The Pirate Flag

Before the Golden Age of Piracy, there existed the pirate flag - an all encompassing symbol of a pirate. Pirates would be known by their standard and thus many chose special symbols for themselves, each with their own meaning. For instance, the hourglass signaled time while swords represented power or a swift death. The symbols varied but they always served to strike fear in the heart of merchants. Yet even with the many flags they used, the stereotype of the skull and crossbones has never been broken.

Pirates were not limited by one flag and often held many including a red flag to signal no quarter. No quarter meant the crew would be put to death. Ships that refused to surrender and fought to the bitter end would often see such a flag. Many pirates would also use fake flags of friendly and hostile nations to draw up close to target ships before unveiling the pirate flag. The element of surprise combined with the terror that lay in the symbol meant most ships would surrender rather than fight, which was to the pirates benefit as crew and damage could be avoided. For their fearsome reputation pirates were a free and practical lot.

During the time of the pirates, the pirate flag also was called a Jolly Roger. The origin of this name is shrouded in mystery and legend, but likely candidates include a perversion of the French word "joli rogue" meaning beauty and red, and a split off of the devil's nickname "Old Roger." Either way the term would find its way into dictionaries by 1724.

The symbol of piracy still lives on today whether it be in websites like the Pirate Bay or movies like Pirates of the Caribbean. The pirate flag has evolved as stories and movies are told, creating elaborate designs to embellish the tale. The truth is that many of the famous flags are from testimony and recorded in few sources, leaving history to make the interpretation.

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