Ahoy Mateys! Discover Top 11 Fun Pirate Facts for Curious Preschoolers

1. Indestructible Pirate Cookies

Ever heard of the pirate's secret recipe for cookies as tough as their reputations? Forget grandma's soft, chewy cookies – pirates preferred their biscuits hard as a rock and completely tasteless: Enter hardtack, the fascinatingly bland biscuit made from stone-ground whole wheat flour and water, then baked into submission. Its indestructible nature meant it could last for months during those endless sea voyages, once the crew members finally found a way to soften it up in a stew for consumption. Now that's what we call a survival snack!
Source => tampabayhistorycenter.org

2. Sing-Along Sea Shanties

Ahoy there, Mateys! Ever wondered how pirates kept up the high spirits during their swabbing and rigging, without a trusty Spotify playlist? We're here to shed some light on their musical mystique: Pirates sang sea shanties that not only kept them entertained, but also helped them synchronize their work and improve efficiency aboard the ship, with different shanty types for various tasks. Now that's some seaworthy synergy!
Source => pirateshipvallarta.com

Did you know that knights in the late 13th and early 14th centuries needed their squires' help to lift their armor just to use the restroom? Discover this and other amusing facts about the daily challenges of being a knight!

=> Fun Facts about Knights

3. Funeral-Funding Gold Earrings

Ahoy, mateys! Ever wonder why pirates wore those shiny golden earrings? Were they just showing off their bling, or was there more to it? Well, let's dig up some treasure: Pirates sported gold earrings as a way to pay for their funerals if they died at sea, with the jewelry often engraved with their home port so their bodies could be sent back home. Some pirates even believed that wearing a gold earring might protect them from drowning, but alas, science hasn't sailed on board with that one yet!
Source => optimax.co.uk

4. Ladder-Walking Pirates

Ahoy there, mateys! Ever thought walking the plank was as easy as... well, walking the plank? Turns out those sneaky pirates were more into ladders than planks, arrr!: Our beloved pirate practice of "walking the plank" may have actually involved ladders, as described in a 1724 book by Captain Charles Johnson, and later immortalized in classics like Treasure Island.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. Swashbuckling Snoozes in Hammocks

Ahoy, tiny buccaneers! Have you ever rocked a snooze like a true sailor? Picture sleeping in a comfy cradle that sways with the waves, giving you dreams of treasure hunts and friendly sea creatures: Feast your eyepatches on the hammock! This space-saving nautical nap-sack was adored by sailors since the 16th century, and it even hitched a ride to outer space aboard the Apollo spacecraft! No wonder pirates always seemed well-rested – hammocks are a true treasure of the high seas!
Source => medium.com

6. Captain Dwargstof's Chilly Treasure Hunt

Ahoy, me hearties! Captain Dwargstof, the marauder of seals and gold, left the wildest treasure hunt in the cold seas of Alaska: Gregory Dwargstof, a Russian seal poacher, buried around $365 million worth of gold on Adak Island in 1882 after his ship was raided by the U.S. navy. A treasure hunting team now seeks the gold that could change their lives, while a few lucky explorers have already found some shiny tins of coins.
Source => decider.com

7. Pirate Democracy at Sea

Ahoy, mateys! Did you know that pirates had a better sense of democracy than a game of "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" at your cousin's birthday party? That's right: Pirate ships operated under a democratic system where captains were elected by the crew, and decisions were made through a council where every swashbuckler had a say. Transparent and fair, all aboard the jolly democracy!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Black Bart's Strict Pirate Rules

Ahoy, mateys! Did ye know our swashbucklin' brethren once followed rules stricter than a schoolmarm's ruler? Aarrr, ye be right surprised: Pirate Captain Bartholemew Roberts, aka "Black Bart," had a code of conduct for his crew that banned gambling, women, and children on board, while also encouraging tidy weapons, and an 8pm bedtime – with rule-breakers facing marooning or worse, walking the plank!
Source => imagininghistory.co.uk

9. Overindulging in Liquid Treasure

Yo ho ho and a bottle of...too much rum? Pirates loved their liquid treasure more than one might think: They often got so intoxicated during their sea adventures that they couldn't properly defend their ships, leading to easy defeats and lost booty.
Source => pirateshowcancun.com

10. Pirates and Buried Treasure Myths

Did pirates dig themselves into a financial hole? No, not really: Pirates rarely buried their treasure and mainly looted trade goods like spices, cloth, and animal skins, spending any riches quickly in port while also raiding ships for enslaved people and life necessities.
Source => thoughtco.com

11. Eyepatches and Peg Legs Uncovered

Ahoy there, mateys! Ever wonder if pirates wore eyepatches because they were secretly nocturnal superheroes, fighting battles in the dark depths of their ships? Hold on to your parrots and peg legs, because here's the truth: Pirates often wore eyepatches not due to dark-adapted night-fighting, but simply to cover an empty eye socket after losing an eye to injury. As for peg legs, it's likely that such images sprouted from Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, inspired by the American Civil War veterans who actually used these items daily. Mystery solved, shipmates!
Source => historyextra.com