TheCrossed Swords Jolly Roger, orSkull and Crossed Swords Flag, are figurative terms for a popular modern variant of thepirate naval ensignJolly Roger, whose motif consists of a skull above crossed swords (sabres).

While not historically attested, the design derives from various attestations of historical flags. Naval ensigns featuring swords are attested from before theGolden Age of Piracy. The Dutch Navy is known to have featured a sword arm on their naval attack flag during theBattle of the Sound in 1658. One of the closest historical designs to the Crossed Swords Jolly Roger is the flag of pirateBartholomew Roberts, which was described by two separate eyewitnesses to have flown a "skull with a sabre or sword-arm on a black field".^[1] It should also be noted that crossed swords have been reported as a historical pirate flag motif. One of the flags of French pirateOlivier Levasseur is described as: "… made of black cloth and was painted in the middle a skeleton flanked by scattered bones and crossed cutlasses".^[2]

Another root of the design could be the Jolly Roger from the 1935 swashbuckling pirate filmCaptain Blood, which features a similar motif but with crossed sword arms.^[3]

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  Dutch attack flag during theBattle of the Sound (1658; painted: 1670–1679)
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  Bartholomew Roberts' flag, interpretation per: "a Black Flag with Death's head and a cutlass in it"^[1]
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  Bartholomew Roberts' flag, interpretation per: "a death's head and an arm with a cutlass"^[1]
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  Olivier Levasseur's flag, interpretation per: "… in the middle a skeleton flanked by scattered bones and crossed cutlasses"^[2]
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  The Jolly Roger fromCaptain Blood with crossed sword arms.^[3]

The flag is often called theCalico Jack flag, orJohn Rackham flag, and thereof, referencing theGolden Age pirateJohn Rackham, with the modern nicknameCalico Jack (probably not a period nickname), who in modern popular culture is said to have flown it on his flagship, which originates from the 1959 bookBordbuch des Satans by Hans Leip.^[4]

The flag is widely used in modern pirate media, even though it is not historical.

It has famously been used in thePirates of the Caribbean film series as was the naval ensign of theBlack Pearl, the protagonistic pirate ship.^[3] InPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, a modified variant was used byHector Barbossa on his captured ship, theQueen Anne's Revenge, flying a black motif with golden border on awine red field.

Variants of the flag have also been used in the mangaOne Piece. Examples include theRed-Haired Pirates, the Giant Warrior Pirates, the Brownbeard Pirates, and the New Giant Warrior Pirates.

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  Flag of the Pirate King fromThe Pirates of Penzance
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  One-Eyed Willy's pirate flag fromThe Goonies
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  The flag on the rig of aPirates of the Caribbean themedVolvo Open 70 yacht
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  The flag featured on theBlack Pearl lego set
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  Hector Barbossa's flag inPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
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  TheMisfortune's Keep's pirate flag fromLego Ninjago
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  Benjamin Hornigold's pirate flag fromBlack Sails
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  Jack Rackham's pirate flag fromBlack Sails

TheNational Football League'sLas Vegas Raiders' use a variation of the Crossed Swords 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 the Crossed Swords Jolly Roger, with a carnelian red background instead of black, and an American football positioned over the intersection of two crossed swords.

• Jolly Rogers
• Fiction about piracy

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata