? Can you see where this is going?

Ok, so this is where sir Francis Drake’s voyages become a little murky. . In the 1570s he launched raids on Spanish ports in the Caribbean and Central America, capturing huge amounts of treasure and disrupting Spain’s dominance in the Americas. Drake, seized a Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion, taking record amounts of gold, silver and jewels. As stated before these raids made him a hero in England, but a hugely hated figure in Spain, branding him as ‘The Dragon‘.

It should also be noted here that Francis Drake executed his former friend and fellow commander Thomas Doughty at Port St Julian, in what is now called Argentina, during Drake’s voyage in 1578. Drake, accused Doughty of mutiny and witchcraft and sentenced Thomas Doughty to death, onboard the ships at Port St Julian.

As Thomas Doughty was a commander of high standing, this questionable incident did not go un-noticed back in England. John Doughty ( brother of Thomas Doughty ) attempted  to sue Sir Francis Drake in the Court of Chivalry for ‘wrongful death’. However, the case was dismissed on a technicality, likely due to royal invention.

Does Sir Francis Drake Lead The Wild Hunt

The ‘Wild Hunt‘ symbolises a spiritual progression through the ‘Wild Wood‘ that used to dominate the British landscape. Also referred to as ‘Foris‘ is an area of dense, dark forest which contrasts sharply with the comfort of safe living. The ‘Wild Hunt‘ is where howls can be heard from a wild pack, followed by dark figures on horseback clutching at spears through the night. This English folklore lives on the fringes of our civilisation and sometimes described as the ‘old world‘. This legend, is unifying and runs throughout the people of northern Europe – a place where hunters became farmers and elements of  ‘the other‘ had been long forgotten in our modern consciousness.

The ‘Wild Hunt’ has now become sparingly mentioned, and if you’re unlucky enough to see this ‘wild hunt’ parade in progress, the premonition of your own demise or some other truly horrifying context may be experienced. Among these restless spirits Sir Francis Drake can be seen leading the hunt. This folklore positions Drake as the ‘protector’ who metaphorically leads the fight and the hunt against Englands enemies.