Feature films and authoritative historical sources are evidence of pirates wearing earrings. Researchers are considering various versions of following this tradition.
Safety insurance
The pirate's activity is full of dangers encountered in swimming. Naval battles and diseases significantly reduced life expectancy. Everything that was mined was spent on land in taverns, in gambling. Burrowing a treasure was not a guarantee of security either, since the pirate might not have returned after him.
Guided by these circumstances, the pirates carried their property on themselves. To do this, a hole was made in a gold coin, which was worn on the neck. Their fingers were decorated with massive rings, ears and earrings. This method served as a guarantee that they will be adequately buried, regardless of where they lose their lives. Precious metal was a solid insurance policy. Gold and silver can be paid everywhere in the world. There is also an assumption that the product allowed to show its well-being.
Historians version
Researchers working on the topic of why corsairs had jewelry in their ears have their own opinion on this. They believe that this right is assigned to experienced sailors. One of the merits was considered the intersection of the equator. Also, this right was assigned to those who circled Cape Horn. It is believed that the product symbolizes the ship taken.
Interesting fact: The history of this jewelry, which at first was masculine rather than feminine, began 7 thousand years ago. At various times, it was worn by representatives of the nobility, corsairs. An earring in the ear is a sign of an experienced sailor. Gold items wore the highest ranks. The remaining corsairs wore earrings, which are made of copper, bronze and silver.
Earring as a talisman
When considering this issue, researchers put forward the version that the earring served as a talisman. If you adhere to this point of view, then the hole in the earlobe eliminated motion sickness. Gold served as a magical defense. There is also an opinion that the earring was used as earplugs protecting the eardrum from loud noise. They did not allow sailors to deafen from gunfire.
An interesting fact: considering in detail the versions that scientists adhere to, it becomes clear that the earring did not act as an attribute of an individual corsair. Some wore it, others did not. This is because the pirate adhered to his clothing preferences.
Also, historians emphasize that until the XVIII century on the shore adhered to certain regulations regarding clothing. Ordinary people had the right to wear only clothes that are prescribed by law. Confirmation of this fact is the law adopted in England, according to which a ban was imposed on the stronger sex to wear jewelry. In case of non-compliance with the norms prescribed in the legislation, sanctions were applied to citizens.Therefore, it is considered the assumption that the corsairs who wore bright clothes acted against generally accepted rules.
Stereotype
When considering this issue in detail, scientists agree that the pirates probably did not wear earrings at all. Reliably no one knows what clothes they had. This performance was taken thanks to the artist Howard Pyle. He painted corsairs in illustrations for children's books.
An example of his appearance was the Spanish bandits. In connection with this, the clothing of the filibusters Pyle served shirts. In their appearance there was a bright palette of shawls and jewelry. The images made by the artist were taken into account when the selection of costumes for the filming of art paintings took place.
The subject of earrings in the ear of pirates is in the field of view of researchers who hold different opinions. Most pirates believed that the earring served as a talisman. It protects against various dangerous situations. Also, the product was considered a distinctive feature of experienced pirates. There is an opinion that such an image appeared due to illustrations to the children's books of the artist Pyle. When considering various versions, the general features of their image can be emphasized.