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Did you know that you can hoist the shipowner flag on board and that you can choose colors and designs? The most famous, in maritime history, is undoubtedly the Jolly Roger, the pirate flag.
What not everyone knows is that there is more than just the classic crossbones skull. Each pirate had his own flag, which constituted a kind of “psychological warfare.” Each flag had a different and very specific meaning: the black flag without any symbol, for example, meant “no privies are made.” And, surprise, it was actually the red flag that sailors feared most, because it indicated that the conquest would take place without any mercy.
THE FLAGS OF THE FAMOUS PIRATES
Some pirate flags told real stories, such as Christopher Moody’s: against a blood-red background, there was a winged hourglass, signifying that time was up for the enemies, an arm wielding a sword, and a skull with crossbones signifying the enemies’ imminent death. Here are some of the most famous ones.
CHRISTOPHER CONDENT – THE WISE
Originally a privateer in the service of England, in 1714 he decided to become a pirate. In 1718 he decided to head to the South African coast to plunder coastal towns. He looted an English East India Company ship and found there a cargo of spices, silks and £150,000 in gold and silver. He then moved to France, where he died around 1770 a free man.
EMANUEL WYNNE – THE FORERUNNER
He was born in France around 1650; he began his pirate career around the turn of the century off the Carolina coast by assaulting English merchant ships. He then moved to the Caribbean where he made more profits. He was the first to wave, in the early 1700s, the Jolly Roger. His consisted of a skull with crossbones resting on an hourglass, signifying that time was up for enemies.
EDWARD TEACH “BARBANERA” – THE FIERCE
He had a reputation as one of the fiercest pirates, and his exploits (real and legendary) are largely responsible for the stereotype of the “bad pirate.” His ways terrified the victims and the crew itself; he is said to have used to shoot his gun at his men’s legs to maintain discipline. During the actions he wore a band around his shoulders with three pairs of guns in their holsters.
THOMAS TEW – THE ENRICHED
He was an active pirate from 1690. In Madagascar Tew quickly acquired much wealth and became the owner of a plot of land where he raised 300 cattle. One day one of Tew’s pirates ran toward the sloop being chased by a group of armed Portuguese. Tew decided to flee but was involved in a naval battle where he died.
CHRISTOPHER MOODY – THE CRYPTIC
He was an English pirate. His flag was blood red with three designs side by side: a winged hourglass signifying that time was up for the enemies, an arm wielding a sword, and a skull with crossbones signifying the enemies’ imminent death. He was hanged in Cape Coast Castle, in present-day Ghana, around 1718.
EDWARD ENGLAND – THE MERCIFUL
He did not kill prisoners unless necessary. His crew mutinied when they refused to kill sailors on a trading ship. He was abandoned in Mauritius along with two pirates; they survived and with a raft reached Madagascar. England returned to England and lived in hardship here until his death in 1721.
BARTHOLOMEW ROBERTS – THE LEGENDARY
Great not only in achievements but also in death. It was a cannon shot to the throat that killed him while he was fighting the captain of the warship Swallow. His comrades managed to fulfill their captain’s wishes and, before his body was captured, they managed to throw him overboard. In his career he had captured 456 vessels.
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