Jolly Roger

The Jolly Roger is the traditional English name for a pirate flag flown to identify a ship preceding or during an attack, typically during the early 18th century. The most commonly identified Jolly Roger today features a skull and crossbones symbol on a black flag, which was used by several pirate captains in the 1710s, including Black Sam Bellamy, Edward England, and John Taylor. The term "Jolly Roger" is derived from a book published in 1724, A General History of the Pyrates, and refers to a generic term for black pirate flags rather than a specific design. Various etymologies have been proposed, including a possible connection to the name "Roger" or a red flag used by French privateers, but historians have discounted these origins for lack of evidence. The use of skull-and-crossbones symbols on naval flags dates back to the 17th century, possibly originating among the Barbary pirates.learn more on wikipedia