The name "Jolly Roger" is thought to have come from joli rouge (pretty red), a wry French description of the bloody banner flown by early privateers. The flags were meant to strike mortal terror in the hearts of the pirate's intended victims. They often featured skeletons, daggers, cuttlasses, or bleeding hearts on white, red, or black fields. The skull and crossbones motif first appeared around 1700 when French pirate Emanuel Wynne hoisted his fearful ensign in the Caribbean -- embellished with an hourglass to show his prey that their time was running out.
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