In centuries gone by, when the Jolly Roger was hoisted, it usually evoked terror and often death. Indeed, the term “Jolly Roger” probably originated in the French expression “Joli Rouge”, referring to the bloody red banners flown by early privateers. However, long after the golden age of pirates, this symbol appeared all around us, without us really knowing the meaning of these skulls. So we’ve put together a brief summary to help you better grasp the symbolism of the skull and crossbones.
Together, we’ll discover the 10 most unique symbols of the famous skull and crossbones found on piratical flags. 🏴☠️ 🔥THE MOST POPULAR PRODUCTS🔥
Symbol No. 10: Skull & Crossbones (Pirate Flag)
Edward England was a famous 18th-century Irish pirate. He sailed along the coasts of Africa and the Indian Ocean from 1717 to 1720, and the pirate ships he served on included the Pearl and, later, the Fancy, which was exchanged by England for the Pearl in 1720. He’s known for his famous flag, the Classic Jolly Roger: a skull and crossbones on a black background. In fact, if you’d like to know more about this flag, we invite you to discover the origins of the Jolly Roger. This is the most common form of the famous pirate flag, and one that recurs most frequently throughout history. That’s why we thought it necessary to include it in this ranking. 😅
Symbol N°9: Poison Danger Pictogram (Skull Logo)
The human skull and crossbones have traditionally been used to label toxic products ⚠️ found in the home. In the United States, there was concern that this symbol might actually attract children because of its association with pirates. So a new symbol, called Mr. Yuk, was created. Today, the Mr. Yuk symbol is found more frequently than the traditional poison symbol with which we are all so familiar. Since non-Americans are unlikely to recognize Mr. Yuk, we preferred to present it instead of the standard poison symbol we all know so well.
Symbol No. 8: Death’s Head Military Badge (The Peacekeeper)
The LGM-118A Peacekeeper, also known as the MX missile (for Missile-eXperimental), was a land-based missile 💥 deployed by the USA from 1986. This missile was intended as a defense against Soviet nuclear missiles, which were more advanced than those used by the USA at the time. The uniforms worn by army personnel in charge of missiles and bases included the famous ☠️ skull and crossbones with weapon fins. Under the START II treaty, which never came into force, the missiles were to be withdrawn from the US nuclear arsenal in 2005, leaving the LGM-30 Minuteman as the only land-based missile in the US arsenal. Despite the non-ratification of the START II treaty, the last “Peacekeepers” (but not their warheads) were disarmed on September 19, 2005.
Symbol N°7: Rock & Skull (Iron Maiden)
The cover of the “A Matter Of Life And Death” album 🎵 released in 2006 and designed by renowned comic book illustrator Tim Bradstreet, features a zombie skull topped by a helmet and surmounted by two crossed M16 machine guns. Since then, this image has been used on many of the band’s t-shirts and posters.
Symbol N°6: Phi Kappa Sigma (the Skull Movement)
Phi Kappa Sigma is an all-male global social and academic movement that originated in the United States in the late 19th century. Its members are commonly referred to as “Phi Kaps”, “Skull” and sometimes “Skullhouse”. The latter two names refer to the skull and crossbones symbol 💀 which appears on this fraternity’s badge and coat of arms. In the 1850s, Southern divisions began sporting silver skulls on their badges, earning them the nickname “Silver Skulls”.
Symbol N°5: One Piece flag
In the popular Shonen Jump anime and manga One Piece, which takes a rather friendly approach to pirates, main character Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat crew sport a Jolly Roger. While not particularly menacing, it’s still a classic Jolly Roger with the character’s distinctive emblem, the Straw Hat. 👒 If you’re a manga fan, a true “Otaku”, you’ll find what you’re looking for in the best manga store.
Symbol N°4: Skull and Bones
The Skull and Bones Brotherhood, a secret society at Yale University, was once known as the “Brotherhood of Death”. It is one of the oldest student secret societies in the United States. Founded in 1832, it is reserved for an elite few. The society uses rituals inspired by Freemasonry 👁 to this day. Members meet every Thursday and Sunday of each week in a building they call “the Tomb”. ✝️ Don’t waste time and join the elite by purchasing the Skull & Bones Ring.
Symbol No. 3: Death’s Head Flag (Submarine Victory)
Following the introduction of submarines into several branches of the U.S. Navy, British Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson, Comptroller of the Royal Navy, declared that submarines were “devious, evil and anti-British”. He even claimed that he would “hang” (like pirates) the entire crew of enemy submarines captured in wartime. In September 1914, the British submarine HMS E9 successfully torpedoed the German cruiser SMS Hela. Remembering Wilson’s statements, Commander Max Horton asked his sailors to make a Jolly Roger flag 🏴☠️, which was hoisted by the submarine on arrival in port. Since then, this practice has become quite common among British submarines. 🇬🇧
Symbol N°2: Prevention Logo (the “Home” Registration)
This logo is familiar to most people who have visited The Pirate Bay. “Home Taping is Killing Music” was the slogan of a campaign to combat copyright infringement ❌ run in the 1980s by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), a trade body of the British music industry. With the growing popularity of cassette recorders 📼 the BPI feared that the ability to record music from the radio onto cassettes would lead to a drop in record sales. The logo, depicting a Jolly Roger formed from a skull-and-crossbones cassette, also included the words “And It’s Illegal”.
Symbol No. 1: SS-Totenkopfverbände skull and crossbones badge
The SS-Totenkopfverbände (SS-TV), meaning “Death’s Head Units”, was the SS organization responsible for administering Nazi concentration camps on behalf of the Third Reich. The SS-TV was an independent unit within the SS, with its own ranks and command structure. It was responsible for running camps throughout Germany 🇩🇪, such as Dachau and Buchenwald.
Throughout Nazi-occupied Europe, it was also responsible for running Auschwitz in Poland 🇵🇱, Mauthausen in Austria 🇦🇹 and many other concentration and extermination camps. The extermination camps were specifically designed for genocide, including camps such as Treblinka, Belzec and Sobibor. Their main purpose was to facilitate the “Final Solution”, since known as the Holocaust, in collaboration with the Reich Security Main Office and the SS Economic and Administrative Main Office. 🔥THE MOST POPULAR PRODUCTS🔥
