Pirates and earrings

[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