13 Bizarre Pirate Traditions Most People Don't Know About

Pirates have a reputation for being ruthless bloodthirsty killers. They also developed some strange habits that made them infamous. Just like the Vikings who created odd rituals, pirates used codes to govern their lives on the high sea. Their code was an agreement among marauders that established a sort of law among the lawless.

Pirate Earrings Served A Practical Purpose

Pirate ships were outfitted with numerous cannons. Cannonballs were accompanied by a loud blast and were known to deafen. Pirates would hang wads of wax from their earrings to prevent this sound damage. They popped the waxy contraptions into their ears like a makeshift earplug when firing cannons.

Pirates spent their lives on the high seas but they didn't want to spend death at the bottom of an ocean. The infamous pirate earrings were actually insurance to make sure that they'd be given a proper burial. Whether gold or silver, the precious metal could be melted down and sold to pay for a casket and other funeral necessities even if a pirate's dead body washed ashore. Some pirates went so far as to engrave the name of their home port on the inside of the earrings so their bodies could be sent there for proper burial.

There were many myths about the otherworldly properties of pirate earrings. One tale claimed that they could prevent sea sickness while another suggested that the precious metals could cure bad eyesight. Many pirates believed that a gold earring could prevent a man from drowning, but that myth was disproved a number of times.

No One Ever Wanted To See The Pirate Flag

The Jolly Roger flag that flew from pirate masts was terrifying but the most dreaded sea flag was red. A ship hoisting a red flag warned its enemies that no mercy would be given to a captured ship. Everyone on board would be killed immediately. The red flag was sometimes called the Bloody Red and if it replaced a skull and crossbones flag, the pirates under siege might sometimes jump ship.

Pirates Weren’t All Missing An Eye—the Patches Had Another Purpose

Some pirates were definitely missing eyes. Other pirates wore eye patches for different reasons. By wearing an eye patch, they could always keep one eye adjusted to night vision. Pirates spent a lot of time going from the bright light above deck to the darkness below deck, especially when they were raiding ships or defending their own. If he lifted his patch before going below deck, a pirate could instantly see even if there was only a little light.

A Secret To Maintaining Blackbeard's Terrifying Facial Hair

Born Edward Teach, Blackbeard was arguably the most terrifying pirate in the world and he built his reputation on hemp. In the early eighteenth century, before Blackbeard captured any ship he'd weave hemp into his long dark beard and under his captain hat. Once he lit the hemp on fire, smoke billowed out from his face and made his opponents fear for their lives. In addition to his burning beard, Blackbeard also wore a crimson coat and carried at least two swords, pistols, and knives at all times.

Insurance Payments For Injured Pirates Came Out Of Everyone's Loot

Although experts debate just how democratic pirate groups were, they were surprisingly progressive when it came to the spoils of their enterprises. They created a sort of insurance fund for injured pirates. This meant that if a member of a group become injured, they were still able to reap the benefits of a successful campaign. Individual group charter articles identified the amount of loot to be paid to injured pirates. Spoils were gathered together in the aftermath of an attack. Injured pirates all received the amount specified in their charter, and the rest of the group divided the remainder among themselves.

Pirates Created A Drink That Prevented Certain Diseases

Credit for the invention of grog goes to sailors in the British Navy who first started making the drink some time in the 1600s. To avoid drinking slimy water contaminated with algae and microbes, the sailors mixed rum into their water. In 1731, the British Navy gave each sailor half a pint of rum per day. That was equivalent to over five shots of alcohol. Pirates borrowed the recipe for grog and made it legendary by adding lemon juice which helped prevent scurvy and sugar for a better taste.

Pirates Could Be Upstanding Members Of The Land-Side Community

The prevailing image of pirates has them as swashbuckling, lawless individuals who sail in groups on the open ocean and were despised by those who lived on land. But, while they were prone to violence and did exist mostly on the seas, pirates could still participate in family and community activities on land. There are records of prominent pirates, such as Captain Kidd, contributing to social organizations on land as "prominent members of Colonial society." For example, Captain Kidd helped found Trinity Episcopal Church and also commissioned a pew in the church specifically for his family.

Most Pirates Didn't Bury Their Treasure

Even though it's easy to picture a pirate burying treasure on a tropical island, only one pirate, Captain Kidd, was ever recorded as having buried treasure. Kidd deposited his loot off the coast of Long Island but the scheme backfired when an ally dug up the trove and used it as proof to convict Kidd of piracy.

There Were Women Pirates, Too

Women also took to the seas to make their fortunes. One pair, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, sailed together on the pirate ship Revenge in 1720. Anne Bonny even served as first mate. Some, like Mary Read, chose to dress as men to hide their identities. Unfortunately, their ship was captured and both women ended up in jail.

Walking The Plank Was Mostly A Myth

While there is some evidence pirates did use walking the plank as a form of psychological torture, there is not enough evidence to prove it was a widespread practice. It became popular thanks to the rise of pirates in entertainment in the 19^th Century. There were plenty of other ways pirates killed people, and some of it involved forms of torture. But for the most part, anyone they wanted to execute was killed quickly and swiftly.

The Most Famous Pirates Probably Weren't The Most Successful Pirates

In a strange but sensible irony, the pirates whose names have made their way through the decades of history to the present day probably weren't the most successful pirates. The pirates whose names we know were the ones who were captured and tried in court. The court proceedings were published making their exploits legendary.

Pirates Mostly Stole Booze and Weapons

There's a good reason why most pirates didn't bury their treasure. Unlike what was shown in movies, most of their loot wasn't gold and jewels. Pirates typically stole food, alcohol, and weapons, in addition to lumber, cloth, and animal hides—essentially whatever ships might be carrying across the Atlantic. Those goods weren't worth much if buried so pirates used them immediately or sold them.

Marooning People Was A Real Thing

Pirates did actually maroon people on isolated land masses when they did something wrong. It was considered one of the worst ways to die, because it was slow. Typically those marooned were disgraced pirates who violated the rules of a ship. He would be placed on an isolated sandbar with just the clothes on his back, a small portion of water, and a weapon. Pirates who were marooned had the option to kill themselves with their weapon, but it was widely considered cowardly. Some men actually managed to survive being marooned if they were rescued by a different pirate crew, but that was very rare.