What is the name of the flag on a pirate ship?
The Jolly Roger, a.k.a. skull and crossbones, is the name
generally given to all pirate flags. However, different pirates
flew different flags. Pirate flags were used to wage psychological
warfare on their enemies. Pirate flags were designed to threaten,
intimidate and spread fear & dread amongst all that encountered
the pirate. A pirate flag's history was an important element in
building the fearsome reputation of the pirate vessel. Many pirate
flags had a red or black background. The flag was often embellished
with threatening symbols, such as a skull, bones, skeleton, cutlass
and hourglass.