So you want to be a pyrate, do you? Do you really? Sail the seven seas, drink and puke and drink some more? Cudgel and bludgeon and stab? Man -sounds like grade school all over again!
First off you'll need you a Jolly Roger! Oh sure, yes, some people think you need a lesson in weaponry of some sort, or swimming, or perhaps even a ship, but then : how many of those people are pirates? The Jolly Roger got it's name, as is commonly believed from the French term "joli rouge" which means "pretty red" and was descriptive of the blood red flags flown by some of the more vicious pirates in existence. The reason for the importance of the Jolly Roger, then, is to boost your morale while lessening your opponents and who doesn't need that on most given days!? Imagine sitting in your office, reading the latest email from your Boss, seething with rage at their inanity. Same shite different day? Now imagine doing it with a skull and crossbones flying proudly over your desk! .. You can feel the difference it would make in your life already, can't you?
There are many varieties of pirate flags to choose from, or, of course, you can always design your own. I suggest if you do choose to create your own flag, you stay firmly away from images of fluffy pink bunnies! Unless you are Reese Witherspoon and the date is now "five years ago" it is simply not going to work for you.
The first such flag (Jolly Roger,not Pink Fluffy Bunny) was flown in the 1700's by Emmanuel Wynne :Plunderer Extraordinaire of the Caribbean - but probably not nearly as cute as Johnny Depp. A black and white flag was used to signify the intent of the pirates at chase and was often only used if the victims refused to lower their own flag and submit to their would be captors.At times, with pirates of the more brutal nature and/or victims that were most evasive, the red flag would be raised, indicating that no mercy would be shown. The flags, regardless of color, contained symbols designed to indicate a certain message. The skull was a sign of death in general.
Jack Rackham (Calico Jack) used a graceful set of crossed swords in place of bones to boast ironically of his willingness to fight. A skeleton, often with horns, was to indicate a tormented death. On the otherhand, a dart or spear was used to indicate a violent death in contrast to the bleeding heart denoting a slow and painful death. A raised fist or hand clutching a dagger or cutlass was to indicate a general willingness to kill and the hourglass gave a threat that time was running out or that capture was inevitable. Blackbeard managed to incorporate practically every one of these main symbols into his flag. And so concludes my partially plagiarized (as befits the subject matter discussed) lesson on the importance of and usage of the Jolly Roger.
*unfortunately I cannot post the lovely flag piccies here but you may find them following the links :
pirate flag
Worley Jolly Roger
Rackham Jolly Roger
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| An excerpt of interest re: the Jolly Roger |
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