The well-known pirate flag, which is also called the "Jolly Roger", is a banner with a skull and bones on a black background. The origins of the pirate flag date back to the so-called golden age of piracy.
The first intimidating image was used by Emmanuel Wynn, a French pirate, in 1700. This event is mentioned in the records of the British Admiralty of that era. Captain John Cranby's report on July 18, 1700 records how the British Navy pursued Wynn's pirate ship near the Cape Verde Islands. The description of the flag contains a skull, bones, an hourglass and a black background. The hourglass on the flag meant that only a quick surrender would save the pirate victims from death.
Flag symbolism
Bones and skulls have symbolized death since the days of Ancient Rome. They were laid out in catacombs, graves, crypts of the Middle Ages. Initially, the symbolism of bones meant the extension of life, life after death, since the skeleton of a deceased person is preserved much longer than other tissues. Later, the skull and bones and their images became a living reminder that everyone will someday die. Thus, they began to symbolize death.
Why are the bones on the flag crosswise? One of the explanations for this is the connection with the image of a Christian grave. Another version relates to the image of the crucifixion of Christ, in which the skull and crossed bones were very often present, immediately at the feet of the crucified Jesus. It was a symbol of triumph over death and, at the same time, a reminder of the excavation of the site of the crucifixion - Golgotha, which in Greek means "skull".
Precisely because pirates began to use the symbol often, it gradually disappeared from the crucifixion by 1800. The idea of the coexistence of cruel pirate behavior and Christian crucifixion in one symbol has become unacceptable.
"Jolly Roger" or "beautiful red"
The name of the famous pirate flag is shrouded in mystery. According to one version, the English Jolly Roger (which translates as "Jolly Roger") comes from the French joli rouge. But the French phrase is very different in meaning from English: it means "beautiful red". This is because even before the Jolly Roger came into vogue, some pirate flags were red as blood. This color meant that the pirates would not spare any of those who were attacked. But this is only one of the versions.
In the era of Queen Elizabeth, rouge, which came from the French language, became the name Roger in English. This name in slang meant "vagabond" and referred to all asocial elements of society, and in particular to the pirates who roamed the waters of the English Channel on ships.
Another version claims that the pirates called the devil Old Roger. Hence the name of the flag. They called him merry because the skull on the flag seems to be smiling.
The various interpretations and Hollywood fame of the pirate flag in modern culture make it difficult to reveal its true origin. It should be borne in mind that the history of the "Jolly Roger" is quite short: this flag design was popular with pirates for about the first 20 years of the 18th century.
