The pirate flag knows today, probably every. And all thanks to the mass culture that made this banner is very popular. Here is his photo.
What does a pirate flag look like
Those few texts where pirated flags are described are very simple. As a rule, we are talking about a certain flag with a dead human head. The most first description of the Banner of Korsarov in documentary records is in the form of black cloth with a sand clock and human skull on crossed bones. This banner raised the French villain named Emmanuel Winn. In the distant 1700, he was attacked in the ship by a captain named John Cranky.
Under different variants of the standard with human bones and skull, then in the sea over 2.5 thousand villains. On the flag, you could see other items. For example, a shape of a man, a human skeleton, a heart, or an hourglass.
The skull is a symbol of death. Pirates, choosing this flag, spoke about their contempt for death. The choice of black is not very clear.
- According to the popular legend, this was due to black banners of ships that were infected with a terrible plague. Black shade in science heraldry is the lowest because it was very close to darkness.
- In the Bible, such shades personified death and eternal evil.
- They could simply be antipodes of state flags.
- It is possible to choose a dark color was made of purely pragmatic considerations because this color gave robbers the opportunity to disguise themselves well.
How otherwise called the pirate flag
When they say about the flag of pirates, then they often mean the pirate flag of the Jolly Roger – a dark banner with a skull and crossed bones. Together with many others, this variation was used by robbers in the seventeenth-eighteenth century. At that distant time, some of the united flags they did not have, but in more modern culture, it was this banner most associated with the marine robbers.
Why a pirated flag is a cheerful roger
If we talk about why the flag of Corsairs is called a cheerful Roger, there are several theories here:
- Jolly Roger can occur from the French words Joyeux Rouge (bright scarlet). It was a banner of a bloody-red color, which means war. Perhaps the British in the future converted the word Rouge in Roger, and the word Joyeux in Jolly, that is, merry.
- The name could happen on behalf of the sisudar of the second Sicilian. He is known for his numerous victories. The banner of this ruler is two crossed bones of a man on a red field.
- During any mortal epidemic, whether it is a plague of either cholera, on marine ships it was customary to raise a special banner – two diagonal stripes of white color on a black field. This ship with infected people gave to know other vessels that they are better to stay away. Sea robbers often used this sign of intimidation. So they could avoid attacks on more powerful ships. Gradually, ordinary white stripes turned into crossed bones.
- There is also a version that speaks quite differently. It is connected directly with Tamil Robber. They were engaged in their affairs in the waters of different oceans and called themselves no other than Ali Raja – sea kings. This combination of words is similar to the English Jolly Roger.
- The banner received his name from the words old Roger. So at the time called the devil himself. Subsequently, the word OLD has become Jolly, or the dental of the human skull was perceived as a real ominous smirk.
Thus, this means that the unified version is not yet.
Meaning of the pirate flag
What is the meaning of the pirate flag? The banner of black with a skull was a special code, through which sea robbers got the opportunity to easily recognize each other. But this information was also tracked and their enemies, placing in the newspapers a variety of information about the symbolism of robbers. On the courts of the latter, very different rules operated: some robbers could spare sailors and pick up only some part of the entire cargo, and others were real sadists. In this regard, the owners of the ships gathered important data and made certain conclusions about the possible outcome of a sudden meeting with a vessel, on the mast of which the definite pirate flag.
Sea robbers not to scare his sacrifice, could not immediately raise their ominous cloth. This often led to real curses, when two ships of pirates met in the waters of the oceans. However, at the same time, the gloomy symbolism was just a means of intimidation. Say panic and forming fear atmosphere, robbers easily neutralized their victim. Such methods were given to pirate the opportunity not to use violence and save lives of life: seeing the famous sinister flag, the ships often surrendered simply without a fight.
Other pirate flags
Together with Jolly Roger were popular and other pirated panels. With the fights on the masts of the courts of robbers, the red flags were waved, which were a symbol of aggression, while the banner of the black color showed that the robbers could accept the surrender of their victim. At the same time, white flags, often with the image of a human skeleton, mean that pirates are ready to surrender. So, such a banner in 1718 posted villains under the command of Stud Bonnet. He had to surrender to more powerful forces.
In addition, a variety of national flags were used at the time. So, on the ship of the English Robber, Charles Wain with an ordinary pirate banner walked an official Union Jack. State banners could be used for better disguise. Pirates, quietly approaching the victim, quickly dismissed their gloomy flag.
Representatives of the official power used the flag of pirates with the same purpose: the maritime security of Spain often went under the banner with human remains, which attacked numerous smugglers’ ships.
The execution of robbers in public was also real retribution and a powerful warning. Specially suspended above the scaffold Pirate piece of fabric – a sign of indispensable revenge – received a function of edification. Representatives of power thus showed the power of their state.
