June 24, 2022

[hughville]

In Good Form, when Killian Jones is rallying his crew to take over the Jewel of the Realm and become pirates, he renames the ship Jolly Roger and says, "We'll sail under the crimson flag and give our enemies no quarter." "Jolly Roger" is the traditional name of the infamous pirate flag. During the Golden Age of Piracy, fighting under Jolly Roger, the black flag, meant that mercy would be given to all as long as they cooperated. Hoisting a red flag, on the other hand, signaled that "no quarter" would be given to any aboard if the ship's crew did not surrender without a fight; in other words, everyone aboard would be killed.