Why do pirates love earrings so much? If you pay close attention to them then you will see that they do have a tendency to wear earrings, but surely they were not doing it just because they loved it as a fashion accessory? Of course not, but then it does beg the question as to why they wore them and it seems that there are several theories that are being banded around.

The first theory is that it meant they were always able to pay for their burial as their earrings would be in either silver or gold and both were accepted forms of currency. Also, during the centuries where piracy was rife, the act of wearing earrings was regarded as being a sign of rebellion. There were actually a number of locations where ‘common people’ were banned from wearing any jewelry in public so the fact that they then went ahead and did so showed what they thought of the rules and laws of the time.

Finally, there are some who argue that the wearing of earrings was not as common as we like to think. They argue that it was down to a drawing in the 19th century where a pirate was depicted and the idea of them wearing earrings just grew and developed.

So, which theory do you prefer?