The Jolly Roger is any of various flags flown to
identify a ship's crew as pirates. The flag most
usually identified as the Jolly Roger today is the
skull and crossbones, a flag consisting of a human
skull above two long bones set in an x-mark arrangement
on a black field. This design was used by several
pirates, including Captains Edward England and John
Taylor. Some Jolly Roger flags also include an
hourglass, another common symbol representing death in
17th- and 18th-century Europe. Despite i...(+)
The Jolly Roger is any of various flags flown to
identify a ship's crew as pirates. The flag most
usually identified as the Jolly Roger today is the
skull and crossbones, a flag consisting of a human
skull above two long bones set in an x-mark arrangement
on a black field. This design was used by several
pirates, including Captains Edward England and John
Taylor. Some Jolly Roger flags also include an
hourglass, another common symbol representing death in
17th- and 18th-century Europe. Despite its prominence
in popular culture, plain black flags were often
employed by most pirates in the 17th-18th century.
Historically, the flag was flown to frighten pirates'
victims into surrendering without a fight, since it
conveyed the message that the attackers were outlaws
who would not consider themselves bound by the usual
rules of engagement?and might, therefore, slaughter
those they defeated (since captured pirates were
usually hanged, they did not have much to gain by
asking quarter if defeated). (Wikipedia)
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