Yesterday, Greg posted some awesome Jolly Roger pictures to Photosynthetic Molecules. And Sex McGinty of Pataphysical Graffiti pointed out that the Jolly Roger is supposed to have its origins with the Knights Templar. Which rules. I remember hearing about this somewhere, but found a page that sort of explains it. I think they are trying to say that the flag stems from a banner design of the Templars, of Golgotha (the Skull Mountain where Jesus died) which they would rally underneath when they were going to die in battle. Something like that.

Then, when the Order of the Templars began to be persecuted (which is where Friday the 13th comes from, apparently), they went underground, and sailed away, taking their treasures with them. Among some of the places they went, Robert the Bruce in Scotland gave them sanctuary, and people say they helped win Scotland its independence. Also, there is supposed to be evidence that they sailed to America in 1398, and settled for a time in Nova Scotia and New England.

Fun stuff. I’ll be looking into this in more detail.