LİTTERA 27.indd - LITTERA Edebiyat Yazıları

Littera
Şebnem Kaya*
BERBERİSTAN’IN DİNDEN DÖNEN
KORSANLARI VE EDEBİYATTAKİ
YANSIMALARI
SUMMARY
THE RENEGADE PIRATES OF BARBARY AND THEIR
REFLECTION IN LITERATURE
Around the seventeenth century, European sailors, who were determined to join the
Muslim pirates operating off the coast of North Africa, flocked to Barbary. They were in
pursuit of material gain, but to rise to wealth they would have to come to terms with the
transformatory effect this shift of locale would have on their lives and develop some adaptive
strategies, such as changing their religion and names, in addition to sharing their nautical
knowledge with the earlier settlers of the land. After all this was done, they could finally set
sail as the Barbary pirates whose main target was Christian ships.
To illustrate the above statement, this study, with reference to some historical and
literary texts, explores the stories of three renegade pirates: John Ward, a.k.a. Yusuf Reis,
Simon Danser, or “Diablo Reis,” and Jan Jansen, or the reputable Murat Reis.
Key Words: Renegades, Piracy, Barbary, John Ward, Simon Danser, Jan Jansen
Anahtar Sözcükler: Dinden Dönenler, Korsanlık, Berberistan, John Ward, Simon
Danser, Jan Jansen
“
Şehadet ederim ki Allah’tan başka ilah yoktur ve Muhammed O’nun kulu
ve elçisidir.” cümlesi, onaltıncı ve onyedinci yüzyıllarda, Akdeniz’in
rekabet hâlindeki İslam ve Hıristiyan dünyaları arasında bir hudut bölgesi
olduğu sıralarda, Avrupalı denizciler tarafından Kuzey Afrika’da sıklıkla telaffuz
* Yrd. Doç. Dr., Hacettepe Üniversitesi, Edebiyat Fakültesi, İngiliz Dili ve Edebiyatı Bölümü
223