When the pirates land at 3pm on
Saturday, 13 November, they will be lured to their fate by classical beauties
whose dangerous renown spans the centuries.
The Sirens were known to the
ancient Greeks as dangerous seductresses whose wonders of song and irresistible
countenance would send helpless sailors to be shipwrecked on the rocks.
Most famously, the Sirens tried to
entice Odysseus to his doom; he could escape only by ordering his sailors to
plug their ears with beeswax and strap him tightly to the mast. Despite his
begging, they did not release him. Dismayed – but alive – the Greek hero lived
to fight another day.
Daughters of the god Acheolus,
these winged maidens have long been held as paragons of all that is beautiful
but dangerous.
Just right to kiss, then, and here
is your chance: get involved by volunteering as a Red Coat – contact the
Pirates Week office on 949 5078 for further details.
Choreographed landing
For the first time, this year the
Landing of the Pirates will be staged to music and choreographed by Linda
Rayner. The Governor arrives by boat to inspect his troops on the South
Terminal. A 30ft high two-headed Gorgon adorns the little island in Hog Sty
Bay, and the seductive Sea Sirens also make a grand entrance by boat to join
the Governor. Their role is to entice the dreaded pirates and their ships into
Hog Sty Bay with their beauty and dance. When the pirates arrive, the Gorgon
will destroy their ships with fire and then sea spouts drowning most of them.
Any survivors will be turned into zombies by a kiss from the sirens, and the
Governor will win at long last. But will all go as he plans?
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