Wikipedia Link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolly_roger)


Excerpt
Origins of the term

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Pirate_Flag_of_Blackbeard_%28Edward_Teach%29.svg/180px-Pirate_Flag_of_Blackbeard_%28Edward_Teach%29.svg.p ng (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Pirate_Flag_of_Blackbeard_%28Edward_Teach%29 .svg) http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Pirate_Flag_of_Blackbeard_%28Edward_Teach%29 .svg)
Pirate flag often called the "Jolly Roger."


The name "Jolly Roger" goes back at least to Charles Johnson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Johnson_%28pirate_biographer%29)'s A General History of the Pyrates (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_General_History_of_the_Pyrates), published in 1724 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1724). Johnson specifically cites two pirates as having named their flag "Jolly Roger": Bartholomew Roberts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartholomew_Roberts) in June (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June), 1721 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1721)[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolly_roger#cite_note-0) and Francis Spriggs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Spriggs) in July (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July), 1723 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1723). While Spriggs and Roberts used the same name for their flags, their flag designs were quite different, suggesting that already "Jolly Roger" was a generic term for black pirate flags rather than a name for any single specific design. Neither Spriggs' nor Roberts' Jolly Roger consisted of a skull and crossbones.
Richard Hawkins, captured by pirates in 1724 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1724), reported that the pirates had a black flag bearing the figure of a skeleton stabbing a heart with a spear, which they named "Jolly Roger". [2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolly_roger#cite_note-1)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Woodesrogers.jpg/180px-Woodesrogers.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Woodesrogers.jpg) http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Woodesrogers.jpg)
An old engraving of Capt. Rogers, armed with a boarding pike.


Another theory is that it comes from the French term "joli rouge", ("pretty red") which the English corrupted into "Jolly Roger" or simply "Hodge". While it is true that there were a series of "red flags" that were feared as much as, or more than, "black flags", this seems unlikely because the red flag was not adopted from the French and it is not likely that the black flag was either, and there is no primary source reference to the name "Joli Rouge" for any flag, piratical or otherwise. One theory is that when a ship was approached under false colors closely enough for the deception to be unnecessary any longer, the pirates would "run up the red flag", time to kill everyone.[citation needed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)]
Yet another theory states that "Jolly Roger" is an English corruption of "Ali Raja", the name of a Tamil (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_people) pirate.[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolly_roger#cite_note-cordingly118-2)
And another theory is that it was taken from a nickname for the devil, "Old Roger". [3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolly_roger#cite_note-cordingly118-2) The "jolly" appellation may be derived from the apparent grin of a skull.
One less popular theory comes from the privateer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privateer) and royal governor of The Bahamas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bahamas), Woodes Rogers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodes_Rogers). As a privateer he was famous for suppressing many pirates. After he became governor in 1717 however, he offered the "King's Pardon", which gave amnesty to most of the pirates in The Bahamas. This made him popular with pirates both as an enemy and ally. Furthermore, an old engraving of Rogers holding a boarding pike (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boarding_pike) resembles the flag depicting a skeleton holding a spear.

Very interesting. So the movies probable use a skull and crossbones because it is more menacing looking and adds to the effect of the pirate ship.

Basically. Alot of films use the skull and crossed cutlasses that's the flag of Calico Jack Rackhem. Truth is, there were an almost infinite variety of flags.

Basically. Alot of films use the skull and crossed cutlasses that's the flag of Calico Jack Rackhem.

Which is funny, because as far as pirates go he wasnt a very successful one... although famous for having Two female pirates on board his ship, Mary Reade and Anne Bonney.

No kidding. I find it interesting that he's better known than Bartholomew Roberts, considering Roberts captured over 470 vessels, and Rackham less than 50 from what I've found. Of course, there's BlackBeard whose big claim to fame seems to be his blockade of Charles Towne, but not too many prizes taken otherwise.

No kidding. I find it interesting that he's better known than Bartholomew Roberts, considering Roberts captured over 470 vessels, and Rackham less than 50 from what I've found. Of course, there's BlackBeard whose big claim to fame seems to be his blockade of Charles Towne, but not too many prizes taken otherwise.

Blackbeard had a fierce reputation, made fiercer by the fact he captured the Queen Anne's Revenge with a tinty little boat that was severely outgunned and out manned... then he let the survivors go and they started spreading tales... thats why the Governer of Virginia had such a hard on to get him, and even hunted him down illegally.