Pirates

A pirate is someone who commits piracy, which is robbery at sea without a commission from a sovereign nation. Pirates who operated in the West Indies during the 17th century were known as buccaneers. Pirates who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century onwards were called Wokou. Pirates with commissions from a government are called privateers or corsairs.

The traditional flag of European and American pirates was the Jolly Roger, which featured a skull and crossbones on a black (or sometimes red) background. Many pirates had their own versions.

Many of the pictures in this gallery are from Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates: fiction, fact and fancy concerning the buccaneers and marooners of the Spanish Main, which was published in 1921.

Picture Gallery 54 Images over 4 pages. [1] [2] [3] [4]

The Jolly Roger flag The traditional flag of European and American pirates was the Jolly Roger, which featured a skull and crossbones on a black (or sometimes red) background. Many pirates had their own versions.