14 strange facts about pirates that you will be interested to know

We know a lot about medieval pirates: they were cruel, frantic and brave to the point of madness. But if you still think that pirates are just a bunch of uncivilized and dangerous thieves, then you are probably wrong. The fact is that they were very disciplined and followed strict rules and regulations. Moreover, they can be called progressive: many things that remained taboo for the whole world until the last century were openly recognized by pirates, for example, democracy or same-sex marriage. Below you will find some myths and facts about pirates that will probably be of interest to you.

1. The earrings worn by pirates served a strange purpose.

Oddly enough, pirates believed that earrings helped protect their hearing. They had good reason to worry about this, since they often found themselves near firing cannons. The dangling parts of the earrings were used to cover the ears during shots. As you can see, the pirates were quite logical in their reasoning.

2. Pirates wore eye patches even if their vision was not impaired.

Do you think that every pirate who wore an eye patch was missing one eye? In fact, most pirates used eye patches not to hide the absence of one eye, but to improve night vision, which was very important for their “job.” During the raid, the pirates had to run on and under the deck. The eye patch allowed him to see clearly both in the bright light on deck and in the darkness below.

3. Another secret of pirate earrings

Pirates often wore large round earrings made of heavy precious metals. But it was hardly a tribute to fashion. They were needed for other purposes. If the pirate died of an accident, whoever found him would be able to use these earrings to cover burial costs. Some pirates even engraved the name of their home port on their earrings in the hopes that some kind soul would send the body home (covering the costs after selling the jewelry, of course).

Many superstitions were associated with earrings. For example, pirates believed that wearing them could prevent seasickness, improve their eyesight, and help them when they were drowning.

4. Pirates performed same-sex marriages

Many centuries before society accepted the very existence of homosexuality, pirates entered into same-sex marriages. The couple shared their property and spoils, and the men were each other's legal heirs.

This practice most likely resulted from the fact that there were mostly only men on deck. Some historians claim that they gradually developed a romantic relationship, while others suggest that they simply shared women with each other.

5. The real horror was the red flag, not the black one.

If you were on a ship in the Middle Ages and saw a black flag, you wouldn't have to worry. But if it were red, it would indicate great danger. A red flag on a pirate ship was nothing more than a death warning: it meant that all the people on the ship that the pirates were about to capture would be killed immediately.

Although the origin of the term "Jolly Roger" is unclear, it is believed to be associated with these red flags on pirate ships. Most likely, this was the name given to the pirate flags on ships that were ready to attack.

6. Pirates were very disciplined

Pirates had strict rules regarding any action, be it the distribution of responsibilities or the division of loot. In addition, the pirates held democratic elections and followed the rules of engagement on board, and anyone who violated them was severely punished. They appear to have been more civilized than many common people of the time.

The pirates also had a kind of “health insurance.” Crew members were compensated according to the severity of their injury. A pirate who lost his dominant hand, for example, was paid more. Moreover, pirates who became disabled during raids were never disposed of. They were called veterans and were left on the ship.

7. Pirates created a secret drink to cure diseases

British sailors created grog by mixing water with rum. However, later a pirated version of this drink appeared, which served as a remedy for treating diseases. The pirates added sugar and lemon juice to the new drink, which actually helped prevent scurvy.

8. Pirates Had Health Insurance

Pirates were in some ways much more modern than some people living today. Hundreds of years ago, when no one had heard of health insurance, pirates already had it. It is interesting to note that in those days when medicine was not very developed, pirates paid benefits to all wounded members of their crew.

For example, 600 Spanish dollars (the currency prevailing at the time) was paid for the loss of a limb. The loss of an eye was compensated with 200 Spanish dollars, and total blindness - 2000 (today that's almost $153,000). Crew members could receive compensation in the form of money or slaves.

9. The burning beard of the fiercest pirate

Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, was considered one of the most feared pirates of all time. Before attacking the ship, he wove hemp into his beard and set it on fire. The smoke coming straight from his beard gave him a demonic appearance, which undoubtedly frightened his enemies. Although this act seems crazy to us, for the pirates it was a sign of courage.

10. Most of the pirates' loot consisted of booze and weapons.

If you are still hoping to find buried treasure, you may be disappointed. Despite popular belief, pirates rarely took cash or gold, much less hid it. They loved booze and always needed weapons, so those things were high on the list of priorities. For the same reason they took away food and clothing.

11. Female pirates

Women could also be pirates. A great example of this would be Anne Bonny and Mary Read, who went on a pirate ship together in 1720. In addition, some women preferred to wear men's clothes and hide their identity.

12. Julius Caesar was once captured by pirates

The famous Julius Caesar was once a prisoner of a group of pirates who had no idea of ​​his strength and worth. When they demanded a ransom of 20 talents (about 600 thousand dollars) for his release, the Roman emperor laughed and said that it was worth at least 50. All the time Caesar was on the ship, he read poetry to the pirates.

Known as the most powerful politician in history, Caesar was noted for his fair play in war. But, despite the "friendly" relations during captivity, he later ordered the death of each of them.

13. Prisoners didn't walk the plank

Many believe that pirates forced their captives to walk on a plank as torture, but this myth was actually invented by writers. Real pirates immediately killed their hostages. But even when they decided to torture them, they used other methods. For example, they could leave a prisoner on a deserted island, tie him to the back of a ship while sailing, or beat him with a leather whip.

14. Pirates were the first “authors” of maritime jargon

Yes, pirates had their own slang, many of these phrases are still in common use. For example, the phrase Three sheets to the wind was coined by pirates and is still used today. It is translated as “drunk as hell.” Pirates used this phrase to say that a ship might get out of control.