212:" to signal demands and threats to their victims. Initially, a false national flag would be flown as a way to close the gap between the pirate ship and the victim ship. When the victim ship came within gun range, the black flag would be raised, signaling that "quarter would be given", if the enemy surrendered, meaning they would spare the victims after rifling through their cargo. To signal "yes", the victim ship would have to take down their own flag (in naval terminology called "striking their flag"). However, if they refused or were too slow, the pirates would raise the bloody flag, which would signal that the cargo would be taken by force and that "no quarter would be given" to prisoners. If the pirates had several ships, the raising of the bloody flag would also act as the signal "to attack" for the rest of the ships.
67:
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231:'s ancestor, Captain Sir Francis Haddock, it is shown how Francis' ship is attacked by the pirate captain Red Rackham and his crew. At first the pirates raise the "black Jolly Roger", but when Francis refuses to strike his flag and bombards the pirates with cannon fire, the pirates instead "hoists fresh colors" and raise the "red pennant", signaling no quarter, after which they board Francis' ship and massacre his crew.
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instructions: ”s soon as the
Admiral shall hoist a Red Flag on the flagg staff at the fore- top - mast - head, and fire again, every Ship in the fleet is to use their utmost Endeavour to engage the enemy in Order the Admiral has prescribed to them”. This was in use until 1799 when it was dropped.
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as signalments when traveling by ship. Their shields were primarily single colored and featured similar color codes to modern flags. To signal neutrality or peace, white shields were used. To signal war or battle, red shields were used, etc.
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Red shields appears to have had a broad symbolic use for law and order during combat. Since red shields prompted battlefields, a red shield could be hoisted to the top of the mast during naval combat to signal surrender.
175:
The origin of bloody flags is unknown, but deep red coloring is strongly associated with the color of blood and thus symbolises suffering and combat. Historical sources mentions bloody flags being used by
254:
Historically, deep red coloring is strongly associated with both strength and blood and thus is a common color on the battlefield dating back to ancient history. Red was the color of
364:
and was in widespread use. It was raised in cities and castles under siege to indicate that they would not surrender. "The red flag is a signal of defiance and battle," according to
341:
ship captured in 1293 because it had raised the
Baucans. (Raising the streamer may have been a relatively novel practice at the time since the writers feel the need to explain it.)
321:
The first use of red flags being used to signify a "fight to the death" or "no quarter" first appears in records of the 1290s. In combat, period ships in waters in
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Baucans is considered to have been a direct ancestor of the later bloody flag. The size according to record was 30 yards (24.45 m) long by 2 yards (1.82 m) wide.
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in previous centuries. Since the late 18th century, the bloody flag has been transformed into the political flag for revolution (see
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66:
787:
British Flags: Their Early
History and Their Development at Sea; with an Account of the Origin of the Flag as a National Device
337:. In one petition, a group of English sailors asserted that the Crown had no right to a share of the prize money earned from a
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flown by Royal Navy warships. Many of these privateers later turned to piracy and continued to use the red flag. By the
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No. 91/4 That the Red Flag was out, both Fleets in sight of each other, expecting every hour fit weather to Engage.,
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957:
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1873 I. 233 What, dost summon a parlie, my little
Drumsticke? tis too late: thou seest my red flag is hung out.
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The flag has many names internationally and historically, some possibly not period accurate. Examples include:
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164:(defiance to the death). Such flags were traditionally plain but examples with motifs also existed, such as
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waters prior to the invention of flag signal codes to signify an intention to give battle and that '
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Pattern free blood red maritime signal flag, signaling no quarter, attack, battle or war, etc.
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745:
785:
Marsden, R.G., "Early Prize
Jurisdiction and Prize Law in England" (1909), Perrin, W.G.
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156:', indicating that surrender would not be accepted and all prisoners killed, but also
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during the late 13th century. The origin of this use is unknown, however, the
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ancestors of the
Normans did use deep red shields as combat signalements.
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105:, captured by Lt. Richard Curry in the 18th century. Today residing at
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17:
595:. Dictionary of Vexillology: F (Flag of a Department - Flag on a Flag)
563:. Dictionary of Vexillology: F (Flag of a Department - Flag on a Flag)
86:
149:
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The pirate usage of the flag makes an appearance in the comic book
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116:, November 8 1658, fought between the Dutch and Swedish fleets.
830:"so the red flag of defiance was pulled down", Grant, James,
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The first confirmed use of red flags as a signalement for
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had to fly red flags to distinguish their ships from the
119:
Lower right: Dutch bloody flag from the mid 17th century.
30:
This article is about the naval battle ensign signaling '
112:
Lower left: Dutch ships flying a bloody flag during the
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By the mid-17th century, the
Baucans, now known as the
714:
712:
38:. For the Nazi flag used in the Beer Hall Putsch, see
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depicted invading
England with red shields, painted
649:
The
Adventures of Tintin, The Secret of the Unicorn
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579:
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613:
611:
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551:
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547:
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619:"Pirate Symbolism: The Jolly Roger and the 'Arr'"
184:, but red-painted shields were used similarly by
858:
856:
854:
457:– French for "pretty red", an 18th-century term
660:
658:
348:Bloody flag / Flag of Defiance (17th Century)
160:, meaning that the one flying the flag would
8:
721:"Types of Viking Shields: History and Facts"
388:, the bloody flag was only used by pirates.
719:Christensen, Christian (16 August 2021).
371:In 1647, the bloody flag was included in
886:
884:
275:
539:
360:, etc, had evolved into a conventional
376:During the late 17th century, English
317:Baucans / Bauccedillian (13th Century)
692:"Hur var vikingarnas sköldar gjorda?"
7:
98:Top left: Bloody flag without motif.
415:– a 13th-century term, now obsolete
409:– a 13th-century term, now obsolete
329:from a ship's masthead, called the
667:"The Truth Behind Vikings Shields"
25:
752:. Baltic Empire. 10 December 2022
477:– French for "flag of no quarter"
85:
76:
65:
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833:Cassell's Old and New Edinburgh
625:. February 2022. Archived from
300:, today most commonly known as
272:Red Norse shields (Viking Age)
264:, which is the reason the red
1:
933:Pirate customs and traditions
285:
168:on some pirate examples (see
557:"BAUCANS (or BAUCCEDILLIAN)"
107:Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
34:'. For the feudal flag, see
746:"How Vikings Fought At Sea"
974:
847:Oxford English Dictionary.
774:Baucans (or Bauccedillian)
471:– French for "flag of red"
386:American Revolutionary War
137:
101:Top right: Historical red
29:
403:– Dutch for "attack flag"
224:The Secret of the Unicorn
208:in combination with the "
154:no quarter would be given
421:– Dutch for "blood flag"
298:Norse seafaring warriors
218:The Adventures of Tintin
186:seafaring Norse warriors
136:(among other names, see
836:, Vol. 1, (1882) p. 49.
266:planet of the same name
227:. In a flashback about
898:. Nationalencyklopedin
497:name of "No + quarter"
475:Pavillon sans quartier
465:– an 18th-century term
325:flew a long plain red
289:
845:Cited in "red flag,"
279:
162:fight to the last man
144:were the traditional
725:scandinaviafacts.com
292:During the European
210:black flag of piracy
202:Golden Age of Piracy
166:skull and crossbones
727:. Scandinavia Facts
696:varldenshistoria.se
673:. MINNESOTA VIKINGS
518:Red flag (politics)
445:Colours of Defiance
366:Chambers Cyclopedia
268:was named for him.
190:Red flag (politics)
114:Battle of the Sound
868:streetsofsalem.com
815:Flags of the World
770:Flags of the World
665:Williams, Henrik.
589:"FLAG OF DEFIANCE"
296:(c. 750–1200 AD),
290:
651:. pp. 16–23.
623:wondriumdaily.com
16:(Redirected from
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958:Military symbols
928:Historical flags
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358:Flag of Defiance
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892:"Jolly Roger"
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870:. 9 June 2011
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425:Bloody banner
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128:Often called
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37:
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19:
900:. Retrieved
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872:. Retrieved
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754:. Retrieved
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729:. Retrieved
724:
700:. Retrieved
695:
686:
675:. Retrieved
670:
648:
642:
631:. Retrieved
627:the original
622:
597:. Retrieved
593:crwflags.com
592:
565:. Retrieved
561:crwflags.com
560:
491:Sansquartier
490:
485:
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474:
468:
460:
454:
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382:White Ensign
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238:
222:
216:
214:
206:bloody flags
205:
199:
196:Pirate usage
182:13th century
174:
141:
138:§ Names
133:
130:bloody flags
129:
127:
36:blood banner
750:youtube.com
671:vikings.com
513:Jolly Roger
486:Red pennant
462:Jolly Roger
455:Jolie rouge
435:Bloody flag
401:Aanvalsvlag
368:(1727–41).
354:Bloody flag
200:During the
170:Jolly Roger
109:exhibition.
103:Jolly Roger
49:Bloody flag
917:Categories
902:2022-09-19
874:2022-09-19
811:Lond. Gaz.
756:2024-02-20
731:2022-09-18
702:2022-09-25
677:2022-09-18
633:2022-09-19
599:2022-09-19
567:2022-09-19
534:References
508:No quarter
440:Bloody red
378:privateers
373:Royal Navy
294:Viking Age
280:Seafaring
259:god of war
241:no quarter
158:vice versa
134:bloody red
32:no quarter
528:Oriflamme
523:Blutfahne
493:– French
419:Bloedvlag
142:red flags
40:Blutfahne
502:See also
495:compound
481:Red flag
327:streamer
282:Norsemen
150:European
948:Ensigns
647:Hergé.
407:Baucans
331:Baucans
304:, used
302:vikings
288:1130 AD
245:Normans
235:History
178:Normans
132:or the
18:Baucans
339:Norman
896:ne.se
392:Names
256:Roman
249:Norse
808:1666
803:Wks.
799:1602
262:Mars
817:, "
772:, "
356:or
333:or
192:).
172:).
148:in
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669:.
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542:^
286:c.
221:,
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877:.
759:.
734:.
705:.
680:.
636:.
602:.
570:.
42:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
