When most people think of Pirate Flags they envision the famous skull and crossbones on a black background known as the Jolly Roger. However, while the Jolly Roger may seem jovial, in it’s day pirate flags had one very serious purpose: to send an unambiguous message that the pirates were coming and anyone who did not surrender would be killed or seriously injured.Find out:https://ultimateflags.com/collections/pirate-flags-jolly-roger-flags/

Unlike soldiers who fight for their country, pirates wanted to avoid bloody, close-contact fighting whenever possible and used their flags as a way of waging war from a distance. They hoped to scare and intimidate passing merchant ships into surrendering, rather than facing a long and bloody battle.

In order to distinguish themselves from other pirates and to make their flag more effective, many pirates added designs to the simple all-black or crimson flags they flew. These could include skeletons, fire, weapons (swords, knives, and daggers), hourglasses of time, naked figures, blood and hearts, etc.

Unraveling the Symbolism of Pirate Flags

Generally, pirates did not use their national flag but instead flew the flag of the country that granted them a letter of marque or privateering commission. This practice was especially common among Caribbean buccaneers and allowed them to give the appearance of attacking under a nation’s authority.

The Jolly Roger, as most know, became a very recognizable symbol after Black Bart, the most successful pirate of the Golden Age, used his own version. This depicted him standing on two skulls named A Barbadian Head and A Martiniquian’s Head to express his hatred for the Caribbean islands that he used as bases of operations for his raids.