Fiction:

Myths:

Many myths about pirates come from stories and movies. For example pirate hooks probably came from the movie "Peter Pan". and peg legs became famous from the classic Treasure Island. 

Hooks:

The idea of pirates using hooks for a missing hand became a popular idea when the story "Peter Pan" came out. It is true, however, that some pirates lost a hand in a battle, and it wasn't uncommon for a pirate to search for a substitute. 

A hook was  was an easy substitute for a missing hand. It was very simple to adjust a hook to act as a hand. It could be put together by items that were commonly found on board a lot of ships. You could make it with a hook created by the blacksmith with surplus metal. You could then attach it to a wooden bowl. The wooden bowl could then go over the stump where the hand once was. The whole thing could then be attached to the arm with surplus leather.

Parrots:

Parrots were probably associated with pirates because of the book "Treasure Island". A character from that book named Long-John Silver, who was a pirate, had a parrot for a pet. This idea, however, caused a great deal of controversy because many people think that the parrots would of gotten in the way of the work that had to be done. 

Many people believe that a parrot permanently perched on a pirates shoulder would start a mess and during hard times at sea the parrot would most likely be eaten. So it was very unlikely that a pirate traveled with a parrot or any other pet.

Peg Legs:

Peg legs, like parrots, probably started from the book "Treasure Island". The character Long John Silver does not use a peg leg himself, but through time and Hollywood this myth was formed. In real life, though, this myth held a lot of truth. If a pirate received a devastating blow to a leg, an amputation would usually be necessary to save his life. 

Doctors were uncommon aboard pirate ships, so the ship's cook would most likely have to perform the operation. If the pirate didn't die during the operation, a substitute leg would, of course, be necessary. The substitute leg was usually any free material aboard the ship. For example, a long piece of wood.

An example of a real pirate with a peg leg is Francis le Clerc. 

Stories and Movies:

Peter Pan- 

Peter Pan by JM Barry gives you the original story of Peter Pan. Since the story was written there were many take offs and add-ons to it. Movies have been made and a prequel is made to explain some things. 

Summary (Disney movie)- 

Peter Pan is about a boy who chose to  never grow up. He lived on the island of Never Land. One day he traveled to London to capture his missing shadow and met a girl named Wendy Darling. He taught her and her brothers John and Michael to fly. 

Once they get to Never Land, Peter introduced Wendy to the Lost Boys as their new "mother". As a mother Wendy was responsible for telling stories and making sure that they are all clean. There was one problem though. Peter's fairy, Tinker Bell, had become jealous of Wendy and deliberately disobeyed Peter. He banished Tinker Bell for ever and she left and told Captain Hook, Peter's arch enemy, Peter's hideout. Hook then started to plot how to kill Peter Pan.

During this time Wendy wanted to go home and told Peter this. When he heard this he became angry. She and the lost boys left and on their way they were kidnapped by Captain Hook and his pirates. Hook then attempted to kill Peter by throwing a bomb into the hideout, but he survived.

 Peter now must rescue Wendy and the Lost Boys from the clutches of the evil Captain Hook. Will he save them? Find out by watching the movie or reading the book.

The Pirates of Penzance

     The Pirates of Penzance is a story about a boy named Frederic who is forced into becoming a pirate. This band of pirates is different though. They refuse to harm or rob orphans. As you can probably guess, all of them victims say that they are orphans.

Treasure Island

      This story is about a boy named Jim Hawkins who became involved in pirates when he came across an old treasure map. He find this map when a sea dog died.

      Jim gathers a crew with the help of people in high places. The crew is a "trustworthy" one and could be counted on to keep a secret. The crew is in fact a group of pirates who are after the treasure as well. This evil band of pirates is led by the cunning Long-John Silver.

      Young Jim finds this out and tells the remaining faithful crew. The faithful crew must now escape the pirates, find the treasure and get home safe. Will they be able to do it? Will the pirates get the treasure? Find out by reading the book by Robert Louis Stevenson.