Why did Pirates wear earrings?

Answer 1

For good luck, and so that if they died there would be money to bury them.

Answer 2

Pirate Earring

Answer 3

Eyesight: There is an acupuncture point in the ear-lobe which relates to eyesight, so pirates wore earrings to improve their vision

Sea-sickness: Sea sickness is brought about by a miniscule imbalance, and an earring in one ear corrects that imbalance.

Portable wealth: A gold hoop in the ear would be a relatively safe way of transporting one's wealth around.

Funeral expenses: Earrings were worn to pay for a funeral if the pirate drowned and his body washed up ashore.

Funeral expenses 2: Earrings were worn to pay the ship's cooper to make a barrel to transport the pirate's preserved body home in, so he would not be buried at sea or in foreign lands

Funeral expenses 3: Earrings were worn to ensure that the pirate did not die a pauper and had at least some wealth to pay for his funeral.

Mark of a voyage: Pirates wore earrings to signify that they had made a particular voyage, common ideas are going south of the Equator or rounding Cape Horn.

Although all of the above theories (and the many many others) seem to make sense, and often have the opinions of some serious scholar or other behind them, they are all easy to prove wrong. For example, I have two earrings and terrible eyesight, plus there is no evidence that pirates knew about acupuncture. I also know people with earrings who suffer from seasickness. Then consider the cost of a gold earring compared to the cost of a funeral or barrel - to suggest that the earring was used to pay for anythin after death is ridiculous. Perhaps the most attractive of the theories outlined is that an earring on a sailor was the mark of one voyage or another, but again there is no evidence whatsoever that that was the case, and nobody seems to be able to decide which voyage (even the modern day sailors who assert that "it is still the tradition...").

The real reason pirates wore earrings (if they did at all) was probably far simpler:

Fashion: pirates wore earrings because they were fashionable.

Answer 4

There are two equally valid trains of thought. On many pirate ships, there was no known marking to identify rank, you were just supposed to know it if you were on the ship, so earrings were optional and anyone could have as many as they want. The other train of thought is that rings denoted rank, with many being a higher rank and one being a lesser rank, size of each ring and the metal it was made from also had bearing on rank. (Iron would be cheap, silver more expensive, and gold the most expensive/highest ranking). Do whatever you feel like, but make sure the earrings are simple unadorned bands. Pirates didn't wear butterflies.

Answer 5

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Why did Pirates wear earrings?

Answer 6

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I think I would wear big hoops in my lobes and one smaller hoop halfway up the cartilage on one ear. I don't really think it matters for a female pirate but I'd go with at lest 2. Good luck!

Answer 7

I dont know why they where them but I hear it cost a buck-an-ear to get em pireced.
What do you call a pedophile pirate?
AARRRRGGH Kelly!!

Answer 8

It was to pay for their grave (not uncommon). They would buy gold and fashion it into a ring for their ear. There would be enough value in the 'earring', to pay for their burial.

Answer 9

It was some tradition of having your ear pierced when you crossed the equator. Still exists, too.

Answer 10

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