6. There Was A Secret To Maintaining Blackbeard’s Terrifying Facial Hair
Born Edward Teach, Blackbeard was arguably a terrifying pirate in the world and he built his reputation on hemp. In the early eighteenth century, Blackbeard captained the Queen Anne’s Revenge but before capturing that ship or any other 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.
7. Most Pirates Enjoyed A Good Hostage Situation, Some Even Managed To Nab Julius Caesar
Pirates haunted the seas since humans first invented boats and they’ve captured their share of famous hostages. In 75 BCE, pirates captured Julius Caesar but when they only asked for a ransom of 20 talents, Caesar laughed in their faces and told them he was worth at least 50. While he was held captive, Caesar serenaded the pirates with poetry. Once his ransom was paid, though, Caesar had the pirates crucified as punishment.
8. Pirates Doubled As Mixologists – They 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 sometime 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 (it helped prevent scurvy) and sugar (it tasted good). Theirs was a drink that packed a punch.
9. Pirates Had All Kinds of Superstitions About Their Earrings
The earring might be the most famous piece of pirate jewelry; they were certainly very practical. The sea buccaneers were quite superstitious about the hoops, though, and there were many myths about the earrings’ otherworldly abilities. One tale claimed that they could prevent seasickness 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.
10. 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, William 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’s a good reason why most pirates didn’t bury their treasure; most of their booty 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 in the ground so pirates used them immediately or sold them.
Aren’t these Pirate facts very interesting? Did you know about any of them? Well, I didn’t. These amazing facts got me goosebumps. Look at this article, 25 Brutal Ways Of Torturing That Will Give Goosebumps!
