Jolly Roger

For other uses, see Jolly Roger (disambiguation).

The origin of the name is unclear. Jolly Roger had been a
Jolly Roger is the traditional English name for the ags generic term for a jovial, carefree man since at least the
17th century and the existing term seems to have been
applied to the skeleton or grinning skull in these ags by
the early 18th century.[6] In 1703, a pirate named John
Quelch was reported to have been ying the Old Roger
o Brazil, Old Roger being a nickname for the devil.[7]
There is also reference to the privateers of 1694 using
a red ag known as Red Jack. The french privateers
would be operating under what they called the Jolie
Rouge which translates as jolly red. [8]
Another early reference to Old Roger is found in a news
report in the Weekly Journal or British Gazetteer (London,
Saturday, October 19, 1723; Issue LVII, page 2, col. 1):
The traditional Jolly Roger of piracy

Parts of the West-Indies. Rhode-Island,

July 26. This Day, 26 of the Pirates taken by
his Majesty Ship the Greyhound, Captain Solgard, were executed here. Some of them delivered what they had to say in writing, and most
of them said something at the Place of Execution, advising all People, young ones especially,
to take warning by their unhappy Fate, and to
avoid the crimes that brought them to it. Their
black Flag, under which they had committed
abundance of Pyracies and Murders, was afx'd to one Corner of the Gallows. It had in
it the Portraiture of Death, with an Hour-Glass
in one Hand, and a Dart in the other, striking
into a Heart, and three Drops of Blood delineated as falling from it. This Flag they called
Old Roger, and usd to say, They would live and
die under it.[9]

own to identify a pirate ship about to attack during the

early 18th century (i.e. the later part of the "Golden Age
of Piracy").
The ag most commonly identied as the Jolly Roger today, the skull and crossbones symbol on a black ag, was
used during the 1710s by a number of pirate captains including Black Sam Bellamy, Edward England, and John
Taylor and it went on to become the most commonly used
pirate ag during the 1720s.

1
1.1

Origins
Name

Use of the term Jolly Roger in reference to pirate ags

goes back to at least Charles Johnson's A General History
of the Pyrates, published in Britain in 1724.[1]
1.2 Design
Johnson specically cites two pirates as having named
their ag Jolly Roger": Bartholomew Roberts in June, Further information: Skull and crossbones (military) and
1721[2] and Francis Spriggs in December 1723.[3] While Totenkopf
Spriggs and Roberts used the same name for their ags,
their ag designs were quite dierent, suggesting that al- The rst recorded uses of the skull-and-crossbones symready Jolly Roger was a generic term for black pirate bol on naval ags date to the 17th century. It possiags rather than a name for any single specic design. bly originated among the Barbary pirates of the period,
Neither Spriggs nor Roberts Jolly Roger consisted of a which would connect the black colour of the Jolly Roger
skull and crossbones.[4]
to the Muslim black ag. But an early reference to MusRichard Hawkins, who was captured by pirates in 1724,
reported that the pirates had a black ag bearing the gure
of a skeleton stabbing a heart with a spear, which they
named Jolly Roger.[5]

lim corsairs ying a skull symbol, in the context of a

1625 slave raid on Cornwall, explicitly refers to the symbol being shown on a green ag.[10] There are mentions
of Francis Drake ying a black ag as early as 1585,
1

2
but the historicity of this tradition has been called into
question.[11] Contemporary accounts show Peter Easton
using a plain black ag in 1612; a plain black ag was
also used by Captain Martels pirates in 1716,[12] Edward
Teach aka Blackbeard, Charles Vane, and Richard Worley in 1718,[13] and Howell Davis in 1719.[14]
An early record of the skull-and-crossbones design being
used on a (red) ag by pirates is found in a December
6, 1687 entry in a log book held by the Bibliothque nationale de France. The entry describes pirates using the
ag, not on a ship but on land.[15]

2 HISTORICAL DESIGNS
as variations on the Jolly Roger design existed, red ags
sometimes incorporated yellow stripes or images symbolic of death.[7] Colored pennants and ribbons could also
be used alongside ags.
Marcus Rediker (1987) claims that most pirates active
between 1716 and 1726 were part of one of two large interconnected groups sharing many similarities in organisation. He states that this accounts for the comparatively
rapid adoption of the piratical black ag among a group of
men operating across thousands of miles of ocean, suggesting that the skull-and-crossbone design became standardized at about the same time as the term Jolly Roger
was adopted as its name. By 1730, the diversity of symbols in prior use had been mostly replaced by the standard
design.[18]

2 Historical designs
The gallery below showing pirate ags in use from 1693
(Thomas Tew's) to 1724 (Edward Low's) appears in multiple extant works on the history of piracy.[19] All the secondary sources cited in the gallery below are in agreement
except as to the background color of Everys ag.
A pirate ag used by Edward Low.[1]
A pirate ag often called the Jolly Roger. This
ag is usually attributed to Blackbeard.[2] Similar to
ags reportedly own by Edward Lowe and Francis
Spriggs
Although referred to as John Quelch ag, in fact
it is closer to the description of Pirate ag of John
Phillips.
1725 woodcut of Stede Bonnet with a Jolly Roger in Charles
Johnson's A General History of the Pyrates

Walter Kennedys Jolly Roger ensign (which was

identical to the ag of Jean Thomas Dulaien).[3]

17th and 18th century colonial governors usually required

privateers to y a specic version of the British ag, the
1606 Union Jack with a white crest in the middle, also distinguishing them from naval vessels.[16] Before this time,
British privateers such as Sir Henry Morgan sailed under English colours.[5] An early use of a black ag with
skull, crossbones, and hourglass is attributed to pirate
captain Emanuel Wynn in 1700, according to a wide
variety of secondary sources.[17] Reportedly, these secondary sources are based on the account of Captain John
Cranby of HMS Poole and are veried at the London
Public Record Oce.

Roberts rst ag shows him and Death holding an

hourglass.[4]

With the end of the War of the Spanish Succession in

1714, many privateers turned to piracy. They still used
red and black ags, but now they decorated them with
their own designs. Edward England, for example, ew
three dierent ags: from his mainmast the black ag depicted above; from his foremast a red version of the same;
and from his ensign sta the English national ag. Just

Roberts new ag showed him standing on two

skulls, representing a Barbadian's head (ABH) and
a Martinican's head (AMH) - two islands against
whom he held a grudge.[4]
Jolly Roger own by Calico Jack Rackham.[5]
Flag own by Black Sam Bellamy[6] and Edward
England's mainmast ag.
[7]

Traditional depiction of Stede Bonnet's ag.[8]

Flag of pirate Christopher Condent.[9]
Popular version of Henry Every's Jolly Roger. Reportedly, Every also ew a version with a black
background.[10]

3
Black version of Henry Every Flag.
Flag of Christopher Moody.
Possible ag of Thomas Tew.[11]
Richard Worley's ag.[12]
Emanuel Wynn's ag.[13]
1. ^ Botting, p. 49; Konstam, p. 101.
2. ^ Botting, p. 49; Konstam, p. 10001.
3. ^ Botting, p. 49; Konstam, p. 99; Johnson (1726),
p. 331.
a b

4. ^
Botting, p. 49; Konstam, p. 100; Johnson
(1724), p. 278.
5. ^ Botting, p. 48, Konstam, The History of Pirates,
p. 98.
6. ^ Pirate Mythtory, Ed Foxe, 2004
7. ^ Botting, p. 49; Konstam, p. 98.
8. ^ Botting, p. 48; Konstam, p. 99.
9. ^ Botting, p. 49, Konstam, p. 98; Frank Sherry,
Raiders and Rebels, New York: Hearst Marine
Books, 1986, ISBN 0-688-04684-3, illustrated p.
97, ascribed p. 98.
10. ^ The red version of this ag appears in Angus Konstam, Pirates: 16601730, Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1998, ISBN 1-85532-706-6, p. 44. Black
versions appear in Botting, p. 48; Konstam, The History of Pirates, p. 99; Sherry, illustrated p. 97, ascribed p. 96.
11. ^ Botting, p. 48; Konstam, The History of Pirates,
p. 101; Sherry, illustrated p. 97, ascribed p. 96.
12. ^ Botting, p. 49; Konstam, The History of Pirates, p.
100. Johnson (1724), p. 344, says only that Worley
made a black Ensign, with a white Deaths Head in
the Middle of it, and other Colours suitable to it,
without specifying whether these other Coulours
were the crossed bones that appear in Botting and
Konstam.

John Phillips. At the hanging of two of John

Phillips pirates, the Boston News-Letter reported:
At one end of the gallows was their own dark ag, in
the middle of which an anatomy, and at one side of
it a dart in the heart, with drops of blood proceeding
from it; and on the other side an hour-glass.[20]
Edward Low. Low used at least two other ags besides his famous red skeleton. One was a white
Skeliton in the Middle of it, with a Dart in one
Hand striking bleeding Heart, and in the other, an
Hour-Glass.[21] The other was described by George
Roberts, a prisoner of Lows, as a call to council
among Lows ships: a green silk ag with a yellow
gure of a man blowing a trumpet on it.[22]
Francis Spriggs is reported to have own a Jolly
Roger identical to one of Lows, from whom he had
deserted: a white Skeliton in the Middle of it, with
a Dart in one Hand striking bleeding Heart, and in
the other, an Hour-Glass.[21]
Walter Kennedy. The Jolly Roger ag pictured
above for Kennedy was own at his ensign sta, i.e.,
at the stern of his ship. Kennedy also ew a jack (at
the bow of the ship) and a pennant (a long narrow
ag own from the top of a mast). Both Kennedys
jack and his pennant had only the head and cross
bones.[23]
Florida Straits pirates. On May 2, 1822, the Massachusetts brigantine Belvidere fended o an attack
by a pirate schooner in the Florida Strait. The pirates hoisted a red ag with deaths head and cross
under it. Neither the pirate schooners name nor
her captain was identied by the Belvidere.[24]
In 1780, a pirate ag was captured in battle o the
North African coast by Lt Richard Curry, who later
became an admiral. The ag is red with a yellow
skull and crossbones.[25]
In 1783, William Falconer reported that the "[t]he
colours usually displayed by pirates are laid to be
a black eld, with a deaths head, a battle-axe and
hour-glass, but does not state which pirate or pirates
allegedly showed this device.[26]

3 Use in practice

Pirates did not y the Jolly Roger at all times. Like other
13. ^ Botting, p. 48; Konstam, The History of Pirates, vessels, pirate ships usually stocked a variety of dierent ags, and would normally y false colors or no colp. 100, see also Origins of the Design, above.
ors until they had their prey within ring range.[27] When
Sources exist describing the Jolly Rogers of other pirates the pirates intended victim was within range, the Jolly
than the ones above; also, the pirates described above Roger would be raised, often simultaneously with a warnsometimes used other Jolly Rogers than those shown ing shot.
above. However, no pictures of these alternate Jolly The ag was probably intended as communication of
Rogers are easily located.
the pirates identity, which may have given target

4 MODERN MILITARY USE

ships an opportunity to change their mind and surrender without a ght. For example in June 1720
when Bartholomew Roberts sailed into the harbour at
Trepassey, Newfoundland with black ags ying, the
crews of all 22 vessels in the harbour abandoned them in
panic.[28] If a ship then decided to resist, the Jolly Roger
was taken down and a red ag was own, indicating that
the pirates intended to take the ship by force and without
mercy. Richard Hawkins reports that When they ght
under Jolly Roger, they give quarter, which they do not
when they ght under the red or bloody ag.[29]
In view of these models, it was important for a prey ship to
know that its assailant was a pirate, and not a privateer or
government vessel, as the latter two generally had to abide
The personnel of the British submarine HMS Utmost showing
by a rule that if a crew resisted, but then surrendered, it
o their Jolly Roger in February 1942. The markings on the ag
could not be executed:
indicate the boats achievements: nine ships torpedoed (includAn angry pirate therefore posed a greater
danger to merchant ships than an angry Spanish coast guard or privateer vessel. Because of
this, although, like pirate ships, Spanish coast
guard vessels and privateers were almost always stronger than the merchant ships they attacked, merchant ships may have been more
willing to attempt resisting these legitimate
attackers than their piratical counterparts. To
achieve their goal of taking prizes without a
costly ght, it was therefore important for pirates to distinguish themselves from these other
ships also taking prizes on the seas.[30]

ing one warship), eight 'cloak and dagger' operations, one target
destroyed by gunre, and one at-sea rescue

In September 1914, the British submarine HMS E9 successfully torpedoed the German cruiser SMS Hela.[33]
Remembering Wilsons statements, commanding ocer
Max Horton instructed his submariners to manufacture a
Jolly Roger, which was own from the submarine as she
entered port.[32][33] Each successful patrol saw Hortons
submarine y an additional Jolly Roger until there was no
more room for ags, at which point Horton had a large
Jolly Roger manufactured, onto which symbols indicating E9 's achievements were sewn.[33] A small number of
other submarines adopted the practice:[33] HMS E12 ew
a red ag with the skull and crossbones on return from a
foray into the Dardanelles in June 1915,[34] and the rst
known photograph of the practice was taken in July 1916
aboard HMS H5.[35]

While pirates used the red, or bloody, ag as well as black

ags, there was a distinction between the two. In the mid18th century, Captain Richard Hawkins conrmed that
pirates gave quarter beneath the black ag, while no quarter was given beneath the red ag.[5]
The practice restarted during World War II. In October
Flying a Jolly Roger was a reliable way of proving one- 1941, following a successful patrol by HMS Osiris, durself a pirate. Just possessing or using a Jolly Roger was ing which she sank the Italian destroyer Palestro the subconsidered proof that one was a criminal pirate rather marine returned to Alexandria, but was ordered to rethan something more legitimate; only a pirate would dare main outside the boom net until the motorboat assigned
of the 1st Submarine Flotilla had come
y the Jolly Roger, as he was already under threat of to the leader
[34][36]
alongside.
The otilla leader wanted to recognise
[31]
execution.
the boats achievement, so had a Jolly Roger made and
delivered to Osiris.[36](I) After this, the commanders of
submarine otillas began to hand out the ags to suc4 Modern military use
cessful submarines.[36] Although some sources claim that
all British submarines used the ag,[37] the practice was
Further information: Use of the Jolly Roger by sub- not taken up by those submarine commanders who saw it
marines and Skull and crossbones (military)
as boastful and potentially inaccurate, as sinkings could
not always be conrmed.[33] During the war, British subFollowing the introduction of submarines in several marines were entitled to y the Jolly Roger on the day of
navies, Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson, the First Sea Lord of their return from a successful patrol: it would be hoisted
passed the boom net, and remain raised until
the British Royal Navy, stated that submarines were un- as the boat
[36]
sunset.
derhanded, unfair, and damned un-English, and that he
would convince the British Admiralty to have the crews Symbols on the ag indicated the history of the subof enemy submarines captured during wartime be hanged marine, and it was the responsibility of the boats peras pirates.[32]
sonnel to keep the ag updated.[33][36] The Royal Navy

5
on the Argentine cruiser ARA General Belgrano during
the Falklands War.[38] Several submarines returning from
missions where Tomahawk cruise missiles were red y
Jolly Rogers with tomahawk axes depicted, with crossed
tomahawks indicating an unspecied number of rings,
or individual axes for each successful launch.[38][43][44]
The Jolly Roger has been adopted as the logo of the Royal
Navy Submarine Service.[44]
The practice, while commonly associated with British
submarines, is not restricted to them. During World War
II, Allied submariners working with Royal Navy eets
adopted the process from their British counterparts.[45]
While operating in the Mediterranean, the Polish submarines ORP Sok and ORP Dzik were presented with
Jolly Rogers by General Wadysaw Sikorski, and continued to update them during the war.[46][47] At least one
British surface ship recorded their U-boat kills through
silhouettes on a Jolly Roger.[48] The Australian submarine
HMAS Onslow ew the Jolly Roger in 1980, following
her successful participation in the Kangaroo 3 wargame
as an opposing submarine: the ag bore the silhouettes of
the seven surface ships involved, as during the exercise,
Onslow had successfully 'sunk' all seven.[49]

Polish submarine ORP Sok returning to base in 1944. A

Jolly Roger ag and two captured Nazi ags are ying from the
periscope mast

Submarine Museum (which, as of 2004, possessed fteen Jolly Rogers) recognises 20 unique symbols.[38] A
bar denotes the torpedoing of a ship: red bars indicated warships, white bars represented merchant vessels, and black bars with a white U stood for Uboats.[38][39] A dagger indicated a 'cloak and dagger' operation: typically the delivery or recovery of shore parties
from enemy territory.[37][39] Stars (sometimes surrounding crossed cannon) stood for occasions where the deck
gun was red.[37] Minelaying operations were shown by
the silhouette of a sea mine: a number inside the mine
indicated how many such missions.[37] A lighthouse or
torch symbolised the boats use as a navigational marker
for an invasion force; the latter more particularly associated with Operation Torch.[39][40] Rescue of personnel
from downed aircraft or sunken ships was marked by a
lifebuoy.[37] Unique symbols are used to denote one-o
incidents: for example, the Jolly Roger of HMS Proteus included a can-opener, referencing an incident where
an Italian destroyer attempted to ram the submarine, but
ended up worse o because of damage to the destroyers
hull by the submarines hydroplanes, while HMS United
added a stork and baby when the boats commander became a father while on patrol.[41][42] Flying the Jolly
Roger continued in the late 20th century and on into the
21st. HMS Conqueror raised the ag decorated with the
silhouette of a cruiser to recognise her successful attack

5 Popular culture
Further information: Pirates in popular culture
The Jolly Roger ag became a clich of pirate ction

The Jolly Roger raised in an illustration for Gilbert and Sullivan's

The Pirates of Penzance

in the 19th century. The "Golden Age of Piracy" was

over by the mid-18th century, and piracy was widely suppressed by the 1800s, although the problem of Barbary
pirates persisted until the French conquest of Algeria in
1830. By the Victorian era, the pirate threat had receded enough for it to become a topos of boyish adventure
ction, notably inuenced by Stevensons 1883 Treasure
Island. Gilbert and Sullivans The Pirates of Penzance
introduced pirates as comedic characters, and since the
later 20th century, pirates sporting the Jolly Roger ag
were often depicted as cartoonish or silly characters. It

POPULAR CULTURE

stylized Vic Rattlehead skull on top of crossed swords

and crossed bones. This was based on Mustaines original drawing for the cover which the band did not have
enough money to produce at the time.
The pirate metal band Running Wild often references
the Jolly Roger and other pirate related themes in their
music.
The Pirates, a spino of the band Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, released an album called Out of their Skulls featuring a skull with crossed guitars below it.
British DJ Eddie Richards released the acid house hit
Acid Man in 1988 under Jolly Roger alias.

5.2 In sports

"Paul Jones the Pirate, a British caricature of the late 18th century, an early example of the skull-and-crossbones of the Jolly
Rogers being transferred to a characters hat in order to identify
him as a pirate (typically a tricorne, or as in this example, the
later (1790s) bicorne).

Jolly Roger ags, ships, pirate. Stamp of Ecuador, 2006.

was also used as the name of the pirate ship in J.M. Barrie's Peter and Wendy.

A number of sports teams have been known to use variations of the Jolly Roger, with one of the best known in
current use, an adaptation of Calico Jack's pirate ag,
with a carnelian red background instead of the black, being that of the National Football League's Tampa Bay
Buccaneers, with an American football over the crossing
area of the two swords.
The supporters of FC St. Pauli, a sports club from
Hamburg, Germany, best known for its association football team, have adopted a variation of Richard Worleys
ag as their own unocial emblem. Also, the Jolly Roger
is the popular icon of all University College Cork (Ireland) sports teams.
Raise the Jolly Roger!" is also used in a statement by
the Major League Baseball's team Pittsburgh Pirates announcer Greg Brown when the Pirates win a game.[50]
Brown has become known for the phrase, his signature
call, similar to other sports broadcasters, such as the
Cincinnati Reds announcer Marty Brennamen's phrase
('This one belongs to the Reds), and former Pirates announcers Lanny Frattare (There was no doubt about it!")
and Bob Prince, who liked to end Pirates wins with similarly jovial statements.

Another such variation is the Oakland Raiders, it uses a

head with facial features, wearing an eye patch and a helmet, crossed swords behind the helmet completes the imThe song Jolly Roger appears on the Adam and the Ants
age.
album Kings of the Wild Frontier (1980).
All these variations are seen as the logos of sporting teams
Kenny Chesney's single "Pirate Flag", from his fourteenth
in (Scotland):
studio album Life on a Rock (2013).

5.1

In music

On the cover of the Iron Maiden album, A Matter of Life

and Death (2006), a version of a Jolly Roger depicting a
helmeted Eddie the Head and two assault ries instead of
bones is displayed hanging from a tank.

The Braehead Paisley Pirates/Paisley Pirates of the

Scottish National League and The Paisley Buccaneers and Riversdale Pirates of the Scottish Recreational Ice Hockey Conference

Also on the cover of Michael Jacksons Dangerous (1991)

album it can be seen on the left side with the alteration of
a skull over two swords.

The East Kilbride Pirates American football team in

BAFA Division 1

The re-issued version of the Megadeth album, Killing Is

My Business... and Business Is Good! (1985), shows a

The Edinburgh Buccaneers basketball club of the

Scottish Mens National League

7
The South African Football Association soccer team
Orlando Pirates also has the classic Jolly Roger as their
logo.
The athletic teams of East Carolina University use a stylized Jolly Roger as one of their logos. This particular variation includes an earringed and eyepatch-wearing
skull donning a tricorn of purple and gold (the schools
colors) emblazoned over two crossbones. This logo appears on the helmets of the schools football team, and an
elaborate pre-game ritual takes place prior to each home
contest wherein a ag bearing the universitys Jolly Roger
logo is raised on a special agpole located behind the west
endzone prior to the opening kicko. Immediately prior
to the start of the fourth quarter, the normal (black) Jolly
Roger is lowered and replaced with a ag bearing the
ECU Jolly Roger on a red background, indicating that
the Pirates will grant their opponents "no quarter.[51]
The Blackshirts, the starting defensive unit players for
the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team, are represented
by a Jolly Roger, somewhat similar to Richard Worley's
ag but with the skull encased in the teams football helmet. Additionally, the players and fans often celebrate
by throwing the bones, where they cross the forearms
in front of the chest in a 'X' imitating the logo, and the
student section at Memorial Stadium, Lincoln is known
as the 'Boneyard', where the logo is often displayed on
banners, signs, and ags in an act of intimidation.

5.3

Other uses

The ag of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is

modeled to look like a classic Jolly Roger, with some alterations. the ag has a whale and a dolphin on the skulls
forehead (the skull is shown with no lower mandibile),
and the crossed longbones are replaced with a crossed
trident and a shepherds crook.
The early development team of the Apple Macintosh used
a pirate ag to maintain a rebellious spirit.[52]
Before changing to a stylized 'P', the Pirate Party used the
Jolly Roger as its symbol; it is still used extensively in the
Pirate movement. The Piratbyrn and The Pirate Bay also
use either the skull and crossbones symbol, or derivatives
of it, such as the logo of Home Taping Is Killing Music.

See also
Black ag of jihad
Maritime ag
Raven Banner
Skull and crossbones (symbol)
Totenkopf

VF-61 VF-84 VF-103 Jolly Rogers US Navy

ghter squadron

7 References
7.1 Explanatory notes
^(I) One account states that Horton, now Commander
in Chief Submarines, was visiting at the time of Osiris '
return, and inuenced the otilla leaders decision.[34]

7.2 Citations
[1] Pirates.
[2] Charles Johnson (1724), A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates, p. 250.
[3] Johnson (1724), pp. 41112.
[4] Bartholomew Roberts Jolly Roger in June 1721 is simply described as their black ag, which may or may not
be the same Roberts is described as ying earlier on pp.
24344, the man standing on a Barbadians head and a
Martinicans head. Spriggs Jolly Roger is described as
follows: a black Ensign was made, which they called Jolly
Roger, with the same device that Captain Low carried,
viz. a white Skeliton in the Middle of it, with a Dart in
one Hand striking a bleeding Heart, and in the other, an
Hour-Glass.
[5] David Cordingly (1995). Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates, New York:
Random House, p. 117.
[6] The English country dance Roger de Coverley has been
known as Jolly Roger from 1685. The French equivalent
roger-bontemps in the sense of jovial, carefree man is
attested from the 15th century. A character called Jolly
Roger Twangdillo of Plowden Hill appeared in a collection
of ballads published in 1723 by Ambrose Philips. During the Elizabethan era Roger had also been a slang term
for beggars and vagrants who pretended scholarship. I.
Marc Carlson (2004-06-09). Elizabethan Slang. Personal.utulsa.edu. Retrieved 2012-04-13.; Sea beggars had
been a popular name for Dutch privateers since the 16th
century.
[7] David Cordingly (1995). Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates, New York:
Random House, p. 118.
[8] Angus McBride. Pirates 1660-1730, Osprey House, p
53.
[9] Old Roger is Jolly Roger, Linquistlist, American Dialect
Society
[10] Giles Milton, White Gold (2004), p. 9: The ags on
their mainmasts depicted a human skull on a dark green
background - the menacing symbol of a new and terrible
enemy. It was the third week of July 1625, and England
was about to be attacked by the Islamic corsairs of Barbary.

[11] Mary Frear Keeler (ed.), Sir Francis Drakes West Indian
Voyage, 1585-86 (1981), p. 161, footnote 3.
[12] Johnson, p. 66.
[13] Johnson, pp. 72, 147, 344.

REFERENCES

[23] Stephens, p. 144.

[24] Stephens, p. 140.
[25] Rare Jolly Roger goes on display at Portsmouths navy
museum. BBC News. 14 December 2011.

[14] Johnson, p. 187.

[26] William Falconer (1783), An Universal Dictionary of the

Marine, s.v. Pirate.

[15] And we put down our white ag, and raised a red ag
with a Skull head on it and two crossed bones (all in white
and in the middle of the ag), and then we marched on.
Pirate Flags Pirate Mythtory. Archived January 21, 2005
at the Wayback Machine

[27] This practice is considered deceitful today, but in the period of sail it was the standard practice for all ships. There
was no other way to approach an enemy or victim on the
open sea if they didn't want to ght.

[16] David Cordingly (1995). Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates, New York:
Random House, p. 220.
[17] See, e.g., Angus Konstam, Pirates: 16601730; Douglas
Botting, The Pirates; http://www.bonaventure.org.uk/ed/
flags.htm; etcetera.
[18] cited after David Cordingly in Life Amongst The Pirates
(1996), p. 135.
[19] See, inter alia, Douglas Botting (1978), The Pirates,
Alexandria, VA: TimeLife Books, Inc., pp. 4849; Angus
Konstam (1999), The History of Piracy, ISBN 1-55821969-2, Italy: Lyons Press, pp. 98101. Some of these
ags are veried by contemporary accounts such as Johnsons. As to Lows ag, for instance, Johnson writes,
Low goes aboard of this ship, [the Merry Christmas], assumes the title of admiral, and hoists a black ag, with
the gure of death in red, at the main-topmast head.
Charles Johnson (1724), A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates, ed. by
David Cordingly (2002), Globe Pequot, ISBN 1-58574558-8, p. 307. Likewise, Bartholomew Roberts ag is
described in the same edition of Johnson, p. 202, thus:
The jack had a man portrayed in it, with a aming sword
in his hand, and standing on two skulls, subscribed A.B.H.
and A.M.H. Roberts other ag, showing a man and a
skeleton holding up an hourglass, appears in an engraving on p. 278 of Johnsons original 1724 text (reproduced
here). Kennedys ag is as described by one of his victims, Captain J. Evans of the Greyhound Galley, according to a letter written to Johnson in the second edition of
the History (1726), on p. 331 (note, however, that this
capture was in 1716, and thus probably does not refer to
the same Walter Kennedy who sailed rst with Roberts
and then on his own account from 172023). For Wynns
ag, see the preceding footnote. The origin of the ags for
Blackbeard, Tew, Every, Condent, Worley and Bonnet are
far more obscure. Ed Foxe believes that the versions of
the latter six pirates Jolly Rogers shown in the secondary
sources are taken from an undated, unsourced manuscript
in Britains National Maritime Museum.

[28] Burl, Aubery Black Bart pp. 1334.

[29] Cordingly, p. 117. Cordingly cites only one source for
pages 116119 of his text: Calendar of State Papers,
Colonial, America and West Indies, volumes 171920,
no. 34.
[30] p. 10, Pirational Choice: The Economics of Infamous
Pirate Practices, Peter T. Leeson.
[31] Ships attacking under the death heads toothy grin were
therefore considered criminal and could be prosecuted as
pirates. Since pirates were criminals anyway, for them,
ying the Jolly Roger was costless. If they were captured
and found guilty, the penalty they faced was the same
whether they used the Jolly Roger in taking merchant ships
or not the hangmans noose... For legitimate ships, however, things were dierent. To retain at least a veneer of
legitimacy, privateers and Spanish coast guard ships could
not sail under pirate colors. If they did, they could be
hunted and hanged as pirates. p. 12, Leeson 2008.
[32] Richards & Smith, Onslows Jolly Roger, p. 10
[33] Compton-Hall, Submarines at War 193945, p. 62
[34] Submariners Traditions and Values, at Defence Jobs
[35] Mackay, A Precarious Existence, p. 115
[36] Admiralty, His Majestys Submarines, p. 43
[37] Sumner, The Royal Navy 193945, p. 12
[38] Richards & Smith, Onslows Jolly Roger, p. 11
[39] Allaway, Hero of the Upholder, p. 110
[40] Use of Jolly Roger by submarine service. Flags of the
World. 20 January 2012. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
[41] Allaway, Hero of the Upholder, pp. 1101
[42] Simpson, Why Would Anyone Want to Swing a Cat?, pp.
163-4
[43] Norton-Taylor, Cruise missile sub back in UK

[20] Stephens, John R. Stephens (2006). Captured by Pirates:

22 Firsthand Accounts of Murder and Mayhem on the High
Seas. p. 305. ISBN 0-7607-8537-6.

[44] Return of the Triumph: With the skull and crossbones

ying deantly at its mast, submarine that launched attack
on Gadda comes home. Mail Online.

[21] Johnson (1724), p. 41112.

[45] Compton-Hall, Submarines at War 193945, p. 64

[22] Stephens, p. 168.

[46] Bartelski, Sokol Operational history

7.3

Bibliography

[47] Bartelski, Dzik Operational history

[48] Williamson, U-Boats Vs Destroyer Escorts, p. 59
[49] Richards & Smith, Onslows Jolly Roger, pp. 1112
[50] McElhinny, Brian (15 April 2010). The story behind
Raise the Jolly Roger, told by Greg Brown himself. Blog:
Raise the Jolly Roger. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
[51] ECU Pirates Ocial Athletic Site - Traditions. ecupirates.com.
[52] Pirate Flag.

7.3

Bibliography

Books
Allaway, Jim (2004). Hero of the Upholder.
Periscope Publishing. ISBN 1-904381-23-5.
Admiralty (1997). His Majestys Submarines. World
War II Monographs 401 (3rd ed.). Merriam Press.
Compton-Hall, Richard (2004). Submarines at War
193945. Periscope Publishing. ISBN 1-90438122-7.
Mackay, Richard. A Precarious Existence: British
Submarines in World War I. Periscope Publishing.
ISBN 1-904381-17-0.
Simpson, Andy (3 January 2014). Why Would Anyone Want to Swing a Cat?: ... and 499 other questions. London: Constable & Robinson Ltd. pp.
1634. ISBN 9781849019477.
Sumner, Ian. The Royal Navy 193945. Osprey
Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-195-8.
Williamson, Gordon (2007). U-Boats Vs Destroyer
Escorts: The Battle of the Atlantic. Duel Series 3.
Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84603-133-8.
Journal and news articles
Norton-Taylor, Richard (17 April 2003). Cruise
missile sub back in UK. The Guardian (London).
Retrieved 25 March 2010.
Richards, Bill; Smith, Peter (December 2006).
Onslows Jolly Roger. Signals (Australian National Maritime Museum) (77): 1012. ISSN 10334688.
Websites
Bartelski, Adnrzej S. Dzik Operational history.
Polish Navy Homepage 19391947. Polish Navy.
Retrieved 23 March 2010.

9
Bartelski, Adnrzej S. Sokol Operational history.
Polish Navy Homepage 19391947. Polish Navy.
Retrieved 23 March 2010.
Submariners Traditions and Values. Defence
Jobs. Australian Defence Force. Retrieved 24
March 2010.

10

8 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

8.1

Text

Jolly Roger Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolly_Roger?oldid=686164709 Contributors: Bryan Derksen, The Anome, Tarquin,
Rmhermen, Heron, Hephaestos, Kchishol1970, Dominus, Liftarn, Kosebamse, Jdforrester, Error, Damista, TraxPlayer, Jiang, David Stewart, GRAHAMUK, Nikola Smolenski, Alex S, Furrykef, Ed g2s, Skaman, Shantavira, Rogper~enwiki, Gromlakh, Bearcat, Frank A,
Chrism, PBS, Naddy, Sverdrup, Halibutt, Kent Wang, Ruakh, Cyrius, Wayland, Talimonster, The Fellowship of the Troll, Matt Gies,
ManicParroT, Jfdwol, Mboverload, Solipsist, Iceberg3k, Wmahan, Gadum, SoWhy, CryptoDerk, Formeruser-81, Antandrus, Tothebarricades.tk, Thparkth, Oknazevad, Quota, Trilobite, Abdull, Mike Rosoft, N328KF, CALR, Discospinster, Rich Farmbrough, Xezbeth, D-Notice, Dbachmann, Mani1, Night Gyr, Horsten, Stbalbach, Violetriga, Zscout370, Ben Webber, PPGMD, Mqduck, Dalf, Sole
Soul, King nothing, A2Kar, Jumbuck, Beyondthislife, ChrisGlew, Jeltz, Zippanova, Mysdaao, Blobglob, Fourthords, Johntex, Richard
Weil, Deror avi, CruiserBob, Woohookitty, ApLundell, Dayv, Pol098, Bmatthewshea, Mihhkel, GraemeLeggett, Gryphon Hall, Dbutler1986, Obersachse, BD2412, Schmendrick, Search4Lancer, Rjwilmsi, Tim!, Valentinejoesmith, Jake Wartenberg, Josiah Rowe, Lordkinbote, Guayec, Brighterorange, Yamamoto Ichiro, FlaBot, SchuminWeb, DailyRich, Mark83, ReSearcher, RexNL, Choess, MikeyChalupa, Chobot, Copperchair, Dustin Howett, NSR, YurikBot, Jimp, RussBot, RadioKirk, NawlinWiki, Paulbrian, Jhlynes, Veledan,
Malcolma, RFBailey, Bobak, Moe Epsilon, Saberwyn, Lockesdonkey, Gadget850, Richardcavell, Willirennen, BorgQueen, Petri Krohn,
Fram, HereToHelp, Yaco, Kubra, Allens, Rhion, Nick-D, Je Silvers, DVD R W, Luk, SmackBot, Uthanc, Dminott, Sicherman, Dwslassls,
Eskimbot, Rojomoke, Gif32, Colonel Tom, Ralphybaby, Commander Keane bot, Portillo, Rcbutcher, OrphanBot, Tony Rome, Flyguy649, Akral, Das cool, Pcgomes, Looris, Derek R Bullamore, The PIPE, Burnside69x, Jklin, DCB4W, Will Beback, Xtrememachineuk,
SashatoBot, Icelandic Hurricane, MilborneOne, The Man in Question, JHunterJ, HellsAngel9170, Roregan, Amitch, Stephen B Streater,
BranStark, Yugyug, Dave420, Johnnydc, Woodshed, FairuseBot, Nkuzmik, Daniel5127, George100, Supra guy, Adasta, CmdrObot,
Ennerk, Equendil, AndrewHowse, Cydebot, ChristTrekker, A876, FileJunkie~enwiki, Adolphus79, Odie5533, Garik, Editor at Large,
Nuwewsco, Ebyabe, Kirk Hilliard, Epbr123, Kro666, TheFearow, Kablammo, JustAGal, Davidhorman, Dfrg.msc, Therequiembellishere,
AntiVandalBot, Luna Santin, Rufasto, Hopiakuta, Royas, Ithinkhelikesit, TigerK 69, Kedi the tramp, Areaseven, Weird Bird, Albany NY,
Mesoso, Bongwarrior, Adam keller, JamesBWatson, Pixel ;-), Froid, Midgrid, RegIP, Countmall, Sirsai, Chkno, Spellmaster, Dan Pelleg,
Balazs.varadi, Bob.williams, Gwern, AVRS, STBot, Bradgib, Keith D, Fearnavigatr, Cinnamonntoast4, R'n'B, CommonsDelinker, Robbyfrank, Nono64, Deagro, J.delanoy, Trusilver, GreenRunner0, Numbo3, Skumarlabot, Relrel, PhoenixBlitzkrieg, Alexcicio, Michael
Daly, AKA MBG, Crakkpot, Bailo26, NewEnglandYankee, T3hllama, Railwayfan2005, Stymphal, Jaimeastorga2000, Bonadea, WLRoss, TheNewPhobia, Idioma-bot, VolkovBot, TreasuryTag, Yiorgos Stamoulis, Mobeets, Robert8751, Jmrowland, Philip Trueman,
Ajani57, TXiKiBoT, Oshwah, Marskuzz, BlueCanary9999, OlavN, Pyrokazama, Broadbot, CanOfWorms, Jestapher, Suriel1981, Every name is taken12345, Haseo9999, Illumination man, STEALTH RANGER, Piratedan, Mralibu, JesterCountess, Ignacio Bibcraft, Life,
Liberty, Property, K10wnsta, Gamsbart, Aegiltheugly, SMC89, SieBot, StAnselm, Wikizeta, Eric444, Das7002, Oda Mari, Benea, Sylvanelite, Svick, Johnson487682, TypoBot, ImageRemovalBot, Dlrohrer2003, ClueBot, Antarctic-adventurer, Cannibaltinea, The Thing
That Should Not Be, The Stealth Ranger, The Famous White Wolf, Keraunoscopia, Ridge Runner, LukeTheSpook, Johndeaire, Chimesmonster, Skinnykenny777, Excirial, Alexbot, T3hphoenix, Leftspeaker, Arjayay, Flatjosh, Mikaey, SchreiberBike, Xme, BOTarate, The
Yowser, Aitias, Chairsenses, Jmont1, TFOWR, SilvonenBot, ErkinBatu, ZooFari, Good Olfactory, Addbot, Heavenlyblue, SmartPatrol,
Jafeluv, Trs8200, CanadianLinuxUser, Avengah, Coralapus, 5 albert square, 55, Jarble, , Luckas-bot, Yobot, Ptbotgourou, Grossmusic, ThinkingTwice, AnomieBOT, BrightSpringMorning, Frankly08, Materialscientist, RadioBroadcast, Quebec99, Xqbot, Grim23,
Foreverprovence, RibotBOT, Thehelpfulbot, Attwell, FrescoBot, General-Septem, Nmatavka, Ktoktok, RedBot, Full-date unlinking bot,
Time9, Lotje, Callanecc, Imsocooljoe, Diannaa, MegaSloth, RjwilmsiBot, JimmyIrvin, Beyond My Ken, Vex Delay, John of Reading,
Tommy2010, Wikipelli, Gold coast surf, Frase91, Rundaseinrun, Liberator24, Spicemix, Helpsome, ClueBot NG, CherryX, Steve Lang
Jr., Braincricket, O.Koslowski, Widr, Gavin.perch, Helpful Pixie Bot, BG19bot, Jclmn, Zimmygirl7, MusikAnimal, Vanguard53, KiwiRyan, Verno inferno, WebTV3, UsnGMan, Ronit Hazarika, Cyberbot II, ChrisGualtieri, ZappaOMati, Khazar2, Ducknish, Mogism,
Waringo4966, MTButterz, Bomberman125, Jojomama123, Soredo, Techie007, DaltonBantz, Koltsnya, Gcfowler89, General534, Coffeepants, AddWittyNameHere, BigBair, Marchjuly, Monkbot, Caprockranger, 777dolphinlover and Anonymous: 450

8.2

Images

File:Bonnet.gif Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Bonnet.gif License: Public domain Contributors: http:

//beej.us/pirates/pirate_view.php?file=bonnet.gif Original artist: Charles Johnson
File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Original
artist: ?
File:Drawing_of_Act_I_Finale.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Drawing_of_Act_I_Finale.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/pirates/carte/doc.html, http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/pirates/carte/
pimg.htm Original artist: ?
File:Flag_of_Edward_England.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Flag_of_Edward_England.svg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: WarX, edited by Manuel Strehl
File:HMS_Utmost_-1-.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/HMS_Utmost_-1-.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: This is photograph A 7720 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 4700-01) Original artist:
Hampton, J A (Lt) Royal Navy ocial photographer
File:Jolly_Roger_Ecuador2006.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Jolly_Roger_Ecuador2006.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: http://www.philatelia.net/cat6/stamps/?id=460 Original artist: Post of Ecuador.
File:ORP_Sokol2.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/ORP_Sokol2.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Paul_Jones_the_pirate.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Paul_Jones_the_pirate.jpg License:
Public domain Contributors: image Original artist: A. Park of London
File:Split-arrows.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Split-arrows.svg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ?

8.3

8.3

Content license

Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

11