The Bloody History of Pirate Flags

If you were thinking that Pirate Flags are just something made up for the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean‘ movies, or are just a figment of the imagination, you would be very much mistaken! Pirate Flags are REAL! In fact, the actual flag used on the ‘Black Pearl’ in the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ movies is the flag of Calico Jack Rackham which features a skull with crossed cutlasses. Every Pirate ship carried its own unique version of the flag, created for the ship’s Captain and Crew.

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During the age of exploration, it was important to be able to distinguish between friendly ships and those of enemy Pirate ships. Pirate flags were used as a way of intimidating and threatening anyone who encountered the Pirates and played a big part in creating a fearsome reputation for the ship.

Thought that pirate flags were always black, right? Wrong… the original flags flown by early Pirates were actually RED!

Both black and red flags carried a significant message. As you might have guessed, the red flags early pirates sailed under represented Bloodshed and a warning, and meant that no quarter would be given to those who crossed paths with the ship. The Pirates hoped that the sight of this flag would cause early surrender and an easy conquest. Black flags were traditionally used on Plague ships as a warning to others, so the progression to Black flags for Pirates was natural as it already represented Death. The Pirates called this the ‘Banner of King Death’.

The flags were then made more elaborate and unique by using other symbols of death or violence, such as Skull and Crossbones, a Cutlass or even an Hourglass which meant the enemies time was up! Probably the most well-known Pirate of them all, no not Jack Sparrow, Blackbeard was thought to have flown under a black flag that featured a skeleton standing next to a bleeding heart, holding an hourglass in one hand and a spear in the other! Nice ay…

Most Pirate flags are generally known as ‘Jolly Rogers’ or ‘Skull and Crossbones’. It is relatively easy to see where the name Skull and Crossbones comes from but there are several possibilities for the derivation of the name Jolly Roger. The most probable of these are; the English pronunciation of the French term ‘Jolie Rouge’ (Red Flag). It is also thought it could have originated from the word Rouge, meaning thief, beggar, or vagabond. The final theory is that it came from the phrase ‘Old Roger’ which was an English slang term for the Devil.

So what impact does this have and what can we use this information for? Well, with the continued rise of the popularity of Pirates and the increase in the number of Pirate themed events and parties, it’s now possible to theme your party to your favourite Pirate captain or Pirate Flag.

Most fancy dress or part stores and online retailers will offer you a selection of Pirate flags, normally restricted to generic skull and crossbones against a black background and you my have to shop further afield to find a good selection of pirate flags but they do exit. And if your costume supplier is unable to offer you a selection, try the many specialist flag suppliers operating on the internet.