Far removed from the brutal and desperate reality of the buccaneer's life back during the 1600s, the popular image of pirates is one of handsome, daring Robin Hood types with a roguish streak and an overwhelming lust for life, liberty and adventure. They have hundreds of islands with skull-shaped rock structures from which to choose their pirate hideout, and they regularly bury their treasure for no legitimate reason other than to give later thrill-seekers the chance to dig it up. Real pirates almost always spent their loot, or occasionally deposited it in a safe bank somewhere in Europe. But who cares about that? Buried treasure is way cooler.