Pirates and earrings

[Capt. William Drake]

Ahoy me hearties!
   I am putting the finishing touches to my pirate garb and I was wondering do gold earrings really make a pirate look good or goofy?  I don't have pierced ears so I would have to use a clip on version if I choose to get one.  Thank you again mates for any and all help.

Yours in service
Capt. William Drake

[isabelladangelo]

The whole earring thing is mostly a Hollywood invention, like most things when it comes to Renn Faires.  If you want to go with the whole Hollywood look, that's fine -but be aware that that's what it is.   

In my experience, clip on earrings tend to be clunky and probably would not be the best look for you if you don't want to look like a goofball.   Or like you stole Grandma's jewelry box, again. 

Remember, a true pirate would have off loaded most of his stolen goods and any blood money he got at the nearest port.   He wouldn't really be wearing his treasure on him.  Why have gold on you when you can spend it for more rum?

[Lady Kett]

At History, Customs & Manners "class" at Scarborough, the Captain of a ship explained one day that he wore a gold earring because that would pay for his funeral.

HCM is an entertaining history class giving visitors some information on the time period (1533) and put on by the cast. The Captain is Latimer Fairfield and I believe he is also a Baron. The cast goes to great lengths to provide accurate historical information in an entertaining format.

I've never tried to research this tidbit, or anything else really, but I do remember it because I immediately thought "Pirate!".

Use this snippet of info in any fashion you see fit!

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

As everyone else has said, go with what you think will finish your pirate look. Many renditions show Pirates with hoops in their ears. Men have been wearing earrings for thousands of years. It was fashionable for Upper Class Noblemen to wear earrings, aprticularly in the left ear.

If you want, get your left ear pierced at least 6 weeks prior to dressing up or have a nice stud put in so that you can turn it and keep it clean, so that later, you can put a fashionable hoop in it.

Just a thought.

[Gauwyn of Bracknell]

As everyone else has said, go with what you think will finish your pirate look. Many renditions show Pirates with hoops in their ears. Men have been wearing earrings for thousands of years. It was fashionable for Upper Class Noblemen to wear earrings, aprticularly in the left ear.

If you want, get your left ear pierced at least 6 weeks prior to dressing up or have a nice stud put in so that you can turn it and keep it clean, so that later, you can put a fashionable hoop in it.

Just a thought.

Were the earrings worn moslty studs or hoops or what?

[Lady Rebecca]

I had heard the same thing as Lady Kett, so I decided to do a quick google search, and this is what I came up with:

http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/why-did-pirates-wear-earrings--1434/
http://www.bonaventure.org.uk/ed/earrings.htm

Interesting!

[DonaCatalina]

Huh, a lot I had never heard before. Well I guess to dangle bits of wax they would almost have to be hoops.

[ArielCallista]

If you do pierce an ear make sure it is your left one...You don't want people giving you a hard time for piercing the "wrong" one...lol

[gem]

As Lady K mentioned, very fashionable for men to wear earrings in period, particularly into the 17th c.:

Pietro Novelli, "Young Man with Earring," 1607



Portraits of King Charles 1:

 

And Charles's actual earring:


More here at this fascinating blog.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Fashiobale men of the 16th Century sporting an earring.


Sir Walter Raliegh


William Shakespeare

[Syrilla]

I don't know if it was mentioned but as an interesting tidbit... From a Dr. that Loved tidbits of history and also studies alternative healing methods.  Having an ear pierced was thought to help fight sea sickness.  Whether one was better than the other, I don't remember.
Now, I have used pressure point beads on my ear for this reason, and it worked.  So?

[groomporter]

I don't know if it was mentioned but as an interesting tidbit... From a Dr. that Loved tidbits of history and also studies alternative healing methods.  Having an ear pierced was thought to help fight sea sickness.  Whether one was better than the other, I don't remember.
Now, I have used pressure point beads on my ear for this reason, and it worked.  So?

There's also a old wives tale that it supposedly helped your eye sight something like an acupuncture point -important to be able to site land/whales/enemy ships...
http://www.imponderables.com/why_did_pirates.php

[Lady L]

Several years ago, when I was doing some research for Capt. R's pirate garb, I found something about pirates that I thought was interesting. It said when a pirate crossed the equator, he got a gold earring. I dont' know if that's a myth or not, but R said when he was in the navy, they said the same thing. Don't have the links, but you could do a search.

[Dinobabe]

I know a lot of cruise ships have a line-crossing party when they cross the equator.  I've heard similar ceremony type things throughout history so it has to have SOME truth in it!

[isabelladangelo]

Several years ago, when I was doing some research for Capt. R's pirate garb, I found something about pirates that I thought was interesting. It said when a pirate crossed the equator, he got a gold earring. I dont' know if that's a myth or not, but R said when he was in the navy, they said the same thing. Don't have the links, but you could do a search.

If you read the link already posted: http://www.bonaventure.org.uk/ed/earrings.htm  -it shows that it's an old wives tale as well.  During the golden age of Piracy -the early 18th Century- earrings weren't fashionable.

[Lady Rebecca]

I know a lot of cruise ships have a line-crossing party when they cross the equator.  I've heard similar ceremony type things throughout history so it has to have SOME truth in it!

If anyone has read the Bloody Jack Adventure novels by L.A. Meyer (which are amazing books, so everyone should go read them right now), the ceremony they have when crossing the equator in The Wake of the Lorelei Lee is far more complex that sticking an earring in ones ear. Of course, it is a novel, not a history book, and she's on an East India Trading Co ship, not a pirate ship, so this whole post could be taken with a grain of salt, if you like.

And in the first book, when the ship's boys do all get earrings (at that point on a Royal Navy ship), they do it to look cool, and to unify themselves.

[Captain Teague]

Fashionable or not, I feel that site states clearly that pirates DID indeed wear earrings at varying times in history. Which makes it an individual choice as to wearing one or not. As I personally wear some 24/7 that's an easy choice for me. 

And while I found the phrase "The whole earring thing is mostly a Hollywood invention, like most things when it comes to Renn Faires." a tad snarky, it is another good point. Faires allow much freedom of expression and poetic licensing with some epic fantasy thrown in. Anyone wishing to go the hard line, strict period, defined fabric, materials,weaponry, etc etc style of garbing would be more suited to the SCA, who have an excellent program of pure period reenactment.

Not my particular cup of tea, I much more enjoy having some free rein. Although as has been mentioned by others elsewhere on this board, I also draw the line at stormtroopers in kilts.

[Gauwyn of Bracknell]

Fashionable or not, I feel that site states clearly that pirates DID indeed wear earrings at varying times in history. Which makes it an individual choice as to wearing one or not. As I personally wear some 24/7 that's an easy choice for me. 

And while I found the phrase "The whole earring thing is mostly a Hollywood invention, like most things when it comes to Renn Faires." a tad snarky, it is another good point. Faires allow much freedom of expression and poetic licensing with some epic fantasy thrown in. Anyone wishing to go the hard line, strict period, defined fabric, materials,weaponry, etc etc style of garbing would be more suited to the SCA, who have an excellent program of pure period reenactment.

Not my particular cup of tea, I much more enjoy having some free rein. Although as has been mentioned by others elsewhere on this board, I also draw the line at stormtroopers in kilts.

Even if it is a 'stormtrooper tartan' ??

[Captain Teague]

I looked really hard, but I can't seem to find any Death Star Kilt pattern registered anywhere. 

However as the Dark Side has recently enacted active policies towards being more attractive to better aid in recruitment they are working on several equipment changes, currently in prototype:

[Butch]

The equator crossing ceremony, at least in the Navy and Marine Corps, changes ones status from "pollywog" to "shellback".
Read about it here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line-crossing_ceremony

Know also that Marines no longer take part in these events, as they are considered hazing.  A sorry state of affairs!

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

I looked really hard, but I can't seem to find any Death Star Kilt pattern registered anywhere.  

However as the Dark Side has recently enacted active policies towards being more attractive to better aid in recruitment they are working on several equipment changes, currently in prototype:

The only piece of garb missing from this Storm Trooper is a Peyton Manning Jesey!    

Not sure where the earrings go though.

[Lady L]

Here's a photo of R, as a pirate, wearing a gold earring. Doesn't matter if it's historical or not, as our faire has a unicorn as their logo and one of the most promoted actors is a fairy. Can you tell if it is a clip on or pierced?

If you want/need to be more historically accurate, that's up to you.

[groomporter]

The equator crossing ceremony, at least in the Navy and Marine Corps, changes ones status from "pollywog" to "shellback".
Read about it here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line-crossing_ceremony

Know also that Marines no longer take part in these events, as they are considered hazing.  A sorry state of affairs!

Pictures of it from my dad's ship during WWII
http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b160/Groomporter/Euryale/CrossingtheEquator/

[arbcoind]

^  I can see why it is considered hazing!

Gina