The famous skull and crossbones pirate flag seen in Hollywood movies and other works of fiction has become an integral part of our popular culture. However, the Jolly Roger wasn’t actually used by real pirates until late in the 17th century. The skull and crossed bones motif was the most common symbol on pirate flags, but they often contained other elements as well. Many pirates also flew different designs on their flags depending on the type of pirate they were.Find out:ultimateflags.com
Whether the pirates were privateers, warship captains or raiders, their flags all had a similar purpose – to frighten and scare passing ships into surrendering without a fight. Most pirate flags were dark colors like black or red with gruesome imagery to make the message clear that they would not give any quarter if attacked or boarded. Skeletons, bloody hearts, swords, and curved-bladed cutlasses were all commonly seen on pirate flags.
Raise the Jolly Roger: Pirate Flags – Jolly Roger Flags Collection
Emanuel Wynne, a Breton pirate who sailed in the Caribbean in the early 17th century, is credited with flying one of the first known Jolly Rogers. His flag featured a skull with crossed bones over an hourglass, indicating to anyone who saw it that time was running out and their fate could be as dire as the pirates’.
In 2013, Pirates fan Jeff Love was asked by security to put a Jolly Roger on his chair at a game. Love had been a Pirates season ticket holder for over 20 years and wanted to show his love for the team. The head of security granted him his wish as long as he didn’t wave it during game action and did not hit anyone. Love took his Jolly Roger to every home game that year and was joined by hundreds of other fans.
