Pirates wore gold earrings as advance payment for his own funeral Bashny.Net

famous pirate round earring - is not just a decoration. Firstly, it points to the fact that her vehicle had crossed the equator. Secondly, the earring had utilitarian value, if the pirate died in the sea, gold earring was to serve as payment of his funeral.

The life of a pirate was dangerous, and the chance to disappear somewhere untraceable in battle or in a storm - quite large. The body of the deceased in the sea can in it and the gulf, and can be thrown out on the shore. In this case, the noble pirate expected to be buried according to Christian tradition, paying for it with his earring. The rich man was a robber, the larger and heavy his earring.

Apparently, this custom has its roots in ancient Greek times, when for something to get into the realm of the dead, it was required to pay a penny to Charon for transportation. Pirates want your earrings to pay their Christian funeral to have a chance to get to the light and to stand before the judgment of God.

via factroom.ru