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Jolly Roger

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pirate flag
For other uses, seeJolly Roger (disambiguation).
Jolly Roger
A typical Jolly Roger flag. This 19th-century Barbary Corsairs flag is one of two known authentic Jolly Rogers in the world, currently residing at theÅland Maritime Museum inFinland.[1] The flag in its current condition is lighter, while the color corrected version is darker.
Painting showing a French First Republic privateer flying a black Jolly Roger, signed and dated “Nicolas Cammillieri pinxit 1811”, with the inscription: “On the 14 Germinal year 7 of the French Republic (3 April 1796), in the Bay of Colonia on the coast of Spain, 4-hour long fight of the privateer Mouche, armed with an 8-pounder swivel gun, under Captain Jean Adrian, against a 16-nine-pounder gun cutter, to recapture the prize called Lavantoroso (?) which said privateer had captured the previous night while [the cutter] was escorting [the contested prize]”.

TheJolly Roger was theensign flown by apirate ship preceding or during an attack, during the early 18th century (the latter part of theGolden Age of Piracy). The vast majority of such flags flew the motif of a human skull, or “Death's Head”, often accompanied by other elements, on a black field, sometimes called the"Death's Head flag" or just the"black flag".

The flag most commonly identified as the Jolly Roger today – theskull and crossbones symbol on a black flag – was used during the 1710s by a number of pirate captains, includingSamuel Bellamy,Edward England, andJohn Taylor. It became the most commonly used pirate flag during the 1720s, although other designs were also in use.

Etymology

[edit]
This red flag, captured by theRoyal Navy in 1780 and now on display at theNational Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth, is the only other surviving authentic Jolly Roger flag.[2]

Use of the termJolly Roger in reference to pirate flags goes back to at leastCharles Johnson'sA General History of the Pyrates, published in Britain in 1724 and in fact has no connection to the given nameRoger.[3]

Johnson specifically cites two pirates as having named their flag "Jolly Roger":Bartholomew Roberts in June 1721[4] andFrancis Spriggs in December 1723.[5] While Spriggs and Roberts used the same name for their flags, their flag designs were very different, suggesting that already "Jolly Roger" was a generic term for black pirate flags rather than a name for any single specific design. Neither Spriggs' nor Roberts' Jolly Roger consisted of a skull and crossbones.[6]

Richard Hawkins, who was captured by pirates in 1724, reported that the pirates had a black flag bearing the figure of a skeleton stabbing a heart with a spear, which they named "Jolly Roger". This description closely resembles the flags of a number of Golden Age pirates.[7]

An early reference to "Old Roger" (a humorous or familiar name for the devil, or death) is found in a news report in theWeekly Journal or British Gazetteer (London, Saturday, 19 October 1723; Issue LVII, p. 2, col. 1):

“Parts of the West-Indies. Rhode-Island, July 26. This Day, 26 of the Pirates taken by his Majesty Ship theGreyhound, Captain Solgard, were executed here. Some of them delivered what they had to say in writing, and most of them said something at the Place of Execution, advising all People, young ones especially, to take warning by their unhappy Fate, and to avoid the crimes that brought them to it. Their black flag, under which they had committed abundance of Pyracies and Murders, was affix'd to one Corner of the Gallows. It had in it the Portraiture of Death, with an Hour-Glass in one Hand, and a Dart in the other, striking into a Heart, and three Drops of Blood delineated as falling from it. This Flag they calledOld Roger, and us'd to say,They would live and die under it.”[8]

It is sometimes claimed that the term derives from "Joli Rouge" ("Pretty Red") in reference to a red flag used by Frenchprivateers. This is sometimes attributed to red blood, symbolizing violent pirates, ready to kill.[9] Another origin includes a phonetic version of the name of a supposed Indian pirate called "Ali Rajah."[10] Historians discount both of these origins for lack of any period reference or mention. "Roger" as a term also applied to both a scoundrel or rogue, as well as for a police officer; it also was a slang term forpenis.[11] In addition "Johnny Roger" was a nickname forWoodes Rogers, the former privateer who became Governor of New Providence charged with ending piracy in the region.[11]

History

[edit]

The first recorded uses of the skull-and-crossbones symbol on naval flags date to the 17th century. It possibly originated among theBarbary pirates of the period, which would connect the black colour of the Jolly Roger to the MuslimBlack Standard (black flag). But an early reference to Muslim corsairs flying a skull symbol, in the context of a 1625slave raid on Cornwall, explicitly refers to the symbols being shown on agreen flag.[12]There are mentions of English privateerFrancis Drake flying a black flag as early as 1585, but the historicity of this tradition has been called into question.[13] Contemporary accounts showPeter Easton using a plain black flag in 1612; a plain black flag was also used by Captain Martel's pirates in 1716,[14]Charles Vane, andRichard Worley in 1718,[15] andHowell Davis in 1719.

An early record of the skull-and-crossbones design being used on a (red) flag by pirates is found in a 6 December 1687 entry in a log book held by theBibliothèque nationale de France. The entry describes pirates using the flag, not on a ship but on land.[16]

1725 woodcut ofStede Bonnet with a Jolly Roger inCharles Johnson'sA General History of the Pyrates
1725 woodcut ofBartholomew Roberts with a Jolly Roger in Charles Johnson'sA General History of the Pyrates

During the 17th and 18th centuries, British privateers were required to fly a specific flag, the 1606Union Jack with a white crest in the middle, to distinguish them from Royal Navy vessels.[17] Before this time, British privateers, such as SirHenry Morgan, sailed under theRed Ensign.[7]An early use of a black flag with skull, crossbones, and hourglass is attributed to pirate captainEmanuel Wynn in 1700, according to a wide variety of secondary sources.[18] Reportedly, these secondary sources are based on the account of Captain John Cranby of HMSPoole and are verified at the LondonPublic Record Office.

With the end of theWar of the Spanish Succession in 1714, many privateers turned to piracy. They still used red and black flags, but now they decorated them with their own designs. Edward England, for example, flew three different flags: from his mainmast the black flag depicted above; from his foremast a red version of the same; and from his ensign staff the Red Ensign. Just as variations on the Jolly Roger design existed, red flags sometimes incorporated yellow stripes or images symbolic of death.[19] Coloured pennants and ribbons could also be used alongside flags.

Marcus Rediker (1987) claims that most pirates active between 1716 and 1726 were part of one of two large interconnected groups sharing many similarities in organization. He states that this accounts for the "comparatively rapid adoption of the piratical black flag among a group of men operating across thousands of miles of ocean", suggesting that the skull-and-crossbone design became standardized at about the same time as the termJolly Roger was adopted as its name. By 1730, the diversity of symbols in prior use had been mostly replaced by the standard design.[20]

Use in practice

[edit]

Pirates did not fly the Jolly Roger at all times. The flag was intended as communication of the pirates' identity, which gave target ships an opportunity to decide to surrender without a fight. For example, in June 1720, whenBartholomew Roberts sailed into the harbour atTrepassey,Newfoundland with black flags flying, the crews of all 22 vessels in the harbour abandoned their ships in panic.[21]

Black and red flag

[edit]
Pirate signal flags

The websiteWondrium Daily claims that the Jolly Roger was part of aflag signal combination, comprising a "black flag", i.e. the Jolly Roger, and a "red flag", often called abloody flag.

  • The "black flag" signaled that "quarter" would be given if the target surrendered their cargo/valuables, meaning that all enemies will be guaranteed mercy after surrender or capture.[22]
  • The "red flag" signaled that "no quarter" would be given and the target's cargo/valuables taken by force, meaning that no mercy will be shown and no life will be spared in an attack.[22]

When closing on a target ship, the pirate ship would normally fly afalse flag or no colours until they had their prey within firing range.[23] Like other vessels, pirate ships usually stocked a variety of flags for various purposes.

When the pirates' intended victim was within range, the black flag would be raised, often simultaneously with a warning shot, communicating the pirates' identity to the target ship in order to persuade them to surrender without a fight. Surrendering without a fight meant that they would cooperate with the pirate's demands and allow them to rifle through their cargo, which was sometimes rewarded with some cargo being left alone. To signal "yes", the victim ship would have to take down their own flag, in naval terminology called "striking their flag".

Followed by warning shots, if the enemy did not strike their own flag to signal surrender, the pirates would raise the red flag, which would signal that the cargo would be taken by force and that "no quarter would be given" to prisoners. If the pirates had several ships, the raising of the bloody flag could also act as the signal "to attack" for the rest of the ships.[22] The pirate captainJean Thomas Dulaien would wait for the enemy to fire three or more cannon shots after raising the red flag before giving the order to attack with no quarter given.[11]

An early claim of the black and red flag-combo was made in the mid-18th century by Richard Hawkins,[24] however, the cited content may simply relate to different pirate captains, their ships, their chosen flag and particular operating practices. The bloody flag was already an established naval flag and was not unique to piracy.

The black and red flag tactic was, however, not universal, such as the case ofCharles Vane: "[he] took down his St. George's Flag, and hoisted a black Flag with a Death's Head in it, which is their Signal to intimate, that they will neither give or take Quarter."[25]

Function in practice

[edit]

In view of these models, it was important for a prey ship to know that its assailant was a pirate, and not a privateer or government vessel, as the latter two generally had to abide by a rule that if a crew resisted, but then surrendered, it could not be executed:

An angry pirate therefore posed a greater danger to merchant ships than an angry Spanish coast guard or privateer vessel. Because of this, although, like pirate ships, Spanish coast guard vessels and privateers were almost always stronger than the merchant ships they attacked, merchant ships may have been more willing to attempt resisting these "legitimate" attackers than their piratical counterparts. To achieve their goal of taking prizes without a costly fight, it was therefore important for pirates to distinguish themselves from these other ships also taking prizes on the seas.[26]

Flying a Jolly Roger was a reliable way of proving oneself a pirate. Just possessing or using a Jolly Roger was considered proof that one was a criminal pirate rather than something more legitimate; only a pirate would dare fly the Jolly Roger, as they were already under threat of execution.[27]

Design

[edit]

Before 1700, pirates flew a plain black flag together with the red (“bloody”) flag, the use of emblems first taking the scene in the 18th century.[28]

Jolly Roger variations possibly existed as a type of personal calling card to be associated with a certain pirate crew's reputation and thus make enemies surrender more easily, however, this is not mentioned by period sources.[29] Flag motifs could often not be made out at longer ranges, thus, flag details was more likely an internal mark of identity for the crew. Historically, most pirates reused the same designs as their peers, possibly to partake in the reputation of others, eventually leading to designs such as the skull and crossbones becoming the norm.[29]

Pirates sometimes used a national flag to symbolize their nationality or their allegiance to a nation.[30]

Common elements

[edit]

Key elements commonly found on a Jolly Roger flag typically include (some rarer than others):

  • Skull and crossbones – The skull, historically called "death's head" (compareGerman:totenkopf),[29] represents death and danger, emphasizing the pirates' ruthless and deadly reputation. The crossbones are often positioned behind or beneath the skull and create an "X" shape. They symbolize crossed swords or bones, signifying violence and conflict
  • Human skeleton – the period depiction of thepersonification of death, sometimes carrying out symbolic gestures of suffering and death, such as stabbing a heart with a spear, wielding weapons and evensignal instruments[29]
  • Hourglass – symbolizing that the life of the attacked is running out[29]
  • Bundle of arrows – an older regal or state symbol alluding to the proverb that arrows can be easily broken one by one but are unbreakable if tied together, however, in the case of the Jolly Roger, more likely to symbolize implements of death[29]
  • Sword – symbolizing implements of death[29]
  • Sword arm – symbolizing implements of death, a common naval motif outside piracy (see the DutchBloody flag)[29]
  • Pistol – symbolizing implements of death[29]
  • Cannon – symbolizing implements of death[29]
  • Powder horn orsignal horn – symbolizing implements of death[29]

Historical designs

[edit]

All illustrations presented here are merely artistic interpretations based on surviving descriptions and do not faithfully represent actual flags.

Black flags

[edit]
Sub-articles:Old Roger (Jolly Roger),Flag of Blackbeard
  • Interpretation of Emanuel Wynne's pirate flag, described by Captain St. John Cranby of HMS Poole as "a sable ensigne with Cross bones, a Death's head, and an hour glase".[31]
    Interpretation ofEmanuel Wynne's pirate flag, described by Captain St. John Cranby ofHMS Poole as "a sable ensigne with Cross bones, a Death's head, and an hour glase".[31]
  • Interpretation of the "Old Roger" design, as described for several pirates, such as Edward Low,[25] Charles Harris,[32] and Francis Spriggs;[33] see Old Roger (Jolly Roger).
    Interpretation of the "Old Roger" design, as described for several pirates, such asEdward Low,[25]Charles Harris,[32] andFrancis Spriggs;[33] seeOld Roger (Jolly Roger).
  • Interpretation of a death's head flag used by various pirates such as Edward "Blackbeard" Teach,[25] Stede Bonnet,[25] Charles Vane,[25] Thomas Anstis,[25] Captain Kennedy,[25] Christopher Condent,[34] and Howell Davis.[25]
    Interpretation of a death's head flag used by various pirates such asEdward "Blackbeard" Teach,[25]Stede Bonnet,[25]Charles Vane,[25]Thomas Anstis,[25] Captain Kennedy,[25]Christopher Condent,[34] andHowell Davis.[25]
  • Interpretation of Stede Bonnet's flag from A General History of the Pyrates, described as "On the morning of the [8th of April] a large Ship and a sloop with Black Flags and Deaths Heads in them and three more sloops with Bloody Flags all bore down upon the said ship Protestant Caesar". Also a description of Blackbeard's flag.[25]
    Interpretation ofStede Bonnet's flag fromA General History of the Pyrates, described as "On the morning of the [8th of April] a large Ship and a sloop with Black Flags and Deaths Heads in them and three more sloops with Bloody Flags all bore down upon the said ship Protestant Caesar". Also a description of Blackbeard's flag.[25]
  • Interpretation of Edward England, John Taylor and Samuel Bellamy's Jolly Roger as described by Thomas Baker of Bellamy's crew: “..they spread a large black flag, with a Death's Head and Bones across, and gave chase to Cap't. Prince under the same colours”.[35]
    Interpretation ofEdward England,John Taylor andSamuel Bellamy's Jolly Roger as described by Thomas Baker of Bellamy's crew: “..they spread a large black flag, with a Death's Head and Bones across, and gave chase to Cap't. Prince under the same colours”.[35]
  • Another flag used by Samuel Bellamy, described as “A black Ensign, with Death holding an Hour-Glass in one Hand and a [speaking] Trumpet in the other”.[25]
    Another flag used by Samuel Bellamy, described as “A black Ensign, with Death holding an Hour-Glass in one Hand and a [speaking] Trumpet in the other”.[25]
  • Another of Levasseur's pirate flags, described as “A black flag in which is represented a corpse which holds in one hand a saber which he holds raised, at his feet a man on his knees.”[36]
    Another of Levasseur's pirate flags, described as “A black flag in which is represented a corpse which holds in one hand a saber which he holds raised, at his feet a man on his knees.”[36]
  • Another of Levasseur's pirate flags, described as “… made of black cloth and was painted in the middle a skeleton flanked by scattered bones and crossed cutlasses”[37]
    Another of Levasseur's pirate flags, described as “… made of black cloth and was painted in the middle a skeleton flanked by scattered bones and crossed cutlasses”[37]
  • Another of Levasseur's pirate flags, described as “They made it of black silk. In its centre, there was the figure of a naked man with a cutlass in his right hand, and the left one holding a decapitated [sic] head by the hair.”[38]
    Another of Levasseur's pirate flags, described as “They made it of black silk. In its centre, there was the figure of a naked man with a cutlass in his right hand, and the left one holding a decapitated [sic] head by the hair.”[38]
  • Another of Levasseur's pirate flags, described as a “Black flag in which for figure there were four skulls and two bones in cross with white tears”.[36]
    Another of Levasseur's pirate flags, described as a “Black flag in which for figure there were four skulls and two bones in cross with white tears”.[36]
  • Another of Levasseur's pirate flags, described as a “black flag with a skeleton holding an hourglass and a sword, teardrops, and a man lying down”.[39]
    Another of Levasseur's pirate flags, described as a “black flag with a skeleton holding an hourglass and a sword, teardrops, and a man lying down”.[39]
  • Interpretation of Bartholomew Roberts' Jolly Roger as described by an eyewitness in the Boston Gazette, 22 August 1720: “a Black Flag with Death's head and a cutlass in it”.[40]
    Interpretation ofBartholomew Roberts' Jolly Roger as described by an eyewitness in theBoston Gazette, 22 August 1720: “a Black Flag with Death's head and a cutlass in it”.[40]
  • Interpretation of Bartholomew Roberts' Jolly Roger as used during the battle of Trepassy harbour, 1720, as described by eyewitness William Matthew: “a death's head and an arm with a cutlass”.[40]
    Interpretation ofBartholomew Roberts' Jolly Roger as used during the battle ofTrepassy harbour, 1720, as described by eyewitness William Matthew: “a death's head and an arm with a cutlass”.[40]
  • Interpretation of Edward Low's second flag, described as “a black Flag, with the Figure of Death in Red”[25]
    Interpretation ofEdward Low's second flag, described as “a black Flag, with the Figure of Death in Red”[25]
  • Interpretation of a flag used by various pirates such as John Cole,[41] George Lowther,[42] Richard Worley,[43] and James Skyrme.[25]
    Interpretation of a flag used by various pirates such asJohn Cole,[41]George Lowther,[42]Richard Worley,[43] andJames Skyrme.[25]
  • Richard Worley's death's head flag.
    Richard Worley's death's head flag.
  • Alternate flag of Howell Davis, which ”represented a man asleep and a skeleton with one hand a clock, a sword of the other.”[44]
    Alternate flag of Howell Davis, which ”represented a man asleep and a skeleton with one hand a clock, a sword of the other.”[44]
  • Another Howell Davis flag; "gun" here means carriage-gun or cannon: “their Standard, which they hoisted at Main-topmast-head, with a Gun and Sword.”[25]
    Another Howell Davis flag; "gun" here means carriage-gun or cannon: “their Standard, which they hoisted at Main-topmast-head, with a Gun and Sword.”[25]
  • Interpretation of a flag Commodore Roggewein described in 1721 as "a black flag, with a Death's head in the centre, a powder horn over it and two bones underneath".[25]
    Interpretation of a flag Commodore Roggewein described in 1721 as "a black flag, with a Death's head in the centre, a powder horn over it and two bones underneath".[25]
  • Interpretation of a flag used by an unknown pirate crew, described as “two unidentified pirates (1718) at Barbados and Saint-Domingue flying multiple ‘death’s heads’ on a black field”.[43] It is incorrectly associated with Christopher Condent.
    Interpretation of a flag used by an unknown pirate crew, described as “two unidentified pirates (1718) at Barbados and Saint-Domingue flying multiple ‘death’s heads’ on a black field”.[43] It is incorrectly associated withChristopher Condent.
  • Captain Napin "had in his flag a Deaths Head and an hour glass" - Boston News Letter of August 12, 1717[45]
    Captain Napin "had in his flag a Deaths Head and an hour glass" -Boston News Letter of August 12, 1717[45]
  • Thomas Nichols "had in his flag a dart and a bleeding heart." - Boston News Letter of August 12, 1717[45]
    Thomas Nichols "had in his flag a dart and a bleeding heart." -Boston News Letter of August 12, 1717[45]
  • Boston News Letter described the flag of John Phillips as "Their own dark flag, in the middle of which an anatomy, and at one side of it a dart in the heart, with drops of blood proceeding from it; and on the other side an hour-glass."[25]
    Boston News Letter described the flag ofJohn Phillips as "Their own dark flag, in the middle of which an anatomy, and at one side of it a dart in the heart, with drops of blood proceeding from it; and on the other side an hour-glass."[25]
  • Flag associated with William Moody. Described as “A black Flag, having a white Man painted in it, with three Arrows, whose Points were turn’d toward a red Heart, and underneath it were some red Spots, resembling Blood.”[25]
    Flag associated withWilliam Moody. Described as “A black Flag, having a white Man painted in it, with three Arrows, whose Points were turn’d toward a red Heart, and underneath it were some red Spots, resembling Blood.”[25]
  • Another flag associated with William Moody. Described as a “Heart pierc’d by an Arrow.”[25]
    Another flag associated withWilliam Moody. Described as a “Heart pierc’d by an Arrow.”[25]
  • Interpretation of a pirate flag described by William Falconer (1732–1769) as, "[t]he colours usually displayed by pirates are laid to be a black field, with a death's head, a battle-axe and hour-glass."[46]
    Interpretation of a pirate flag described by William Falconer (1732–1769) as, "[t]he colours usually displayed by pirates are laid to be a black field, with a death's head, a battle-axe and hour-glass."[46]
  • Interpretation of the Jolly Roger flag depicted on a 1811 painting of a 1796 battle, flown by the French First Republic privateer 'La Mouche', captained by a "Jean Adrian".[47] The flaming grenades are speculative, based on inexplicable white dots on the original.
    Interpretation of the Jolly Roger flag depicted on a 1811 painting of a 1796 battle, flown by theFrench First Republic privateer 'La Mouche', captained by a "Jean Adrian".[47] The flaming grenades are speculative, based on inexplicable white dots on the original.
  • Another of Jeremiah Cocklyn's flags, described as “the skeleton of a human body such as Death used to be represented by, and in the other Side a morthead with two bones across and a sandglass…”[25]
    Another of Jeremiah Cocklyn's flags, described as “the skeleton of a human body such as Death used to be represented by, and in the other Side a morthead with two bones across and a sandglass…”[25]
  • Another of Jeremiah Cocklyn's flags, described as “a Man’s arm with a dagger in his hand and on the other side a morthead and glass…”.[25]
    Another of Jeremiah Cocklyn's flags, described as “a Man’s arm with a dagger in his hand and on the other side a morthead and glass…”.[25]
  • Flag of Jean Thomas Dulaien, described as “The flag was black, with a skull and crossbones below on the hoist and a naked man holding a cutlass in one hand and over the skull and bones and an hourglass in the other, on the fly.” There is no evidence of Walter Kennedy flying this flag; after he mutinied against Bartholomew Roberts, Kennedy and the rest of the crew retired from piracy and sailed to Ireland.[48]
    Flag ofJean Thomas Dulaien, described as “The flag was black, with a skull and crossbones below on the hoist and a naked man holding a cutlass in one hand and over the skull and bones and an hourglass in the other, on the fly.” There is no evidence ofWalter Kennedy flying this flag; after he mutinied against Bartholomew Roberts, Kennedy and the rest of the crew retired from piracy and sailed to Ireland.[48]
  • Another flag design by Dulaein, described as “Figures of heads cut off (ie skulls) with a cutlass, piles of bones and hourglasses”. Made out of a fabric called “Ras de St. Maur” - a fine fabric either of wool or silk made in the town of St. Maur - Flag measurement: 22 ft 9in long, 14 ft 9in wide[25]
    Another flag design by Dulaein, described as “Figures of heads cut off (ie skulls) with a cutlass, piles of bones and hourglasses”. Made out of a fabric called “Ras de St. Maur” - a fine fabric either of wool or silk made in the town of St. Maur - Flag measurement: 22 ft 9in long, 14 ft 9in wide[25]
  • Pirate flag of Philip Lyne described as “their Black Silk Flagg before them, with the Representation of a Man in full proportion, with a Cutlass in one Hand and a Pistol in the other”[25]
    Pirate flag ofPhilip Lyne described as “their Black Silk Flagg before them, with the Representation of a Man in full proportion, with a Cutlass in one Hand and a Pistol in the other”[25]
  • Pirate flag of Captain Kennedy, described as a “black Ensign [with] the Figure of a Man with a Sword in his hand and an Hourglass before him, with a Death’s head and bones.” Not to be confused with Walter Kennedy where there is no evidence of him ever flying a distinct pirate flag.[25]
    Pirate flag of Captain Kennedy, described as a “black Ensign [with] the Figure of a Man with a Sword in his hand and an Hourglass before him, with a Death’s head and bones.” Not to be confused withWalter Kennedy where there is no evidence of him ever flying a distinct pirate flag.[25]

Bloody flags

[edit]
Main article:Bloody flag
  • Alongside the black flag, Dulaien also flew a red pennant.[49]
    Alongside the black flag, Dulaien also flew a red pennant.[49]
  • Interpretation of Bartholomew Sharp's pirate flag, described as "a red Flag, with a bunch of white and green Ribbons".[50]
    Interpretation ofBartholomew Sharp's pirate flag, described as "a red Flag, with a bunch of white and green Ribbons".[50]
  • A plain red flag used by John Coxon.[50]
    A plain red flag used byJohn Coxon.[50]
  • Interpretation of an unknown pirate flag from the Florida Straits described as in 1822, "hoisted a red flag with death's head and cross under it."[51] The "cross" might have referred to crossed bones.
    Interpretation of an unknown pirate flag from theFlorida Straits described as in 1822, "hoisted a red flag with death's head and cross under it."[51] The "cross" might have referred to crossed bones.
  • Interpretation of a French filibusters flag from 1688 described as a “red flag with a death’s head at the center and two crossed bones below the head, in white, in the middle of the red”.[52]
    Interpretation of a Frenchfilibusters flag from 1688 described as a “red flag with a death’s head at the center and two crossed bones below the head, in white, in the middle of the red”.[52]
  • Bloody flag used by the 17th century Dutch navy, possibly in return by Dutch pirates considering the motif's appearance on black flags during the following 18th century.
    Bloody flag used by the 17th century Dutch navy, possibly in return by Dutch pirates considering the motif's appearance on black flags during the following 18th century.
  • Bacchus under Capt. Stevens in 1731 encountered "a Spanish Guarde Costa, which fir'd a Gun at her, and she return'd; upon which they hoisted a red Flag, with a Death's Head."[53]
    Bacchus under Capt. Stevens in 1731 encountered "a SpanishGuarde Costa, which fir'd a Gun at her, and she return'd; upon which they hoisted a red Flag, with a Death's Head."[53]
  • Flag of the privateers in the service of the League of the Free Peoples[54]
    Flag of theprivateers in the service of theLeague of the Free Peoples[54]

Blue flags

[edit]

Green flags

[edit]

Striped flags

[edit]
  • A pirate flag used by Richard Sawkins, described as "a red Flag striped with yellow...".[50]
    A pirate flag used byRichard Sawkins, described as "a red Flag striped with yellow...".[50]
  • A flag used by Edmund Cooke, described as "red Colours striped with yellow, with a Hand and Sword for his devise".[50]
    A flag used byEdmund Cooke, described as "red Colours striped with yellow, with a Hand and Sword for his devise".[50]

White flags

[edit]
  • Interpretation of the pirate flag of Olivier "La Buse" Levasseur, described as a "white ensign with a figure of a dead man spread in it"; one of the few mentions of a black-on-white Jolly Roger flag.[58]
    Interpretation of the pirate flag ofOlivier "La Buse" Levasseur, described as a "white ensign with a figure of a dead man spread in it"; one of the few mentions of a black-on-white Jolly Roger flag.[58]
  • Another flag of Olivier Levesseur, described as a "Death’s head in black in ye middle of a white ensign."[45]
    Another flag of Olivier Levesseur, described as a "Death’s head in black in ye middle of a white ensign."[45]
  • Flag of buccaneer Edward Davis, described in Burney's History of the Buccaneers (1816): "as he was furnished with a French commission, and France was still at war with Spain, he carried aloft a white flag, in which was painted a hand and sword."[59]
    Flag of buccaneerEdward Davis, described in Burney's History of the Buccaneers (1816): "as he was furnished with a French commission, and France was still at war with Spain, he carried aloft a white flag, in which was painted a hand and sword."[59]
  • The pirate flag of John Rackham, described as a "white pendant".[60]
    The pirate flag ofJohn Rackham, described as a "white pendant".[60]
  • Flag of an unknown pirate crew, described as “a white Pendant at the Topmast-Head, with a naked Man and a Sword in his Hand”[61] and "a white Streamer in the Top-mast, with a naked Man brandishing a Sword".[62]
    Flag of an unknown pirate crew, described as “a white Pendant at the Topmast-Head, with a naked Man and a Sword in his Hand”[61] and "a white Streamer in the Top-mast, with a naked Man brandishing a Sword".[62]
  • Flag of the privateers in the service of the League of the Free Peoples[63]
    Flag of theprivateers in the service of theLeague of the Free Peoples[63]

Yellow flags

[edit]

National flags

[edit]

Apocraphal and unsubstantiated designs

[edit]
Further information:Crossed Swords Jolly Roger

These are flag designs commonly attributed to historical pirates but which have no factual basis. Some are modern inventions while others are real flags but mistakenly attributed to specific pirates. Some of these first appeared in the early 20th century in the journalThe Mariner's Mirror but were not attributed to specific pirates until 1959 inHans Leip'sBordbuch des Satans, which also included some never-before-seen designs such as Bonnet's and Rackham's.[11]

  • This flag may be is incorrectly attributed to Blackbeard; the “horns” on the skeleton are unknown in period sources, and Blackbeard flew only a "Deaths Head".[66]
    Thisflag may be is incorrectly attributed toBlackbeard; the “horns” on the skeleton are unknown in period sources, and Blackbeard flew only a "Deaths Head".[66]
  • The Crossed Swords Jolly Roger, is popularly attributed to John Rackham,[67] this flag is a modern invention, and Rackham was not documented as having flown a Jolly Roger.[25]
    TheCrossed Swords Jolly Roger, is popularly attributed toJohn Rackham,[67] this flag is a modern invention, and Rackham was not documented as having flown a Jolly Roger.[25]
  • Traditional depiction of Stede Bonnet's flag.;[68] Bonnet was only ever described (in the Boston Newsletter in June 1718) as having flown a “Death’s head.”[25]
    Traditional depiction ofStede Bonnet's flag.;[68] Bonnet was only ever described (in theBoston Newsletter in June 1718) as having flown a “Death’s head.”[25]
  • Popular version of Henry Every's Jolly Roger. Supposedly, Every also flew a version with a black background.[69] There is no period evidence to support this as an authentic flag of Every’s.[25]
    Popular version ofHenry Every's Jolly Roger. Supposedly, Every also flew a version with a black background.[69] There is no period evidence to support this as an authentic flag of Every’s.[25]
  • The 1724 book A General History of the Pyrates credited Every with flying a black flag emblazoned with two crossed bones forming an X.
    The 1724 bookA General History of the Pyrates credited Every with flying a black flag emblazoned with two crossed bones forming an X.
  • According to the ballad "A Copy of Verses," Every's "shield" was red with four gold chevrons and bordered in green.[70] This may have been intended to describe his flag. Although red was a popular colour for pirate flags of the time, the meaning of the four chevrons is not certain; it may have been an attempt (justified or not) to link Every with the West-Country gentry clan of Every whose coats-of-arms showed similar chevrons.[71]
    According to the ballad "A Copy of Verses," Every's "shield" was red with four goldchevrons and bordered in green.[70] This may have been intended to describe his flag. Although red was a popular colour for pirate flags of the time, the meaning of the four chevrons is not certain; it may have been an attempt (justified or not) to link Every with theWest-Country gentry clan of Every whose coats-of-arms showed similar chevrons.[71]
  • Supposedly a flag of Christopher Moody’s, this was a generic "sea rover" design dating to the late 17th or early 18th centuries and was not attributed to "Christopher" Moody until the 1930s.[72]
    Supposedly a flag ofChristopher Moody’s, this was a generic "sea rover" design dating to the late 17th or early 18th centuries and was not attributed to "Christopher" Moody until the 1930s.[72]
  • Said to be Roberts' first flag, showing himself and Death holding an hourglass.
    Said to be Roberts' first flag, showing himself andDeath holding anhourglass.
  • Said to be Roberts' new flag, showing him holding a sword and standing on two skulls, representing the heads of a Barbadian and a Martiniquian.
    Said to be Roberts' new flag, showing him holding a sword and standing on two skulls, representing the heads of a Barbadian and a Martiniquian.
  • Said to be an early rendition of Roberts' second flag with Saint George's Cross in the canton.
    Said to be an early rendition of Roberts' second flag withSaint George's Cross in thecanton.
  • Said to be a later rendition of Roberts' second flag, showing him holding a flaming sword.
    Said to be a later rendition of Roberts' second flag, showing him holding a flaming sword.
  • One of Roberts' flags described in Johnson's General History: "The Flag had a Death in it, with an Hour-Glass in one Hand, and cross Bones in the other, a Dart by it, and underneath a Heart dropping three Drops of Blood."
    One of Roberts' flags described in Johnson's General History: "The Flag had a Death in it, with an Hour-Glass in one Hand, and cross Bones in the other, a Dart by it, and underneath a Heart dropping three Drops of Blood."
  • One of Roberts' flags described in Johnson's General History: "it had the figure of a skeleton in it, and a man portrayed with a flaming sword in his hand, intimating a defiance of death itself."
    One of Roberts' flags described in Johnson's General History: "it had the figure of a skeleton in it, and a man portrayed with a flaming sword in his hand, intimating a defiance of death itself."
  • Tew's personal standard is often depicted as a black flag with a white arm holding a short sword. Buccaneers Edmund Cooke and Edward Davis used a similar design, except Cooke used a red-and-yellow striped field while Davis used a white field with a black arm holding a sword on it. However, there is no evidence from period sources that Tew ever flew this flag, which is a 20th-century attribution.[48]
    Tew's personal standard is often depicted as a black flag with a white arm holding a shortsword. BuccaneersEdmund Cooke andEdward Davis used a similar design, except Cooke used a red-and-yellow striped field while Davis used a white field with a black arm holding a sword on it. However, there is no evidence from period sources that Tew ever flew this flag, which is a 20th-century attribution.[48]
  • John Quelch's Old Roger flag is described as having "in the middle of it an Anatomy with an Hourglass in one hand and a dart in the Heart with three drops of Blood proceeding from it in the other."[73] However, there is no evidence whatsoever that Quelch flew any flag other than the Flag of St. George or possibly a privateer's flag of St. George quartered on a red background similar to today's British merchant colors. Courtroom testimony from the crew maintained that the flag of England had been flown at all times.
    John Quelch's Old Roger flag is described as having "in the middle of it anAnatomy with anHourglass in one hand and adart in the Heart with three drops of Blood proceeding from it in the other."[73] However, there is no evidence whatsoever that Quelch flew any flag other than the Flag of St. George or possibly a privateer's flag of St. George quartered on a red background similar to today's British merchant colors. Courtroom testimony from the crew maintained that theflag of England had been flown at all times.

Modern military use

[edit]
This article or sectionmay need to be cleaned up or summarized. It has been split from/toUse of the Jolly Roger by submarines.
Further information:Use of the Jolly Roger by submarines andSkull and crossbones (military)

By British submarines

[edit]

The personnel of the British submarineHMS Utmost showing off their Jolly Roger in February 1942. The markings on the flag indicate the boat's achievements: nine ships torpedoed (including one warship), eight 'cloak and dagger' operations, one target destroyed by gunfire, and one at-sea rescue

Following the introduction ofsubmarines in several navies circa 1900, Admiral SirArthur Wilson, theFirst Sea Lord of the BritishRoyal Navy, stated that submarines were "underhanded, unfair, and damned un-English", and that he would convince the British Admiralty to have the crews of enemy submarines captured during wartimehanged as pirates.[74]

In September 1914, the British submarineHMS E9 successfully torpedoed the German cruiserSMSHela.[75] Remembering Wilson's statements, commanding officerMax Horton instructed his submariners to manufacture a Jolly Roger, which was flown from the submarine as she entered port.[74][75] Each successful patrol saw Horton's submarine fly an additional Jolly Roger until there was no more room for flags, at which point Horton had a large Jolly Roger manufactured, onto which symbols indicatingE9's achievements were sewn.[75] A small number of other submarines adopted the practice:[75]HMS E12 flew a red flag with the skull and crossbones on return from a foray into theDardanelles in June 1915,[76] and the first known photograph of the practice was taken in July 1916 aboardHMS H5.[77]

The practice restarted duringWorld War II. In October 1940, following a successful patrol byHMS Osiris, during which she sank the Italian destroyerPalestro, the submarine returned toAlexandria, but was ordered to remain outside theboom net until the motorboat assigned to the leader of the1st Submarine Flotilla had come alongside.[76][78] The flotilla leader wanted to recognize the boat's achievement, so had a Jolly Roger made and delivered toOsiris.[78][a] After this, the commanders of submarine flotillas began to hand out the flags to successful submarines.[78] Although some sources claim thatall British submarines used the flag,[79] the practice was not taken up by those submarine commanders who saw it as boastful and potentially inaccurate, as sinkings could not always be confirmed.[75] During the war, British submarines were entitled to fly the Jolly Roger on the day of their return from a successful patrol: it would be hoisted as the boat passed the boom net, and remain raised until sunset.[78]

Polish submarineORPSokół returning to base in 1944. A Jolly Roger flag and two capturedNazi flags are flying from the periscope mast

Symbols on the flag indicated the history of the submarine, and it was the responsibility of the boat's personnel to keep the flag updated.[75][78] TheRoyal Navy Submarine Museum (which, as of 2004, possessed fifteen Jolly Rogers) recognizes 20 unique symbols.[80] A bar denotes the torpedoing of a ship: red bars indicated warships, white bars represented merchant vessels, and black bars with a white "U" stood forU-boats.[80][81] A dagger indicated a 'cloak and dagger' operation: typically the delivery or recovery of shore parties from enemy territory.[79][81] Stars (sometimes surrounding crossedcannon) stood for occasions where the deck gun was fired.[79] Minelaying operations were shown by the silhouette of a sea mine: a number inside the mine indicated how many such missions.[79] A lighthouse or torch symbolized the boat's use as a navigational marker for an invasion force; the latter more particularly associated withOperation Torch.[81][82] Rescue of personnel from downed aircraft or sunken ships was marked by alifebuoy.[79] Unique symbols are used to denote one-off incidents: for example, the Jolly Roger ofHMS Proteus included a can-opener, referencing an incident where an Italian destroyer attempted to ram the submarine, but ended up worse off because of damage to the destroyer's hull by the submarine'shydroplanes, whileHMS United added astork and baby when the boat's commander became a father while on patrol.[83][84] Flying the Jolly Roger continued in the late 20th century and on into the 21st.HMS Conqueror raised the flag decorated with the silhouette of a cruiser[citation needed] to recognize her successful attack on the Argentine cruiserARAGeneral Belgrano during theFalklands War.[80] Several submarines returning from missions whereTomahawk cruise missiles were fired fly Jolly Rogers withtomahawk axes depicted, with crossed tomahawks indicating an unspecified number of firings, or individual axes for each successful launch.[80][85] The Jolly Roger has been adopted[when?] as the logo of theRoyal Navy Submarine Service.[citation needed]

By other units

[edit]
Ghost Battalion colors at Quang Tri. The Seabees had 11,000 graves to move in order to construct that airfield. (U.S. Navy)

The practice, while commonly associated with British submarines, is not restricted to them. During World War II, Allied submariners working with Royal Navy fleets adopted the process from their British counterparts.[86] While operating in the Mediterranean, the Polish submarinesORPSokół andORPDzik were presented with Jolly Rogers by GeneralWładysław Sikorski, and continued to update them during the war.[87][88] At least one British surface ship recorded theirU-boat kills through silhouettes on a Jolly Roger.[89] The Australian submarineHMAS Onslow flew the Jolly Roger in 1980, following her successful participation in theKangaroo 3 wargame as anopposing submarine: the flag bore the silhouettes of the seven surface ships involved, as during the exercise,Onslow had successfully 'sunk' all seven.[90]

During the Vietnam war an urgent airfield was needed atQuảng Trị by the United States forces. U.S. Seabee Battalions 1, 3, 4, 7, 11, 74, 121, and 133 all sent detachments of men and equipment to get the job done. Construction of the airfield necessitated the removal of 11,000 graves. Those detachments dubbed themselves the Ghost Battalion and chose the Jolly Roger for the Battalion's colors.[91]

During theVietnam War, United States Marine Corps Radar Technicians withMACS-4 stationed atMonkey Mountain stole a Jolly Roger from a nearby bar and flew it from atop their radar. It has since been used by Aviation Radar Technicians as a symbol of their history and identity.

TheKuperjanov Infantry Battalion, part of theEstonian Land Forces, uses the Jolly Roger as its insignia.[92]

Three distinct U.S. Naval Aviation squadrons have used the name and insignia of the Jolly Roger: VF-17/VF-5B/VF-61, VF-84, and VF-103, since redesignated asVFA-103. While these are distinctly different squadrons that have no lineal linkage, they all share the same Jolly Roger name, the skull and crossbones insignia and traditions.

At least twice in 2017, theUSSJimmy Carter, an American attack submarine modified to supportspecial forces operations, returned to itshome port flying a Jolly Roger.[93] The flag was traditionally an indicative of a successful mission.

The three American destroyers namedUSSKidd have all flown the Jolly Roger; they were named forUS Navy Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, not forWilliam Kidd.[94]

The Jolly Roger is also commonly used by privatePMC contractors, in form of patches velcroed on uniforms and tactical jackets.

In popular culture

[edit]
Further information:Pirates in popular culture
The Jolly Roger raised in an illustration forGilbert and Sullivan'sThe Pirates of Penzance
"Paul Jones the Pirate", a British caricature of the late 18th century, is an early example of the Jolly Roger's skull-and-crossbones being transferred to a character's hat, in order to identify him as a pirate (typically a tricorne, or as in this example, the later (1790s) bicorne).

The Jolly Roger flag became a cliché of pirate fiction in the 19th century.

The "Golden Age of Piracy" ended by the mid-18th century, and piracy was widely suppressed by the 1800s, although the problem ofBarbary pirates persisted until theFrench conquest of Algeria in 1830.

By theVictorian era, the pirate threat had receded enough for it to become atopos of boyish adventure fiction, notably influenced byRobert Louis Stevenson's adventure novelTreasure Island (1883). Gilbert and Sullivan's comic operaThe Pirates of Penzance (which debuted on 31 December 1879) introduced pirates as comedic characters, and since the later 20th century, pirates sporting the Jolly Roger flag were often depicted as cartoonish or silly characters.J.M. Barrie also used it as the name ofCaptain Hook's pirate ship inPeter and Wendy (1904 play and 1911 novel); it was thus used in most adaptations of the character, includingABC's television seriesOnce Upon a Time (2011–2018).

Straw Hat Pirates' Jolly Roger fromOne Piece

Additionally, the Jolly Roger is depicted inEiichiro Oda's mangaOne Piece, in which the pirate crews in the series have different designs that reflects the appearance of the captain (theStraw Hat Pirates for example, the protagonist crew, having the classic skull with cross bones wearing a straw hat like the main character,Monkey D. Luffy) or a personal theme of the crew (Black Cat Pirates for example, one of the antagonist crews, having the head of a black cat with cross bones).

In film and television

[edit]

In the filmCaptain Blood, Peter Blood's flag has a skull and two crossed arms holding swords underneath. In the filmThe Island (1980), the Jolly Roger is a skull with a red dot and crossbones with an hourglass on the bottom.[95] InDisney'sPirates of the Caribbean, theBlack Pearl flies a flag of skull over two crossed swords. InBlack Sails, the Jolly Roger is shown at the very end asJack Rackham's new flag.

In music

[edit]
Photo of the "Hell's Gate"steelpan band,Antigua (1950)

Adam and the Ants' albumKings of the Wild Frontier (1980) includes the song, "Jolly Roger".

Kenny Chesney's single "Pirate Flag" is on his fourteenth studio albumLife on a Rock (2013).

The cover of indie rock bandHalf Man Half Biscuit's 2005 albumAchtung Bono shows a stylised Jolly Roger, featuring a grinning skull adorned with sunglasses and a halo.

The cover ofIron Maiden's albumA Matter of Life and Death (2006) includes a version of a Jolly Roger depicting a helmetedEddie and twoassault rifles instead of bones, hanging from a tank.

On the cover ofMichael Jackson's albumDangerous (1991), the Jolly Roger can be seen on the left side with the alteration of a skull over two swords.

The re-issued version of theMegadeth album,Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! (1985), shows a stylized Vic Rattlehead skull on top of crossed swords and crossed bones. This was based on Mustaine's original drawing for the cover which the band did not have enough money to produce at the time.

The "pirate" German metal bandRunning Wild often references the Jolly Roger and other pirate related themes in their music. Their third album is namedUnder Jolly Roger.

Another "pirate" metal bandAlestorm also uses Jolly Roger and other pirate related themes in their music.

The Pirates, a spinoff of the bandJohnny Kidd & the Pirates, released an album calledOut of their Skulls featuring a skull with crossed guitars below it.[96]

BritishDJEddie Richards released theacid house hit "Acid Man" in 1988, under a Jolly Roger alias.

In sports

[edit]
FC St. Pauli's official skull and crossbones symbol on a supporter flag
Burgee of the Pirate Yacht Club raised inAntarctica byWilliam Colbeck during theSouthern Cross expedition.

A number of sports teams have been known to use variations of the Jolly Roger.

Thesupporters ofFC St. Pauli, a sports club fromHamburg,Germany best known for itsassociation football team, adopted a variation of Richard Worley's flag as their own emblem. The club later bought the rights to the design and made it an official team logo.[97][98]

TheSouth African Football Association soccer teamOrlando Pirates also has the classic Jolly Roger as their logo.Central Coast United FC inAustralia use the Jolly Roger as their club crest and their active supporters are known as the Graveyard.

The short-lived Pirate Yacht Club, based inBridlington, Yorkshire, used a red burgee defaced with a black skull and crossbones.[99] A black skull and crossbones features on the burgee ofPenzance Sailing Club, Cornwall.[100]

  • Burgee of the Pirate Yacht Club, Bridlington (c.1898–1908)
    Burgee of the Pirate Yacht Club, Bridlington (c.1898–1908)
  • Original burgee of Penzance Sailing Club, 1939 (the Cornish flag was added in the 1990s)
    Original burgee of Penzance Sailing Club, 1939 (theCornish flag was added in the 1990s)
  • Burgee of Buccaneer Yacht Club

"Raise the Jolly Roger!" is used in a statement by theMajor League Baseball's teamPittsburgh Pirates announcerGreg Brown when the Pirates win a game.[101] Fans of the team are known to bring Jolly Roger flags and wave them during the ballgames.[102] The Pirates have also used versions of a skull and crossbones for their logo, with crossedbats in place of swords or bones.[103]

TheNational Football League'sLas Vegas Raiders' use a variation of the Jolly Roger for their logo, which depicts actorRandolph Scott's head with facial features, wearing an eye patch and a helmet, and crossed swords behind the helmet.

Also in the NFL, theTampa Bay Buccaneers' use a version of theCrossed Swords Jolly Roger, with acarnelian red background instead of black, and an American football positioned over the intersection of two crossed swords.

TheMilwaukee Admirals of theAmerican Hockey League have used a series of pirate Death's heads as their logo. Their current version wears a John Paul Jones-style bicorne hat emblazoned with an "A" spelled out in bones.[104][105][106]

All these variations are seen as the logos of sporting teams inScotland:

The Jolly Roger is the popular icon of allUniversity College Cork (Ireland) sports teams.[107]

The athletic teams ofEast Carolina University used a stylized Jolly Roger as one of their logos. This particular variation includes anearringed andeyepatch-wearing skull donning atricorn of purple and gold (the school's colors) emblazoned over two crossbones. This logo appears on thehelmets of the school'sfootball team, and an elaborate pre-game ritual takes place prior to each home contest wherein aflag bearing the university's Jolly Roger logo is raised on a specialflagpole located behind the westend zone prior to the openingkickoff. Immediately prior to the start of the fourth quarter, the normal (black) Jolly Roger is lowered and replaced with a flag bearing theECU Jolly Roger on a red background, indicating that thePirates will grant their opponents "no quarter".[108]

Starting defensive players for theNebraska Cornhuskers football team are known as theBlackshirts, and are represented by a Jolly Roger similar toRichard Worley's flag with the skull encased in a helmet. Players and fans often celebrate by "throwing the bones", crossing the forearms in front of the chest in an 'X' to imitate the logo. Thestudent section atMemorial Stadium inLincoln is known as the 'Boneyard', where the logo is often displayed on banners, signs, and flags in an act of intimidation.

Other uses

[edit]

The early development team of theAppleMacintosh used a pirate flag to portray a "rebellious" spirit.[109]

The Sea Shepherd flag

Before changing to a stylized "P", Sweden'sPirate Party used the Jolly Roger as its symbol, which is still used extensively in the Pirate movement. ThePiratbyrån and its online database,The Pirate Bay also use either the skull and crossbones symbol, or derivatives of it, such as the logo ofHome Taping Is Killing Music.

The flag of theSea Shepherd Conservation Society is modeled to look like a classic Jolly Roger, with some alterations. The flag depicts a whale and a dolphin on the skull's forehead, and the crossed long-bones are replaced with a crossed trident and ashepherd's crook.

Unicode uses a sequence ofU+1F3F4 🏴WAVING BLACK FLAG andU+2620 ☠SKULL AND CROSSBONES[110] to display this flag.

As a sign of protest

[edit]
Anarchist and Pirate protest with the Jolly Roger flag inHungary.

Soviet-Swiss chess masterViktor Korchnoi, a Soviet defector, offered to play under the Jolly Roger when he was denied the right to play under the Swiss flag, during theWorld Chess Championship 1978.[111] The Jolly Roger was used in anti-government demonstration inHungary in 2011.[112]

Straw Hat Pirates' Jolly Roger

[edit]

TheStraw Hat Pirates' Jolly Roger of theStraw Hat Pirates inOne Piece came into prominence during the2025 Indonesian anti-government protests which started in the build up to theAugust 17 when the country will celebrates its 80th independence anniversary.[113] This flag was first flew by truck drivers in late July 2025 to protest the administration ofPrabowo Subianto.[114] They also refused to fly anyIndonesian flags, as a part of the demonstration against the prohibition of ODOL (over dimension, overload) trucks throughout several cities in Java, ongoing since 19 June.[115]

In response, the flag was called a threat to the national unity of Indonesia byits government,[116] especially by the leading figures fromPeople's Consultative Assembly.[117] It has been also declared a symbol oftreason and waving the flag is considered as an act ofrebellion[118] andsedition,[119] while various government institutions have attempted to ban this flag.[120][121]

A truck in Jakarta displaying the Straw Hat Pirates' Jolly Roger.

In the2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests, the Straw Hat Pirates' Jolly Roger was used as a sign of protest.[122]

The Straw Hat Pirates Jolly Roger also showed up inGaza war protests.[citation needed] Italian activist Tony la piccirella flew a Straw Hat Pirates Jolly Roger on the ship he was on as a part of theGlobal Sumud Flotilla intended to break theGaza blockade.[citation needed]

Sub-articles

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^One account states that Horton, now Commander in Chief Submarines, was visiting at the time ofOsiris' return, and influenced the flotilla leader's decision.[76]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Cabinet of Curiosities".sjofartsmuseum.ax. Åland Maritime Museum. February 2018. Retrieved9 August 2024.
  2. ^"Rare Jolly Roger goes on display at Portsmouth's navy museum".BBC News. 14 December 2011.
  3. ^Johnson, Charles (2002).Pirates. Conway Maritime.ISBN 978-0851779195.
  4. ^Charles Johnson (1724),A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates, p. 250.
  5. ^Johnson (1724), pp. 411–12.
  6. ^Bartholomew Roberts' Jolly Roger in June 1721 is simply described as "their black flag", which may or may not be the same Roberts is described as flying earlier on pp. 243–44, the man standing on a Barbadian's head and a Martinican's head. Spriggs' Jolly Roger is described as follows: "a black Ensign was made, which they calledJolly Roger, with the same device that Captain Low carried,viz. a white Skeliton in the Middle of it, with a Dart in one Hand striking a bleeding Heart, and in the other, an Hour-Glass."
  7. ^abDavid Cordingly (1995).Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates, New York: Random House, p. 117.
  8. ^Old Roger is Jolly Roger,Linquistlist,American Dialect Society
  9. ^Jolly Roger, n. Oxford University Press. June 2016.
  10. ^Rogoziński, Jan (1997).The Wordsworth Dictionary of Pirates. New York: Wordsworth Reference.ISBN 9781853263842. Retrieved11 July 2019.
  11. ^abcdLittle, Benerson (2016).The Golden Age of Piracy: The Truth Behind Pirate Myths. New York: Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.ISBN 9781510713048. Retrieved25 February 2023.
  12. ^Giles Milton,White Gold (2004), p. 9:"The flags on their mainmasts depicted a human skull on a dark green background - the menacing symbol of a new and terrible enemy. It was the third week of July 1625, and England was about to be attacked by the Islamic corsairs of Barbary."
  13. ^Mary Frear Keeler (ed.),Sir Francis Drake's West Indian Voyage, 1585–86 (1981),p. 161, footnote 3: "No reference to black flags on Drake’s ships, mentioned also by Castellanos (Castellanos, Juan de, Discurso de el Capitan Francisco Draque .. . 1586-1587, p. 173), appears in either Spanish official accounts or English narratives."
  14. ^Johnson, p. 66.
  15. ^Johnson, pp. 72, 147, 344.
  16. ^BnF, ManuscritFrançais 385, f. 25, digitised onGallica; For a translation in English, seePirate Flags Pirate Mythtory.Archived 21 January 2005 at theWayback Machine: "And we put down our white flag, and raised a red flag with a Skull head on it and two crossed bones (all in white and in the middle of the flag), and then we marched on."
  17. ^David Cordingly (1995).Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates, New York: Random House, p. 220.
  18. ^See, e.g.,Angus Konstam,Pirates: 1660–1730; Douglas Botting,The Pirates;"Flags". Archived fromthe original on 15 January 2008. Retrieved12 July 2007.; etcetera.
  19. ^David Cordingly (1995).Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates, New York: Random House, p. 118.
  20. ^cited afterDavid Cordingly inLife Amongst The Pirates (1996), p. 135.
  21. ^Burl, Aubery.Black Bart. pp. 133–34.
  22. ^abc"Pirate Symbolism: The Jolly Roger and the 'Arr'".wondriumdaily.com. Archived fromthe original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved19 September 2022.
  23. ^This practice is considered deceitful today, but in the period of sail it was the standard practice for all ships. There was no other way to approach an enemy or victim on the open sea if they did not want to fight.[citation needed]
  24. ^Cordingly, p. 117. Cordingly cites only one source for pages 116–119 of his text:Calendar of State Papers, Colonial, America and West Indies, volumes 1719–20, no. 34.
  25. ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyFox, E. T. (2015).Jolly Rogers, the True History of Pirate Flags. Raleigh NC: Lulu.com.ISBN 9781326448172. Retrieved3 December 2018.
  26. ^Leeson, Peter T. (2008).Pirational Choice: The Economics of Infamous Pirate Practices(PDF). p. 10.
  27. ^Leeson, Peter T. (2008).Pirational Choice: The Economics of Infamous Pirate Practices(PDF). p. 12. "Ships attacking under the death head's toothy grin were therefore considered criminal and could be prosecuted as pirates. Since pirates were criminals anyway, for them, flying the Jolly Roger was costless. If they were captured and found guilty, the penalty they faced was the same whether they used the Jolly Roger in taking merchant ships or not – the hangman's noose... For legitimate ships, however, things were different. To retain at least a veneer of legitimacy, privateers and Spanish coast guard ships could not sail under pirate colours. If they did, they could be hunted and hanged as pirates."
  28. ^"Pirate Colors".streetsofsalem.com. 9 June 2011. Retrieved19 September 2022.
  29. ^abcdefghijklm"Hoist the Colors: History of the Pirate Flag".youtube.com. Gold and Gunpowder. 21 October 2022. Retrieved3 May 2024.
  30. ^"VOC-Glossarium"(PDF) (in Dutch). Instituut voor Nederlandse Geschiedenis. 2000. Retrieved29 July 2021.
  31. ^Grey, Charles (1933).Pirates of the eastern seas (1618-1723): a lurid page of history. London: S. Low, Marston & co., ltd. Retrieved26 June 2017.
  32. ^Little, Benerson (2016).The Golden Age of Piracy: The Truth Behind Pirate Myths. New York: Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.ISBN 9781510713048. Retrieved15 September 2017.
  33. ^"The Political state of Great Britain. V28 1724".HathiTrust. Retrieved13 January 2019.
  34. ^Fox, E. T. (12 July 2022).Pirates in Their Own Words Volume II: Contemporary Newspaper Accounts of the 'Golden Age' of Piracy, 1690-1727.
  35. ^"The Pirate ShipWhydah: Pirate strategy"."Real Pirates" museum exhibit website. Chicago, Illinois: The Field Museum. 2009. Retrieved21 January 2013.
  36. ^abBaylus Brooks, Dictionary of Pirate Biography
  37. ^Hostin, Geraldo (January 2020)."THE PIRATE OF COTINGA ISLAND: THE HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY OF a MYSTERIOUS SHIPWRECK IN THE SOUTH OF BRAZIL. MAHSNews report Fall 2021".
  38. ^Hostin, Geraldo (January 2020)."THE PIRATE OF COTINGA ISLAND: THE HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY OF a MYSTERIOUS SHIPWRECK IN THE SOUTH OF BRAZIL. MAHSNews report Fall 2021".
  39. ^"Olivier Levasseur: History's Luckiest, Unlucky Pirate".YouTube. 24 May 2024.
  40. ^ab"The Pirate That Had WAY Too Many Flags..."youtube.com. Gold and Gunpowder. 12 March 2022. Retrieved3 May 2024.
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Bibliography

[edit]

Books

[edit]

Journal and news articles

[edit]
  • Norton-Taylor, Richard (17 April 2003)."Cruise missile sub back in UK".The Guardian. London. Retrieved25 March 2010.
  • Richards, Bill; Smith, Peter (December 2006). "Onslow's Jolly Roger".Signals (77). Australian National Maritime Museum:10–12.ISSN 1033-4688.

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