A BRIEF HISTORY OF PIRATE FLAGS!

 
A Ship spots another Ship coming towards it flying the ‘Jolly Roger’ it means only one thing! Yes! Pirates!

Pirates used there flags to spread fear and by this fact their Victims gave up without a fight! (this made it a lot easier for the Pirates).

The most common name for a Pirate Flag was the ’Jolly Roger’. There are several reasons for it being called this. The most popular being The Red Flag originally taken from British Maritime traditions (but now meaning bloodshed) and this was a corruption of the French word ‘Jolie Rouge’.

A Black Flag symbolised death and to make it more fearsome pictures were slowly added over time, Skull and crossbones taken from Gravestones, an hourglass (your times up), spears (meaning a violent death) and hearts were incorporated.

Many Famous Pirates had their own designed Flag. Some even had several variations of their Flag.

The most popular Flag everyone knows is the white Skull and Crossbones on a black background.

Today the British Submarine Service fly's a Pirate Flag on its conning tower in the event of a successful mission!