Pirates commonly wore eye patches to keep one eye adapted to the dark.
the verdict
CONTESTED
contested - evenly split
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
1 source for · 1 against
AS REPORTEDno primary record reached; this is what the reporting says
While some popular sources claim pirates wore eye patches to keep one eye adapted for darkness below deck, reference sources dispute this and note that the trope springs primarily from fiction.
Pirates and Buried Treasure, Secrets, Strange Tales, and Hidden Facts About Pirates Stephanie Bearce. dim and dark. Smart pirates wore a patch over one eye to keep it adapted to the dark. When he went below deck, the pirate would switch the ...
Pirates of the Golden Age had to deal with scurvy, fight ferocious battles, and eat everything from monkeys to snakes to sea turtles, but you won't learn that in your history books! Discover the truth about Anne Bonny, the Irish woman who was a true Pirate of the Caribbean, and the secrets of Blackbeard and the daring pirate Cheng I Sao. Then learn how to talk like a pirate and make a buried treasure map for your friends. It's all part of the true stories from the Top Secret Files: Pirates and Buried Treasure. Take a look if you dare, but be careful! Some secrets are meant to stay hidden . . . Ages 9-12
No. The archetypal pirate in your picture is based primarily on one memorable pirate film based on a work of fiction. The meme springs almost entirely from fictional sources and not from shared characteristics of notable historical (or modern) pirates. In films, books, cartoons, and toys, pirates often have an unrefined appearance that symbolizes the rogue personality and adventurous, seafaring lifestyle. They are frequently depicted as greedy, mean-spirited, and concentrated only on fighting enemy pirates and locating hidden treasure. They are often shown wearing shabby 17th or 18th century clothing , with a bandana or a feathered tricorne . They sometimes have an eye patch and almost always have a cutlass and a flintlock pistol, or some other sword or gun. They sometimes have scars and battle wounds, rotten or missing teeth (suggesting the effects of scurvy), as well as a hook or woode