The Jolly Roger

The Jolly Roger The name of the pirate flag, the Jolly Roger, might have been named after the devil- Old Roger, but it is more probable it comes from the French name Jolie Rouge which means lovely or pretty red. It was a blood-red flag flown by pirates who intended to kill everyone on board a ship they were about to attack. There were many different Jolly Roger flags. Pirates had their own versions of …

…at the last minute, they would raise a Jolly Roger to frighten their enemy into surrendering. When pirates were giving chase, they hoisted a white flag, and if the ship refused to slow down then the pirates usually raised a red flag which symbolized blood. It also meant that once the pirates boarded the ship, no lives would be spared. Pirates often stole flags from captured ships to add to their collection of false flags.