y r pirates usually portrayed with a wooden leg, an eye patched and a hooked hand?

Question

i'hv seen many cartoons and other things where i get to see the sea pirates having one wooden leg, an eye covered with a piece of black cloth and one of their hands being a hook. why so?

Answer 1

Well, probably because famous pirates through the ages wore it like that.
But all seamen of the older days, not just pirates, were very likely to lose an eye or limb in their daily work and if fighting was involved the chances of it happening were even better. Life on deck was hard and dangerous.
Now if you lost an eye, or a leg, wouldn't you use an eyepatch [considering that today's technology didn't exist] or a wooden leg to support yourself.
Hmm, not the greatest answer but the best I can do on short notice :)

Answer 2

pirates back when were not a very clean bunch
if they got cut infection could set in leading to gangrene or some similar ailment that needs the limb to be removed. pirates were also the daredevils of the sea they could have lost a limb to a cannonball, to a sword or a similar bladed weapons or several gunshot wounds

Answer 3

Because if they were portrayed in overalls and a straw hat and holding a pitchfork, you wouldn't recognize them as pirates.

They also usually have parrots, rather than dalmations for the same reason.

Answer 4

It comes from the character Long John Silver in the novel Treasure Island

Answer 5

ac2ly theres a reason why they have eye patches. it lets hem see better in the dark.. because while in the light, the eye wd the patch becomes adjusted to the dark. so when they go to a dark place, they will just switch the patch and the eye wd the patch can see in the dark more clearly. it actually works. this has been proven. for the others i hv no idea,.

Answer 6

You forgot the parrot on the shoulder. But, really these are all myths that have evolved over centuries, individually forming from false accounts, stories, plays, books, etc.

Answer 7

Because most pirates were very accident prone and should never have been allowed around sharp pointy things.

Answer 8

Same reason witches are portrayed with a pointed hat, broomsticks, bad teeth, and warts.

Answer 9

Very primitive Dr. Watson.That is how you also look if you enter into fights every day.