Mythbusting The Pirate Myths

Everyone thinks that pirates wore eye patches because they became blind in that eye and wanted something spiffy to cover it up. Apparently, it might not be true. Thanks to Iridian Willowglen for showing me an article which said there could have been another reason for it.

According to scientific research, they think it was to help them see better under deck where it's pitch dark. You know when you walk through the dark and then you turn on the light, suddenly you see spots in your eyes, and they might even hurt? Your eyes also need time to adapt from light to dark as well to be able to see in the dark.

They would walk around in the light with the uncovered eye, but when they went down under deck, they would switch eye patches. Then the one that was under the eyepatch was able to see in the dark pretty quickly because it was already covered up. Back and forth. Interesting theory, eh?

Mythbusters had a chance to test this theory and said it was "plausible" that this was the real reason pirates wore eye patches. In my opinion, it could have been one of the many purposes of the eye patch, not the only purpose of it. There's no historical proof it being intended for light and dark eyesight adjustments anyway.

But interestingly enough, Mythbusters have also tested a few other pirate myths.

1. They were able to prove that the cannonball impacts did the most damage to the ship, not the wooden shrapnel from the impact. 

2. They were able to prove that no, it's not easy to have a slow fall while cutting into a sail. This is because sails are not one simple sheet. They are usually sewed together, so if you try to cut into a sail to slow your fall, you will just get stuck on a stitch which is hard to cut through.

3. They were able to prove that rum is NOT a better clothes cleaner than detergent.

Yo ho ho, a pirate's life for me!