Post by Carlotta on May 22, 2006 23:28:52 GMT -5
The "Jolly Roger" is used to refer to the skull and crossbones flag (white on black) which is associated with Caribbean pirates.
Pirate ships in the 15th to 17th Centuries which plied the Atlantic as far east as Madagascar were often run as self-contained floating democracies (the captain was usually only in undisputed charge during a battle), and each captain and ship generally bore his or its own flag. Almost all were white or white and red on black, and featured similar elements: skulls or skeletons (symbolizing death; the pirate wanted to project fearlessness in the face of death, and some flags pictured the captain toasting, dancing with, or literally conquering the skeletal Death), swords and cannon (obvious symbolism), treasure chests (ditto), hearts (often pierced, to symbolize "no mercy"), and pirates themselves. The classic "skull-and-crossbones" was almost certainly among these designs. (I don't know which pirate actually flew it. I know Calico Jack Rackham flew a skull and crossed *swords*, but that's as close as I've found in my research.)
In the early days of the so-called "Golden Age of Piracy" (mid-to-late 1500's), pirates (especially French boucaniers, or buccaneers) kept two battle flags, one plain red and one plain black. Before a battle, the captain would hoist one or the other to show whether quarter was being given (for the non-English speakers, this is an archaic expression meaning whether or not prisoners would be taken). The red flag meant "no quarter" (no prisoners, slaughter every one of the enemy). As pirate warfare became more brutal, the two different flags were generally replaced by just one, the (usually) black flag, which was defaced as above. But the flag kept the French nickname given to the red flag: joli rouge. This was anglicized by English pirates to "Jolly Roger".
Different pirates treated flags differently. Many would fly the flag of their country until battle, when the black flag was raised; this was especially true if the captain was a privateer -- one who sailed for a particular country and carried a letter of marque, or signed permission from the country's ruler, to prey on enemy ships. (Of course, the privateer often wasn't above taking a few merchantmen here and there as well when the pickings got thin...) More independent pirates, such as William Teach, better known as Blackbeard, kept a collection of flags on board and simply raised whatever was most convenient in any given situation.
"One of piracy's most feared flags belonged to the greatest captain of its Golden Age, Bartholomew Roberts. In his four-year career 'Black Bart', a Welshman, captured over 400 ships and fabulous wealth. The fruits of one violent engagement in Brazil against 42 Portuguese ships included sugar, hides, tobacco, gold plate, coins worth 80,000 pounds and a diamond-studded cross that was destined for the King of Portugal. He was fearless, innovative and a brilliant seaman. His fleet scoured the world for treasure, inspiring utter dread in governments and their navies. The Caribbean islands of Barbados and Martinique were particularly keen to see an end to his activities (in 1720 Roberts captured the Governor of Martinique and hung him from the mast), and Roberts' flag reflects the personal vendetta he had with them. 'The Jack had a man portrayed in it with a flaming Sword in his Hand, and standing on two Skulls subscribed ABH and AMH', i.e. a Barbadian's and a Martinican's Head,' described an account of the time. The man portrayed is Roberts himself. The flag he designed flew from his flagship, the Royal Fortune, a brigantine he had captured from the French. Roberts was killed in battle against HMS Swallow in 1722, on the African coast. The captain of the Swallow was subsequently knighted for ridding the world of the 'Great Pyrate' Roberts."
Other pirates who are known to have had their own flags are Christopher Condent, Thomas Tew, Stede Bonnet, Muslim corsairs, Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach, 'Calico Jack' Rackham, Captain Dulaien, Emmanuel Wynne, Henry Avery, Christopher Moody, Edward Low. There have been other famous pirates - men and women - but it's not certain what their flags were.
It was recorded in a document of about 1300 that Norman ships hoisted "streamers of red sendal called baucans" as a sign that no quarter would be given, when they attacked a fleet of English, Irish and Gascon ships off the coast of Brittany.
However later a red flag was known as the Flag of Defiance, Bloedvlag or Bloody Flag and was merely a signal for battle.
A black flag, as often used by pirates, was more often taken to mean "war to the death".
Pirate Flags: In popular fiction all pirates flew the jolly roger - a skull above crossed bones on a black background. However, this special flag was used only by British and British-American pirates from about 1700 to 1725. Other pirates attacked either under their own ruler's flag or under the flag of the prince issuing their privateering commission. By flying a national flag, pirates made a symbolic statement (often false) that the attack was legal under that country's laws.
Some nations sponsored piracy and lived off pirate booty, including Barbary states, the Knights of Malta, and 17th-century England. In law, corsairs operating from one of these havens had to fly its flag. This showed that the raiders recognized and paid taxes to the ruler's law courts.
While they were hunting, many pirates either flew no flag or used one that would fool their intended victim. Their battle flag was raised only when they were close enough to attack. Naval warships also used this trick. In 1815 American ships thus trapped Hamidou Reis by flying the British flag.
From 1805 to 1810 a large pirate confederation dominated the Chinese coast from Canton south to Vietnam. The raiders divided the coast into six territories, each belonging to a pirate fleet with its own banner - red, black, white, green, blue, and yellow. Since China had no national flag, every shipowner devised a banner for the vessels he owned.
Pirate ships in the 15th to 17th Centuries which plied the Atlantic as far east as Madagascar were often run as self-contained floating democracies (the captain was usually only in undisputed charge during a battle), and each captain and ship generally bore his or its own flag. Almost all were white or white and red on black, and featured similar elements: skulls or skeletons (symbolizing death; the pirate wanted to project fearlessness in the face of death, and some flags pictured the captain toasting, dancing with, or literally conquering the skeletal Death), swords and cannon (obvious symbolism), treasure chests (ditto), hearts (often pierced, to symbolize "no mercy"), and pirates themselves. The classic "skull-and-crossbones" was almost certainly among these designs. (I don't know which pirate actually flew it. I know Calico Jack Rackham flew a skull and crossed *swords*, but that's as close as I've found in my research.)
In the early days of the so-called "Golden Age of Piracy" (mid-to-late 1500's), pirates (especially French boucaniers, or buccaneers) kept two battle flags, one plain red and one plain black. Before a battle, the captain would hoist one or the other to show whether quarter was being given (for the non-English speakers, this is an archaic expression meaning whether or not prisoners would be taken). The red flag meant "no quarter" (no prisoners, slaughter every one of the enemy). As pirate warfare became more brutal, the two different flags were generally replaced by just one, the (usually) black flag, which was defaced as above. But the flag kept the French nickname given to the red flag: joli rouge. This was anglicized by English pirates to "Jolly Roger".
Different pirates treated flags differently. Many would fly the flag of their country until battle, when the black flag was raised; this was especially true if the captain was a privateer -- one who sailed for a particular country and carried a letter of marque, or signed permission from the country's ruler, to prey on enemy ships. (Of course, the privateer often wasn't above taking a few merchantmen here and there as well when the pickings got thin...) More independent pirates, such as William Teach, better known as Blackbeard, kept a collection of flags on board and simply raised whatever was most convenient in any given situation.
"One of piracy's most feared flags belonged to the greatest captain of its Golden Age, Bartholomew Roberts. In his four-year career 'Black Bart', a Welshman, captured over 400 ships and fabulous wealth. The fruits of one violent engagement in Brazil against 42 Portuguese ships included sugar, hides, tobacco, gold plate, coins worth 80,000 pounds and a diamond-studded cross that was destined for the King of Portugal. He was fearless, innovative and a brilliant seaman. His fleet scoured the world for treasure, inspiring utter dread in governments and their navies. The Caribbean islands of Barbados and Martinique were particularly keen to see an end to his activities (in 1720 Roberts captured the Governor of Martinique and hung him from the mast), and Roberts' flag reflects the personal vendetta he had with them. 'The Jack had a man portrayed in it with a flaming Sword in his Hand, and standing on two Skulls subscribed ABH and AMH', i.e. a Barbadian's and a Martinican's Head,' described an account of the time. The man portrayed is Roberts himself. The flag he designed flew from his flagship, the Royal Fortune, a brigantine he had captured from the French. Roberts was killed in battle against HMS Swallow in 1722, on the African coast. The captain of the Swallow was subsequently knighted for ridding the world of the 'Great Pyrate' Roberts."
Other pirates who are known to have had their own flags are Christopher Condent, Thomas Tew, Stede Bonnet, Muslim corsairs, Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach, 'Calico Jack' Rackham, Captain Dulaien, Emmanuel Wynne, Henry Avery, Christopher Moody, Edward Low. There have been other famous pirates - men and women - but it's not certain what their flags were.
It was recorded in a document of about 1300 that Norman ships hoisted "streamers of red sendal called baucans" as a sign that no quarter would be given, when they attacked a fleet of English, Irish and Gascon ships off the coast of Brittany.
However later a red flag was known as the Flag of Defiance, Bloedvlag or Bloody Flag and was merely a signal for battle.
A black flag, as often used by pirates, was more often taken to mean "war to the death".
Pirate Flags: In popular fiction all pirates flew the jolly roger - a skull above crossed bones on a black background. However, this special flag was used only by British and British-American pirates from about 1700 to 1725. Other pirates attacked either under their own ruler's flag or under the flag of the prince issuing their privateering commission. By flying a national flag, pirates made a symbolic statement (often false) that the attack was legal under that country's laws.
Some nations sponsored piracy and lived off pirate booty, including Barbary states, the Knights of Malta, and 17th-century England. In law, corsairs operating from one of these havens had to fly its flag. This showed that the raiders recognized and paid taxes to the ruler's law courts.
While they were hunting, many pirates either flew no flag or used one that would fool their intended victim. Their battle flag was raised only when they were close enough to attack. Naval warships also used this trick. In 1815 American ships thus trapped Hamidou Reis by flying the British flag.
From 1805 to 1810 a large pirate confederation dominated the Chinese coast from Canton south to Vietnam. The raiders divided the coast into six territories, each belonging to a pirate fleet with its own banner - red, black, white, green, blue, and yellow. Since China had no national flag, every shipowner devised a banner for the vessels he owned.
