Dressed for the Grave

Tangisode: The Pirate Queen who Made Men Wet Themselves


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Because Melissa just can't help where the rabbit holes lead, you're getting another Tangisode treat, two days in a row. ⚓💀

In this Tangisode, we dive into the absolutely unhinged true story of Zheng Yi Sao, the pirate queen powerful enough to make hardened sailors, rival pirates, and entire governments question their life choices.

From the infamous Red Flag Fleet to sea battles, extortion, smuggling, and enough chaos to keep dynasties awake at night, this is the story of the woman who turned the South China Sea into her personal empire.

Turns out the most feared man on the water… was a woman.

Sources Used for this Episode:

  • Murray, Dian H. Pirates of the South China Coast, 1790–1810. Stanford University Press, 1987.
  • Banerji, Urvija. "The Chinese Female Pirate Who Commanded 80,000 Outlaws." Atlas Obscura, April 6, 2016.
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Dressed for the GraveBy Melissa Barney and Noelle Gordon