Portrayed romantically on stage, screen, and in print, pirates have held our imagination for over 300 years.

From Blackbeard and Long John Silver to Captain Hook and, of course, Captain Jack Sparrow, millions have been made from tales of daring-do on the high seas, particularly in the Caribbean.

Global audiences are enthralled by treasure maps and the mythology of pirates and buccaneers of the 18th Century. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people worldwide participate in "International Talk Like a Pirate Day" every September.

So why the fascination?

Popular culture has romanticized and colorized these semi-heroic characters, hovering at the edge of the law.

Many of the tall tales are inspired by a period from the late 1600s to the early 1700s, when a Golden Age of Caribbean piracy existed, mostly centered around stories of Blackbeard and Black Bart.