There Was A Secret To Maintaining Blackbeard's Terrifying Facial Hair - Using Hemp Kept It In Frightening Shape
[ranking: 5]
Born Edward Teach, Blackbeard was arguably the most 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.
Pirates Doubled As Mixologists - They Created A Drink That Prevented Certain Diseases
[ranking: 8]
Credit for the invention of grog goes to sailors in the British Navy, who first started making the drink some time 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). Their's was a drink that packed a punch.
No One Ever Wanted To See The Bloody Red Pirate Flag
[ranking: 4]
The Jolly Roger flag that flew from pirate masts was terrifying but the most dreaded sea flag was red. A ship hoisting a red flag warned its enemies that no mercy would be given to a captured ship; everyone on board would be killed immediately.
The red flag was sometimes called the ??Bloody Red?? and if it replaced a skull and crossbones flag, the pirates under siege might sometimes jump ship.
The Jolly Roger Is The Best Known Pirate Flag But It Has Many Variations
[ranking: 13]
The Jolly Roger black flag with a skull and crossbones might be the best known pirate insignia but there are multiple versions of that banner. The first mention of the Jolly Roger came from the 1724 book, A General History of the Pyrates, by Charles Johnson.
Blackbeard??s flag, for example, featured a skeleton toasting the devil while spearing a bleeding heart. Others had red skeletons, hourglasses, or even men standing on skulls.
Ladies Liked To Pirate Too
[ranking: 11]
Women also took to the seas to make their fortunes. One pair, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, sailed together on the pirate ship Revenge in 1720. Anne Bonny even served as first mate. Some, like Mary Read, chose to dress as men to hide their identities.
Unfortunately, their ship was captured and both women ended up in jail. Bonny blamed their captain, Calico Jack, and reportedly cursed him in prison, saying, ??Sorry to see you there, but if you'd fought like a man, you would not have been hang'd like a Dog."
Pirates Had All Kinds of Superstitions About Their Earrings
[ranking: 9]
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 sea sickness 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.
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