The Jolly Roger (Pirate Flag)

The Jolly Roger (Pirate Flag)

Construction sheet: The Jolly Roger (Pirate Flag)
Construction sheet

Description

  • A black field bearing a white skull above two crossed bones (or swords)
  • The most famous pirate flag, used from the early 18th century during the Golden Age of Piracy
  • Many variants existed — Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach used a skeleton with a spear and bleeding heart; Calico Jack Rackham's had crossed swords instead of bones
  • The name 'Jolly Roger' may derive from the French 'joli rouge' (pretty red) or from a general slang term for a grinning skull
  • Construction: a black field with a white skull and crossbones (or variant device) centred. No standard ratio

Trivia

  • No two pirate captains used the same Jolly Roger — each had a personalised version
  • The skull and crossbones design conveyed a specific message of danger and death
  • Most pirate flags actually used variations of red or solid colours; the black 'Jolly Roger' is more legend than historical fact

The Jolly Roger (Pirate Flag)

A black field bearing a white skull above two crossed bones (or swords). The most famous pirate flag, used from the early 18th century during the Golden Age of Piracy. Many variants existed — Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach used a skeleton with a spear and bleeding heart; Calico Jack Rackham's had crossed swords instead of bones.

No two pirate captains used the same Jolly Roger — each had a personalised version. The skull and crossbones design conveyed a specific message of danger and death. Most pirate flags actually used variations of red or solid colours; the black 'Jolly Roger' is more legend than historical fact.

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  "g": "maritime,h",
  "ns": "maritime",
  "name": "Jolly Roger",
  "id": "jolly-roger",
  "index": "e/jolly-roger",
  "title": "The Jolly Roger (Pirate Flag)",
  "ratio": "2:3",
  "colors": [
    {
      "color": "black",
      "hex": "#000000",
      "cmyk": "0/0/0/100",
      "note": "Death, darkness, and the pirate's menace."
    },
    {
      "color": "white",
      "hex": "#ffffff",
      "cmyk": "0/0/0/0",
      "note": "The skull and crossbones; mortality and defiance."
    }
  ],
  "desc": "- A black field bearing a white skull above two crossed bones (or swords)\n - The most famous pirate flag, used from the early 18th century during the Golden Age of Piracy\n - Many variants existed — Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach used a skeleton with a spear and bleeding heart; Calico Jack Rackham's had crossed swords instead of bones\n - The name 'Jolly Roger' may derive from the French 'joli rouge' (pretty red) or from a general slang term for a grinning skull\n - **Construction:** a black field with a white skull and crossbones (or variant device) centred. No standard ratio",
  "flag": "maritime/jolly-roger.svg",
  "countryData": {
    "name": "Jolly Roger",
    "officialName": "Jolly Roger (pirate flag)",
    "un": "none"
  },
  "cs": "maritime/jolly-roger.cs.svg",
  "trivia": "- No two pirate captains used the same Jolly Roger — each had a personalised version\n - The skull and crossbones design conveyed a specific message of danger and death\n - Most pirate flags actually used variations of red or solid colours; the black 'Jolly Roger' is more legend than historical fact",
  "article": "maritime/jolly-roger.md",
  "_name": "Jolly Roger",
  "_namespace": "maritime",
  "_namePart": "jolly-roger"
}
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