The Jolly Roger
Pirate flag signaling identity and terms of surrender.
The Jolly Roger was the flag flown by pirate ships just before or during an attack in the early 1700s, near the end of the Golden Age of Piracy. Most of these flags had a human skull—called a "Death's Head"—often with other symbols, on a black background. They were sometimes known as the "Death's Head flag" or simply the "black flag." The design most people recognize today as the Jolly Roger—a skull and crossbones on a black field—was used in the 1710s by captains like Samuel Bellamy, Edward England, and John Taylor, and it became the most common pirate flag in the 1720s, though other designs also existed.
The term "Jolly Roger" first appears in Charles Johnson's 1724 book *A General History of the Pyrates*, and it has nothing to do with the name Roger. Johnson mentions two pirates who called their flags "Jolly Roger": Bartholomew Roberts in June 1721 and Francis Spriggs in December 1723. Their flags looked very different, suggesting that by then "Jolly Roger" was already a general term for black pirate flags, not a specific design. Neither Roberts's nor Spriggs's flag had a skull and crossbones. Richard Hawkins, captured by pirates in 1724, reported they flew a black flag with a skeleton stabbing a heart with a spear, which they also called "Jolly Roger." An earlier reference to "Old Roger"—a nickname for the devil or death—appears in a 1723 news report about pirates executed in Rhode Island. Their black flag showed Death holding an hourglass and a dart striking a heart, with three drops of blood falling from it. They called this flag "Old Roger" and said they would live and die under it.
Some claim the term comes from "Joli Rouge" (French for "Pretty Red"), referring to a red flag used by French privateers, or from a phonetic version of an Indian pirate named "Ali Rajah." Historians dismiss both ideas for lack of evidence. "Roger" was also slang for a scoundrel, a police officer, or a penis, and "Johnny Roger" was a nickname for Woodes Rogers, the former privateer turned governor who fought piracy.
The skull-and-crossbones symbol first appeared on naval flags in the 1600s. It may have come from Barbary pirates, linking the black color to the Muslim Black Standard, though a 1625 account of Muslim corsairs flying a skull symbol describes it on a green flag. English privateer Francis Drake supposedly flew a black flag in 1585, but this is doubted. Peter Easton used a plain black flag in 1612, as did pirates Captain Martel (1716), Charles Vane and Richard Worley (1718), and Howell Davis (1719). The earliest record of pirates using a skull-and-crossbones flag—on land, not at sea—is from a 1687 logbook in France. British privateers in the 1600s and 1700s had to fly a specific flag (the Union Jack with a white crest) to distinguish them from Royal Navy ships; before that, privateers like Sir Henry Morgan sailed under the Red Ensign. Pirate captain Emanuel Wynn is said to have used a black flag with skull, crossbones, and hourglass in 1700, based on a report from HMS *Poole*.
After the War of the Spanish Succession ended in 1714, many privateers turned to piracy. They kept using red and black flags but added their own designs. Edward England flew three flags: a black one from his mainmast, a red version from his foremast, and the Red Ensign from his ensign staff. Red flags sometimes had yellow stripes or death symbols, and colored pennants and ribbons were also used. Historian Marcus Rediker (1987) argues that most pirates from 1716 to 1726 belonged to two large, interconnected groups, which explains the rapid spread of the black flag across thousands of miles of ocean.
- field
- Piracy
- era
- Early 18th century (Golden Age of Piracy)
- known_for
- Pirate ensign used to communicate identity and demand surrender
- associated_captains
- Samuel Bellamy, Edward England, John Taylor, Bartholomew Roberts, Francis Spriggs
Lore & Background
The Jolly Roger was the ensign flown by pirate ships during the early 18th century, particularly in the latter part of the Golden Age of Piracy. The vast majority of these flags featured a human skull, or "Death's Head," often accompanied by other elements, on a black field, sometimes called the "Death's Head flag" or simply the "black flag." The skull-and-crossbones design most commonly identified today as the Jolly Roger was used during the 1710s by captains such as Samuel Bellamy, Edward England, and John Taylor, and became the most common pirate flag during the 1720s, though other designs were also in use. The term itself appears in Charles Johnson's *A General History of the Pyrates* (1724), where Bartholomew Roberts (June 1721) and Francis Spriggs (December 1723) each named their flag "Jolly Roger," despite their designs being very different, indicating the name was already a generic term for black pirate flags. Richard Hawkins, captured in 1724, reported a black flag bearing a skeleton stabbing a heart with a spear, also called "Jolly Roger." An earlier reference to "Old Roger" appears in a 1723 news report describing a black flag with the portraiture of Death holding an hourglass and a dart striking a heart, with three drops of blood. The flag's range extended across the Caribbean and Atlantic, flown by privateers and pirates from various nations, including a French First Republic privateer in 1796. The earliest recorded use of a skull-and-crossbones on a naval flag dates to the 17th century, possibly originating among Barbary pirates, though an early reference to Muslim corsairs flying a skull symbol in 1625 noted it was on a green flag. Plain black flags were used by Peter Easton in 1612, and later by Captain Martel, Charles Vane, Richard Worley, and Howell Davis.
Reader's Guide
The Jolly Roger was not flown at all times; it was a communication tool. Pirates would often fly a false flag until within range, then raise the black flag, often with a warning shot, to persuade the target to surrender without a fight. Surrendering meant the target would cooperate and allow pirates to rifle through cargo, sometimes leaving some goods untouched. If the target did not strike its flag to signal surrender, pirates would raise a red flag, signaling 'no quarter'—that cargo would be taken by force and no lives spared. This black-and-red flag tactic was not universal; for example, Charles Vane used a different approach. The flag's origins are uncertain; some connect it to Barbary pirates and the Muslim Black Standard, but an early 1625 reference to Muslim corsairs flying a skull symbol describes it on a green flag. Claims that 'Jolly Roger' derives from 'Joli Rouge' or 'Ali Rajah' are discounted by historians for lack of period evidence.
Did You Know?
- The term 'Jolly Roger' was used generically for black pirate flags by at least 1724, not for a single design.
- Bartholomew Roberts and Francis Spriggs both named their flags 'Jolly Roger,' but neither design was a skull and crossbones.
- Pirates used a red flag to signal 'no quarter' would be given, while the black flag signaled quarter if the target surrendered.
Common Misconceptions (Editorial)
1. A common misconception is that the term "Jolly Roger" originally referred specifically to the skull-and-crossbones design. In fact, the term was used generically for black pirate flags by at least 1724, and both Bartholomew Roberts and Francis Spriggs named their flags "Jolly Roger" even though neither featured a skull and crossbones. 2. Another misconception is that all pirate flags were identical. The facts show that different captains flew different designs; for instance, the skull-and-crossbones design was used by some captains in the 1710s, while others like Roberts and Spriggs had flags that did not consist of a skull and crossbones.
Why It Matters (Editorial)
The Jolly Roger endures as a potent cultural symbol of piracy precisely because it represents the defiance and lawlessness of the Golden Age of Piracy. Its stark imagery—a black flag promising surrender or death—captures the high-stakes drama of an era when a single flag could dictate whether a merchant ship would yield peaceably or face a bloody fight.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Jolly Roger in the context of early 18th-century piracy?
It was the ensign raised by pirate vessels right before or during an attack, serving as a recognizable signal to merchant crews that they were about to be boarded. The term most commonly refers to the black flag bearing a skull-and-crossbones motif that dominated the latter part of the Golden Age of Piracy.
What does The Jolly Roger actually look like?
The classic design places a human skull—often called a 'Death's Head'—with crossed bones beneath it on a solid black background. Some variants added extra symbols, but the skull-and-crossbones-on-black layout became the standard image fans and historians picture when they hear the name.
Which pirate captains are most closely linked to The Jolly Roger?
Samuel Bellamy, Edward England, and John Taylor all flew the skull-and-crossbones black flag during the 1710s, and the design is also associated with Bartholomew Roberts and Francis Spriggs. Together they helped cement the flag as the single most recognizable pirate emblem of the era.
What practical purpose did The Jolly Roger serve during a raid?
Raising the flag was a non-verbal communication tool: it announced the attackers' identity and effectively demanded the merchant crew surrender without a fight. In that sense it functioned as both a threat and a set of terms offered to the target ship.
Why does The Jolly Roger matter to the broader story of the Golden Age of Piracy?
It crystallized the otherwise chaotic world of early-18th-century piracy into a single, instantly readable symbol that signaled who was attacking and what was expected of the victims. Its dominance in the 1710s turned a practical signaling device into the defining visual shorthand for piracy itself.
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