Waving the Pirate Flag

Answer 1

The pirate flag is a fixture in pop-culture. However, these flags actually existed for hundreds of years. The main purpose of the flag was to display to target vessels that pirates were approaching, queuing them to prepare for surrender or risk bloodshed. However, its emblem also exists in a variety of other forms of media and popular expression. A skull on top of crossbones typically represents the pirate flag, though there are many variations of this image. Alternate versions include the display of swords, bandanas, earrings, and hourglasses. Pirate ships would carry both a black and red version the red one was waved when a pirate vessel was done deliberating and has chosen to go in for an attack. This often had dripping blood on them, to cement the fear of attack in the crew of the ships they approached. Pirates also flew the pirate flag for the same reason any other vessel would fly their own flags -- to establish tribe and code. Pirates, though notorious throughout history for plundering trade vessels, still abided by their own protocol for conduct. This included how they would present their choices for surrender, the terms they would agree to, the manner in which they would treat the crew of the seized vessels, and the manner in which they would depart. The flag helped distinguished one pirate tribe from another. The most famous variation of the pirate flag is often known as 'Jolly Roger'. This symbol has found itself, and still finds itself, in many other icons in our world, most notably as a symbol of poison. Other prominent uses of this symbol have been on military aircraft, sports helmets, and media pirate websites. It brings with it an aura of death, fear, intimidation and used as a show of aggressiveness, as well as of pride. The pirate flag continues to be a fixture in popular culture, with a symbol that crosses generations and expressions. The image conveys a variety of feelings of haughtiness from whoever who displays it, and terror in whoever witnesses it.