The Jolly Roger was the much feared pirate flag from days gone by. The skull with the crossed thigh bones beneath it struck terror into the hearts of merchant seamen who encountered it. There is no evidence that this particular flag ever existed. The generally recognized pirate flag was usually a plain black flag, or a black flag adorned with a variety of skulls, bones or other morbid symbols. The famous pirate Blackbeard hoisted a flag adorned with a horned devil-skeleton with an hourglass in one hand (to advise his victims that time was running out) and a spear in the other. The origin of the name “Jolly Roger” is obscure, but most often related to a rather ribald English expression.
( behind is the Jolly Roger Sailing Ship )
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