Pirate flags are both deemed myths and real. There are actually real pirates in the past and even the present. The flags were customized to represent the pirate captain and his crew. Every ship added a certain element to its flag to make it distinct among other pirates sailing the seas.

The Jolly Roger flag is probably the most famous one of all, although there have been several variations of the banner through the years. Flags featured by ships on the ocean had a huge impact for other ships that encountered them. It was vital for the ships to successfully point out friendly ships from hostile vessels. Looking at the flags will help one easily distinguish.

After some time, pirates began to create and feature their own flags. The pirate culture featured its own set of rules and pirates generally presented their flags on top of masts to threaten other vessels. The background of pirate flags were usually black or red. The black flag was rather traditional and symbolized death. The red background was also commonly used after several years.

The red color generally stood for blood. It hinted that other vessels can expect no mercy if they encounter such cruel pirates. The black flag would represent killer pirates or a boat full of plague victims. Either way, these are avoided by other sailors at all costs. The pirate flags also presented some elements that add to their uniqueness, such as a skull and crossbones, an hourglass, swords and other items that stood for death and murder.

Blackbeard’s flag was one of the most famous pirate flags. It had a black canton with a skeleton that had a pierced heart.

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