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Myra, I must respectfully disagree that the three brothers were Muslims because they were associated with Barbarosa.
No - they were privateers, which meant that they sold their services as ship captains to whoever would pay them the most. They ended up assisting the Ottoman navy, led by Barbarosa, in attacking the merchant fleets of the French and Spanish, both of whom considered them to be pirates - and called them such.
After about 20 years of domination in the Mediterranean, the Ottoman fleet suffered a severe defeat. After that, the Caldwell brothers began selling their services to protect the merchant fleets of Spain and France. In effect, they were then protecting their former victims from their former allies!
In 1525, during a war between Spain and France, the three brothers were first employed by the king of France; but they later switched sides. The French king was captured and held for ransom by the Spanish. Upon his release, he drove the three brothers from their base near Toulon, and they fled to Scotland, where they found refuge because the Scots were then at war with France.
Fascinating stuff!
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