Once upon a time, in Haiti, there was a girl with hair red as fire. ‘Jacquotte’ she was called, and she was as badass as they come. Her mother died in childbirth and when her father got brutally murdered, young Jacquotte was left alone to care for her disabled brother. What job opportunities were there for adventurous, strong-willed girls in the 17th century? That’s right, not a whole lot. And so, Jacquotte became a pirate. Even better, she became a feminist heroine.

Was Jacquotte real? Well, even though she is the star of many legendary tales, there is no actual historical evidence confirming her existence. Believers say that the lack of prove itself proves how incredibly professional Jacquotte was; she managed to leave no trace! Regardless, her legend continues like this: in a short period of time, Jacquotte became one of the most notorious pirates of the Caribbean. She even fell in love with another female pirate, a beautiful French woman called Anne-Dieu-le-Veut. (Her name literally meant: ‘Anne Gods-Want-It’, because if Anne wanted something, her will was so strong, it was as if the gods wanted it too). What a pirate pair they made!

Hated for her success by both the government and rival buccaneers, soon a price was put on Jacquotte’s head. She decided to fake her own death and go into hiding. Even though she had taken on a new, male identity, Jacquotte refused to cut her pride and joy: her gorgeous mane. Her comeback must have been spectacular; I can just see her standing on her ship, her bright red hair whipping in the wind. ‘Back from the Dead Red’, she was called from now on, and she quickly returned to leading hundreds of outlaws and dozens of boats. Jacquotte even managed to establish a so-called ‘freebooter republic’, taking over a small Caribbean island with her ragtag pirates. It was here, so the legend goes, that she died, defending her pirate utopia from attackers.

The end? Not quite! According to some, Jacquotte had a daughter named Dinah Delahaye, who shared her mother’s striking red hair, and who grew up to become a master swordswoman and a pirate commanding a small fleet of ships. I love that idea! But even if there was never a daughter, I know that Jacquotte lives on in many women who still fly her rebel flag – quite literally: Jacquotte’s own ‘dancing with the dead’ version of the Jolly Rogers is a trending design! – and dye their hair the brightest shade of red in honor of the girl who defied all the rules, even death.

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