The Jolly Roger - Masonic Emblem or Pirate

It's amazing how things that we take as so commonplace, without questioning, often turn out to be things of amazing curiousity. I am talking about history, and how we have come to accept things without wondering why or who or when?

To me, the 'skull and crossbones' emblem has been associated with pirates for as long as I can remember, back to the days of Saturday Afternoon movies and pirates and buccaneers. But did the skull and bones flag really start with pirates? Or was it the Knight's Templar?

According to author David Hatcher Childress, who wrote Pirates and the Lost Templar Fleet: The Secret Naval War Between the Knights Templar and the Vatican King Roger II of Sicily, (1095-1154) was probably the first person to hoist the black flag.

King Roger was a member of the Knight's Templar, during their conflicts with the Pope over his conquests of Apulia and Salerno in 1127.

In his book, Childress says that it was after the Templars were disbanded by the church, that at least one Templar fleet split into four independent flotillas. They then dedicated themselves to pirating ships of any country sympathetic to Rome.

That was in the 1100's and the flag at that time was somewhat different to the one portrayed in use by pirates of the 1600's and 1700's. At that time, pirates used various versions of a black flag, usually with a skull and often black and red.

Now we know that some Templars escaped persecution in the 1300's and went on to other adventures, not the least of which was probably North America. We also know that it is highly likely that the Templars became or were associate with the Masons, and we also suspect that many pirates could very well have been members of the Masonic Lodge....and so on...there is even the famed Skull and Bones organization, which claims many important people as members....skull and bones...skull and crossbones flag....Probably the Skull and Bones group adopted the emblem as their own, as did Hitler's Nazi's who featured it prominately...some of them were Masons as well no doubt....

I have no idea where I am going with this....none....just rambling...just thinking about the coincidences...if that is what they are.... You can read more about the skull and crossbones flag, known as "The Jolly Roger" Here

This is the Jolly Roger flag flown by Blackbeard...notice the three dots forming a triangle...or a pyramid....or Masonic symbol.