Flags

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Were there real pirate flags? Yes! They were not ancient myths or legends! Pirate flags were not introduced in pirate movies! Pirate flags were not the figments of imagination from writers like Robert Louis Stevenson who wrote Treasure Island. Pirates flew real pirate flags! The real pirate flags were customized for a specific pirate captain and crew such as the real pirate flags flown by Blackbeard and Calico Jack Rackham. Every pirate ship wanted to fly its own version of a pirate flag! Pirate Flags History The most famous of the pirate flags was the 'Jolly Roger' but there was many other different designs and pirate flags. Flags were used by legitimate sailing vessels. During the great age of exploration, it was imperative to be able to distinguish enemy ships from friendly ships. The Elizabethan English ships sailed with flags showing the National emblem such as the Tudor Rose whilst the Spanish ships were distinguished by Catholic crosses. The history of flags developed and National flags were adopted. Pirates had their own Code of Conduct and their own traditions. Adopting their own pirate flags was a natural progression in the pirate culture and history. The pirate flags were used to wage 'Psychological warfare' on their enemies. Pirate flags were designed to threaten, intimidate and spread fear & dread amongst all that encountered the pirate. Pirate flags history was an important element in building the fearsome reputation of the pirate vessels. The Colors of Pirate Flags - the Red Pirate Flags and the Black Pirate flags. The background colors of real pirate flags were either red or black. Although black is most associated with pirate flags, the very first pirate flags were in fact red! The colors of red and black both held symbolic significance. The early pirates sailed under the Red Flags. The color red in pirate flags symbolized bloodshed. Red pirate flags also symbolized a warning. The red pirate flags were a symbol that little or no quarter (mercy) would be given. The pirates were looking for an early surrender and an easy conquest through fear and intimidation. The French name for the red flag was the Jolie Rouge (a cynical term translated as Pretty Red). Black pirate flags quickly replaced the red pirate flags. It was a natural progression for the pirates. The color black symbolized death. Black flags were traditionally flown on Plague ships as a warning to other ships. The pirates flew under flags called the 'banner of King Death'. The black and red pirate flags were further embellished with more graphic symbols of death...

Pirate Skull Flags - the Skull and Crossbones
The pirate flags were designed to threaten, intimidate and spread fear & dread amongst all that encountered the pirate ships. The black pirate flags were further embellished by other graphic symbols of death and destruction:
The Skull
Crossed bones - crossbones
A Skeleton
Spears
Swords
Cutlass
An Hourglass (indicating the enemies time was up)

Clothing or Apparel associated with pirates and the initials of the Pirate captain

Pirates believed to be those flying the "skull and crossbones" were Edward England and Edward Teach - Blackbeard. Skull and crossbones are still a modern symbol used as a warning for something that is dangerous or deadly, usually poison.

Jolly Roger Pirate Flags
The Jolly Roger is the general name given to pirate flags. The Jolly Roger is the most famous of all pirate flags.
Description of the Jolly Roger Pirate flag
Black Background
White graphic on the center of the black flag picturing a white skull
Underneath the skull are two crossed bones (crossbones)
The Jolly Roger pirate flags are also called the Skull and Crossbones
There are a number of theories about the origin of the Jolly Roger name - the truth is that its probably a combination of most of them!
The Jolly Roger was derived from the English pronunciation of the 'Jolie Rouge'
The Jolly Roger was a derivation of word rogue describing a vagabond, beggar or thief
The Jolly Roger was a derivation of the English colloquialism 'Old Roger' which was an English slang term for the Devil

The Pirate Flags of Calico Jack Rackham
The Pirate flags of Calico Jack Rackham included the picture of a skull with crossed cutlasses on a black background.

The Pirate Flags of John Avery (aka Avary)
The pirate flags of John Avery (AKA Every, Long Ben) the included the skull and crossbones. The skull was further embellished with an earring and a bandana, which was strongly associated with traditional Pirate Clothing.

The Pirate Flags of Blackbeard
Blackbeard is one of the most famous and notorious pirates of all time. His pirate flag featured a skeleton holding an hourglass in one hand, a spear in the other hand standing beside a bleeding heart.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

The Jolly Roger, Old Roger, or just plain Skull and Crossbones is the definitive symbol of the pyrate. Although no one knows for certain, it is believed that the name derives from joli rouge, which means "Pretty Red" in French. This was taken to describe the blood red flags flown by particularly harsh pyrates. No matter where the name came from, the essential use of this banner was to strike fear into the hearts of the crew under pyrate attack. While pyrates often flew "false colours" of any given country, inevitably they used "truer" colours to communicate and threaten potential victims.
Around 1700 the first such flag was flown by Emmanuel Wynne as he plundered the Caribbean. In general, a white flag was flown when pyrates were in chase of a potential victim. In some cases the victim would "strike his colours", or take down the king's flag and submit to the bandits. If the victims refused, the black and white flag was raised to indicate the intentions of the pyrates. In the event that a ship was particularly evasive, or a pyrate was particularly brutal, the red flag was raised to indicate that no quarter would be given once the ship was captured. In short no lives would be spared. The flags contained symbols designed to indicate a certain message. Of course, the skull was a sign of death in general, but a skeleton, often with horns, was to indicate a tormented death. On the otherhand, a dart or spear was used to indicate a violent death in contrast to the bleeding heart denoting a slow and painful death. A raised fist or hand clutching a dagger or cutlass was to indicate a general willingness to kill and the hourglass gave a threat that time was running out or that capture was inevitable. Curiously, Blackbeard managed to incorporate practically every one of these main symbols into his flag. Jack Rackham (Calico Jack) used a graceful set of crossed swords in place of bones to boast ironically of his willingness to fight. Similarly, Thomas Tew took the image of the sword before that of death. In his flag, no symbol of death is present, but the message is no less clear regarding the fate of any who opposed his advance. Sir Thomas Tew seemed to think it more polite to suggest violence without that nasty death image. These images were, of course, interpretive, but well known in the golden age of pyracy. A flag could be a simple variation like Henry Every's (page top) skull at a profile, or it could be all inclusive like Stede Bonnet's rather bland jumble of images. As was the case often, a flag could be altered or customized to fit a particular need. In the case of Bartholomew Roberts (Black Bart) his "principle" colours showed him toasting death with an ambiguous glass of drink or an hourglass (pun intended for sure!). After a long hard time of pyratin' Black Bart came to hate the islands of Barbados and Martinique. To show his vendetta he crafted another flag showing him astride two skulls and the letters "ABH" and "AMH". The letters were to indicate "A Barbadian's Head" and "A Martinician's Head". While it is unclear if Bart ever got his Barbadian, in 1720 he hung the governor of Martinique from his yardarm.