Trading On the Black Market

     Have you ever considered how the Black Market got started? It’s something that truly tickles the imagination. I’ve wondered. In fact, I’m curious about a good many things in life an’ when I’m curious I like to quell my fascination by researching until I’m satisfied that I know the why’s, wherefore’s an’ how’s come’s.

     Quite surprisingly the Black Market has been around a lot longer than you may have thought. In fact, it goes alla’ way back to knights an’ castles an’ the pirates of the time. Oh,yeah; we’ve always had pirates. At least, that’s my opinion.

     In the days of the Round Table an’ jousting they looked a little different than the image you might have grown to accept as normal Pirate attire; it’s true. For instance, I don’t believe your common scoundrel would have included an eye patch. In point of fact, all scoundrels don’t, even today, wear eye patches. But for the sake of argument let’s say those good ol’ boys from days of yore had decided to wear eye patches. Wanna’ know what they’d look like? Picture, if you can, a big burly guy in a tin suit with a target on his eye. Yup! That’s what I think the eye patch would act as; a target.

     See? The Black Market started alla’ way back in Medieval Times, when nomadic mercenaries wandered the countryside to sell their services to the highest bidder. Okay; maybe you think I’m using literary license by calling ‘em pirates. Then again, you may change your mind as you read on. As they traversed from town to town an’ castle to castle these men developed some very hard an’ strict lifestyles, fighting when necessary an’ winning in whatever ways they could. Naturally, there weren’t many servants traveling with ‘em (p’rhaps none?), so some jobs were left for later as more prudent choices were made. Such was the case with suits of armor. When there was a choice between hunting for food or polishing the armor, it was common practice to opt for the hunting, over polishing. As a result, armor often developed a blackish hue an’ these knights soon came to be known as Black Knights.

     Sometimes, these nomads would arrive where there was a festival taking place an’ would join in the fun. The locals were many times softened by their relatively easier lifestyles. When it was time for jousting matches the traveling knights could easily win the bout. The prize consisted of the winner being awarded the weapons an’ armor that belonged to the loser. There really was no good reason for a nomad knight to keep more than one set of armor, so immediately following the match, the knight in black armor would sell the owner his own armor back. The markets that followed jousting matches soon became known as Black Markets.

     Now, I ask you… does that not sound like piracy to you?

     Until the next time, keep a hug on.

 ~ Yaya