Inked Talk

There has always been some romantic mysticism associated with pirates and pirate lore, and the popularity of the Pirates of the Carribean movies has amplified the pirate love in recent years. Of course, with this popularity has come a rising interest in pirate-themed tattoos, from pirate maiden pinups to treasure chests, and of course, Jolly Roger flags.

Life on the high seas was too precarious to think that the pirates’ flags were all uniformly black with the famous white skull and crossbones.  While pirate Edward England’s flag was the traditional “Jolly Roger,” there were many, many variations on that basic theme. Pirate crews distinguished themselves by the flags they flew, and they were very aware of the messages that they could convey with just a few basic symbolic images.

French privateer Emmanuelle Wynne’s flag used the traditional skull and crossbones but also included an hourglass. A similar flag was used in the movie Cutthroat Island. While both the skull and the crossed bones are clearly symbolic of death, the addition of the hourglass suggests that time is running out or that death is looming.

Flags with wings, or raised glasses (a toast to death), or even dancing skeletons (dancing with death) have been noted historically.  A pierced heart was another popular image, symbolic of a crew that has no mercy. Pirate John “Calico Jack” Rackham’s flag used crossed cutlasses instead of crossed bones, which signified his willingness to fight.  While pirate ships are said to have flown no flag or a misleading flag when hunting, they would raise their pirate flag when close enough to attack their intended victim. A well thought-out pirate flag, combined with the reputation of a particularly merciless crew, could strike fear into the hearts of those unfortunate enough get involved in a pirate encounter.

When choosing a pirate tattoo that incorporates the Jolly Roger, careful consideration can be given to the design.  The historical variations in the pirate flag provide an excellent starting point when contemplating a tattoo that incorporates a pirate flag, and from there the possibilities are endless.