The music is Morisco music, found on Iberian Garden, Vol. 1 by
Altramar. The piece is Muwashshah: Mā li-l-muwallah, 1113-1198.
This music takes place at the beautiful gardens along the Guadalquiver, near Cordoba.
This is during the "convivencia" under Alfonso X (El Sabio - The Wise), the time
before Granda fell: when Christians, Moslems and Jews lived at peace with each
other. Muwashshah are songs in poetic form, with instrumental interludes in the
form of Ibn Bājja (Avempace): 1470-1520. This is Morisco art.
Although the odds of surviving a mutiny on a galley was
extremely poor, with rowers chained to their benches,
and guards armed, yet mutinies took place, even mutinies
that "suceeded"!
Story:
Nicholas Pizzo, born in Genoa in 1569 went to Sicily and boarded a ship,
but was made a captive when eleven Turkish gallies attacked. The commander
of the Turkish galley was Hazan Pasha, King of Tripoly. Yussuf Bey was
captain of two of the eleven Turkish gallies.
Rizzo was compelled to convert and become a Muslim, being renamed Amorat.
Rizzo was valued, and eventually was given the title "Spahi" (knight)
with distinguished clothes that conferred status. Rizzo (Amorat) knew the
"Bailo" or "bayle" of Venice (resident ambassador). Rizzo (Amorat)
planned for 31 months to purchase arms for a mutiny with other galley captives.
The plan was based upon the Ottoman yearly collection of the "tribate"
(taxes) from North Africa (Fez, Morocco, Tetuan, Algeria) that would be sent to
Istanbul. Poison was bought and provided to the Galley forzates, should the
mutiny fail. Supplies for the mutiny included:
Swords
Screw-bolts (shackles to bind the rowers to their benches
click to see),
thus the rowers could get free when the mutiny took place.
(The swords and screw-bolts were concealed under the galley
biscuit.)
As there were two ships, the two galleys had to be near each other to coordinate
the mutiny. The Capitana would be first to signal, the Patrona to respond. Signal:
hang a shirt at the left-hand side of the third bench. Counter signal by the other
galley: also hang a shirt at the left-hand side of the third bench.
The signals would then be followed by getting 12 swords from under the galley biscuit
and distribute the swords to the galley slave rowers. Then a second signal: pass a
container containg honey around and using fingers, to taste the honey (to show that
the rowers are ready). Second counter-signal on the other galley: pass an onion around.
The Christain captive rowers called the swords, knives, bolts, etc. "raki"
(brandy) commonly consumed, thus would not arouse suspicions. However, the Turkish
boatswain heard so many mentions of "raki" that he knew trouble was afoot.
The final signal was to shout "Santiago! Santiago!", upon which all conspiritors would
use the screw-bolts to free themselves from their shackles to their benches, run along
the "corsio" attacking the balistraria (crossbow men), until the main attack
would be at the stern castle.
In fact, the mutineers removed the hatch-covers on the corsio, thus hindering counter-attack.
In addition to some of the merchant goods carried from Algiers (to be sold in Istanbul) on the
galleys included two bales of swords (also used by the Christian mutineers). During the mutiny,
the mutineers ignited and threw two leather bags of gunpowder into the stern castle, starting a
fire. In one hour, 140 Turks were killed. On the second galley, the Turk's swords were hampered
by the iron arch of the roof of the stern castle (as well as by the crowded conditions). Two
hundred Turks were killed.
Both galleys of mutineers sailed to Mallorca, evaiding other Turkish galleys. Upon entering a
friendly Christian port, the galleys signaled by firing guns, beating drums, blowing trumpets.
Merchandise carried on these Turkish galleys included:
Cloth
Brocades
Damasks
Drapery
Cambric (canvas - cheap cloth)
Furs (Marten)
Cochineal
Jewels, pearls, sequins
A negro and a negress (highly valued slaves).
Thus women were not unusually found upon galleys. Recall, when the Moriscos
were expelled, Morisco women were placed on galleys, and when corsairs raided
coastal villages, women were captured to be sold as slaves
1,
click to see.
Titles of Turks on galleys:
Spahi: Knights
Baruchbasci: Seargents
Tabasci: Corporals
Bibliography
"Mutiny off Algiers on the Galleys Capitana and
Patrona of the Squadron of Yussuf Bey, Royal Pilot
of the Grand Turk, 1590", related by Geronymo Brun
"Fighting Ships and Prisons: The Mediterranean Galleys of France in the Age of Louis XIV",
by Bamford, Paul, pp. 212, 213
1
Negro male slaves from North Africa were often sought as eunuchs.
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