# Skull 'n Crossbones
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skull-n-crossbones/81364
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 13, 2001, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skull-n-crossbones/81364 "2001-09-13T15:55:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@JAPrufrock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JAPrufrock)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2001, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skull-n-crossbones/81364/1 "2001-09-13T15:55:46Z")
Did pirates ever actually use a skull and crossbones flag (the Jolly Roger, as discussed by Cecil in [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_292.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_292.html))? Raising this flag would quickly eliminate any element of surprise, so it doesn’t seem very practical.
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### Author:  [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2001, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skull-n-crossbones/81364/2 "2001-09-13T16:06:37Z")
I have no source for this, but my understanding of the matter is that a pirate ship would sail under an innocuous flag until within shouting distance of its target.
The Skull and Crossbones would only then be hoisted.
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### Author:  [@davesink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davesink)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2001, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skull-n-crossbones/81364/3 "2001-09-13T16:16:00Z")
Wish I could remember the answer to the specific OP, but a while ago I read a terrific book on the subject of all things pirate: Under the Black Flag : The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates by David Cordingly.It covers all the usual pirate sterotypes in detail (parrots, peglegs, etc.)
> **[Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates:...](https://www.amazon.com/Under-Black-Flag-Romance-Reality/dp/081297722X)**
>
> Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates \[Cordingly, David\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates
I found it a pretty entertaining and well researched book.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2001, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skull-n-crossbones/81364/4 "2001-09-13T16:41:19Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by JAPrufrock \*
> \*\*Did pirates ever actually use a skull and crossbones flag (the Jolly Roger, as discussed by Cecil in [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_292.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_292.html))? Raising this flag would quickly eliminate any element of surprise, so it doesn’t seem very practical. \*\*
Sometimes you would use surprise…sometimes you would use intimidation.
If you were a sailor in that era, you work hard and your captain treats you like shit…and you saw a ship bearing the pirate flag. Your thoughts would be “Gee that’s Balckbeard…I know crews who’ve fought him and been killed to a man…and I’ve known crews who’ve surrendered their ship without a fight and lived to sail on. Hmmmmm”.
There’s a lot to be said for reputation. Surprise wasn’t everything in piracy.
Here’s some nice sites with a few flags:
[http://www.ntcsites.com/tourcharleston/pirateflags/](http://www.ntcsites.com/tourcharleston/pirateflags/)
[http://www.piratesinfo.com/store/flags.html](http://www.piratesinfo.com/store/flags.html)
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### Author:  [@Walrus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walrus)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2001, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skull-n-crossbones/81364/5 "2001-09-13T17:44:51Z")
Originally posted by JAPrufrock
“…Did pirates ever actually use a skull and crossbones flag (the Jolly Roger, as discussed by Cecil in [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_292.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_292.html))? Raising this flag would quickly eliminate any element of surprise, so it doesn’t seem very practical…”
I couldn’t open the page, so this may have been covered there, but as has been stated the trick was to approach under false colours and only showe one’s true colours at the moment of engagement this gave both surprise and, on showing colours, intimidation.
It was of course better to see the pirate flying the black flag than the origininal “Jolly Roger” (the name is a corruption of the French for the pretty red one)a red flag signifying no quarter asked or given.
Regards
Walrus
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### Author:  [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2001, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skull-n-crossbones/81364/6 "2001-09-13T18:51:14Z")
That the skull and crossbones was originally a flag of quarantine for disease so that other ships would know not to approach, whereupon pirates decided that this would be a great way to keep men o war at bay. I don’t know whether that is true, and I cannot imagine it working very long.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2001, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skull-n-crossbones/81364/7 "2001-09-13T19:05:30Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Walrus \*
> \*\*Originally posted by JAPrufrock
> “…Did pirates ever actually use a skull and crossbones flag (the Jolly Roger, as discussed by Cecil in [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_292.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_292.html))? Raising this flag would quickly eliminate any element of surprise, so it doesn’t seem very practical…”
>
> I couldn’t open the page
> Walrus \*\*
There’s a reason for that, took me a moment to figuire it out:
[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_292.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_292.html)
There is the proper link.