The famous pirate Blackbeard used Ocracoke Island as a hideout and was ultimately killed off the island. The Outer Banks in general were good for pirates with many dangerous shoals where ships would run aground, and lots of poorly charted waters the pirates could exploit.The pirates tried to avoid fighting when they could, and preferred to scare their prey into giving up without a fight. The traditional 'jolly roger' flag was used in this manner to intimidate merchant ships.
Blackbeard (Edward Teach) designed his own symbol ridden flag with the same intent. The skeleton with devil's horns is the symbol of death. The object in his right hand is an hourglass, indicating that the time left to give yourself up and avoid death is limited. The heart and red dots are the symbols for bloody death - what will happen if you don't give up.
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