The Pirate Flag

History of Pirate Flags

During the period of great explorations and expeditions, flags were used by legitimate vessels for identification. These were used to distinguish friendly vessels from hostile ones. For instance, the Elizabethan ships would distinguish themselves by sailing with flags bearing national emblems such as the Tudor Rose. Spanish ships, on the other hand, were distinguished by crosses. Eventually, the adoption of national flags became standard for sailing vessels for easier identification and solidarity.

Pirates have also adopted their own flags. This was to intimidate and wage psychological wars against their enemies rather than for identification. These flags were specifically designed to threaten and spread fear and dread to their prey.

Pirates earn their wages by capturing other ships and getting ransom out of their captives. Engaging in battle against their opponents would risk the cargo and the ship they intend to possess. A battle could also put their lives at risk. Pirates often prefer to engage in psychological warfare first and resort to coercion and physical violence only when necessary.

Pirates often use the “ruse de guerre” to trick ships to approach them before they declare their true intentions. As they approach, the pirates fly the national flag of the ship they intend to confiscate to signify friendship. When the target ship is within range, the pirates hoist their flags and declare their intentions, catching their prey off guard.

Pirate Flag Colors

Although pirate flags are easily associated with black, the first pirate flags were actually red. During the late 17 th century, English privateers flew the Red Jack by orders of the Admiralty. Many of these privateers turn to piracy with the end of the War of Spanish Succession. Some of these privateers-turned-pirates retained the red flag as it signifies blood. This pirate standard eventually became known as the “jolie rouge”. As much as the black standard is dreaded by all seamen, the “jolie rouge” sends extreme fear to anyone who sees it. This flag when raised sends out a warning—no life would be spared, no quarter (mercy) would be granted.

It was only natural for pirates to progress into using black standards, as black is the color of death and easily implies threat. Black flags were flown by plague ships and they were flown to warn other ships of their cargo. Pirates flying under a black standard are said to be sailing under the banner of death

Pirate Skull Flags

As pirate flags are designed to spread fear and intimidation amongst all those who encountered it, black pirate flags were embellished with other graphic symbols of death and violence. Some of the symbols that were used are:

Jolly Roger Pirate Flags

Jolly Roger is the name generally used to refer to any pirate flag. The most popularized Jolly Roger today is the “Skull and Crossbones”. It appears as:

This design was used by four infamous pirate captains, namely:

There are a number of theories on how the name came about. Some of these well-known theories state the following:

Flags of Famous Pirates


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