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- Title
Yo-Ho-Ho, and a Bottle of Vodka: The Governance of the Russian Ushkuiniki Pirates.
- Authors
Maltsev, Vladimir Vladimirovich
- Abstract
This paper examines the governance of the Russian ushkuiniki pirates in the medieval period. The ushkuiniki had to secure cooperation on their vessels privately. I hypothesize that the ushkuiniki captains screened their applicants via ritual combat and blood oaths. The ritual combat filtered out noncooperators by imposing costs upon them before a voyage, and the blood oath destined oath breakers to face capital punishment. The application process ensured that only loyal pirates would board the the ship and allowed cooperation to be self-enforcing. The effectiveness of the ushkuiniki is evidenced by their large fleets and extensive plunder.
- Subjects
RUSSIA; PIRATES; VODKA; CAPITAL punishment; MIDDLE Ages; RITES &; ceremonies
- Publication
Journal of Private Enterprise, 2022, Vol 37, Issue 1, p47
- ISSN
0890-913X
- Publication type
Article