A woman has shared the reason why pirates wore eye patches - and it's not because they had lost an eye. People are now questioning everything they know
If you were asked to draw a pirate right now, you'd most likely sketch a character with a wooden leg, hook for an arm, a large hat and an eye patch.
From our childhood days, learning about the fearsome Blackbeard to the tales of Captain Hook, we all have a certain image of what pirates should look like. But it seems many people's childhood perceptions are being shattered - as one woman has shared a piece of information that will make you question everything you thought you knew.
Online content creator Chelsey Edwards claims that pirates didn't wear eye patches because they were missing an eye. In a TikTok video captioned 'my whole childhood is ruined', she revealed: "Do you want to know what I found out today? The reason why pirates wear eye patches is not because they've lost an eye in battle, or it's been prodded out by someone's hook. Because I don't know about you, growing up I always thought they had a patch because they were missing an eye.
"But no, apparently the reason is super clever. So they have an eyepatch over one eye, so that all they can see on that eye is dark. So when they are up above the ship they are seeing with their eye in the light, and when they go below deck they switch it over so that their eye is immediately adjusted to the dark."
Chelsey wasn't the only one surprised by this revelation, with one person commenting: "Thats very clever, thank you for educating me!"
@chelseyedwards_13 Please tell me no one else knew this?! #fyp #viral #todayyearsold #pirate ♬ original sound - Chelsey.E
One person commented: "So I've been squinting all these years going in and out the house in summer when I could of just worn an eye patch." Another added: "Wow, I was today years old,".
The theory was put to the test by Mythbusters, who found it plausible. They were sent into a dark room with light-accustomed eyes and asked to complete certain tasks.
Due to the darkness, the tasks proved challenging. However, when they entered a similarly dark room with one eye that had been covered for 30 minutes, they managed to complete the tasks much quicker.