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Why?


algy

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Well originally I think it was to have bit of gold put by for a rainy day and cover the cost of burial. Most pirates are portrayed in that fashion in films etc.

 

These days who knows. The ones that really make me shudder are the ones with those hoops in the ear lobe that you could pass a snooker cue through eeugh!

 

Must say that I have never been one for wearing any sort of jewellery, but that is because I was a machinist and was always worried about it catching in the machines whilst I was working. Which is why to this day I do not wear rings and only occasionally wear the necklace that my better half bought me with the grim reaper pendant on.

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Dunno but.....

I was talking to one chap on Friday night, who had, had his ear lobes holed and discs put in them. The discs were about 2.5"- 3" in diameter. I asked him if he belonged some kind of sect or group. he just laughed and said no it's just for fashion. Odd as it may sound, they did look quite good. He was in his mid 30's.

 

His mate had his head shaved and tatooed all over, just like Queequeg from Moby Dick, and he did look like him.. Little does he know that , that will be his name from now on in the fishing scene :) . And he had two ear rings in each ear. Again, it sort of suited him, and he didn't look out of place. On first glances he looked like a real hard nut. But on speaking to him, he was a bit of a pussycat. They were a couple of nice blokes actually. :)

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I once thought it was because of cold weather -if your ears dropped off they would go "ting" when they hit the pavement, but you might have to have jewelllery on other places if that were the case.

 

So that's why pirates had gold ear-rings - didn't know that.

 

Don't know much modern stuff - but isn't the ear-ring something to do with s**, or preferences in that, for yours truly, a rather redundant pastime.

 

Happy days (quiet nights)

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It doesn't cost much to have a peircing Obs or if you are brave you could do it yourself. :wink:

 

I peirced my own ears twice many moons ago and I did my friends too :oops::lol:

 

As for whether men should have them... it's upto them I suppose although I often think it makes some, especially teenagers, look a bit 'thugish' but maybe that's the idea and older men look a bit daft with ear rings and bling.

 

Anyone got that tin hat that often gets mentioned :lol:

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For a really cheap (ish) ear piecing, just nip down to the local pub have a few whisky (or short of your choice) and stand in front of the dartboard on practice night. Simples :lol::lol::wink:

 

I have had a trawl around the web and found that another reason the pirates pierced their ears was to improve their eyesight. There does seem to be some that say acupuncture of the earlobe will improve your eyesight. :shock:8)

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I found this information:

 

Ear piercing is one of the oldest known forms of body modification, with artistic and written references from cultures around the world dating back to early history. Early evidence of earrings worn by men can be seen in archaeological evidence from Persepolis in ancient Persia. The carved images of soldiers of the Persian Empire, displayed on some of the surviving walls of the palace, show them wearing an ear ring.

 

Other early evidence of earring wearing is evident in the Biblical record. In Exodus 32:1-4, it is written that while Moses was up on Mount Sinai, the Israelites demanded that Aaron make a god for them. It is written that he commanded them to bring their sons' and daughters' earrings to him in order that he might comply with their demand. (ca. 1500 BCE)

 

Among sailors, a pierced earlobe was a symbol that the wearer had sailed around the world or had crossed the equator. In addition, it is commonly held that a gold earring was worn by sailors in payment for a proper burial in the event that they might drown at sea. Should their bodies have been washed up on shore, it was hoped that the earring would serve as payment for "a proper christian burial". Regardless of this expression, the practice predates Christianity and can be traced back as far as ancient Greece where the gold paid the ferryman, Charon, to provide passage across the river Acheron to Hades.

 

Wiki of course. 8)

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