The Icelandic slave testimonies of 17th century North Africa described the existence of European ‘renegades’ living in the big cities there. Referring to Europeans who were not captured as slaves, but most likely ran away from their countries to Africa, converted to Islam and started a new life there. How common was this during that time period? That certain Europeans would flee to MENA and for what reasons would they flee usually?
>>18389457Very common. Like a third of Muslim pirates were random German/english/french criminals who converted to become slavers
>>18389461Did they do it simply for profit or because they were wanted for crimes in their own countries? It’s just fascinating to me that ppl back then could just leave to a different place to escape justice. You can’t really do that now successfully.
>>18389545of course you can. get to tijuana and you're gone
>>18389457It wasn’t super common but a lot of the noted Barbary corsair captains were European, leveraging their knowledge of ships, gunnery and navigation into higher positions than they might have had in their own countries. Pirates and privateers were opportunists and would sail under whatever flag promised the most booty. Be a brokeass chud, or be a pirate captain with a qt muslima waifu was an easy choice for desperate men. The son of a Dutch corsair, Anthony van Salee, was an early citizen of New Amsterdam, a notorious troublemaker, and ancestor of some noted old money American families. The pirate ballad “Captain Ward and the Rainbow” celebrates a notorious English renegado.
>>18389578>"waifu"
>>18389461Interesting parallels to westerners converting to Islam in prison today.
