- "It flies the Spanish flag."
- ―Gombo, regarding the Spanish fort
The flag of Spain, otherwise known as the Spanish flag, were at least two different symbols serving as the national flag of Spain. One flag was the Cross of Burgundy, a red diagonal cross on a white background. The second and more notable flag consisted of three horizontal stripes: red, yellow and red. During the Age of Piracy, the Spanish flags were flown of the Spanish forts in the New World and ships of the Spanish Royal Navy.
History[]
- "So, ready to fly Spanish colors on that ship of yours?"
- ―Hector Hexbain to a pirate
The Cross of Burgundy was adopted as the national flag of Spain shortly after the Spanish discovery of the New World. For the next two centuries, it was used on ships of the Spanish Royal Navy.[citation needed]
Around the early 1710s, when the Caribbean branch of the Spanish Navy was led by Admiral Maldonado, the new flag was adopted, a flag consisting of three horizontal stripes: red, yellow and red, the yellow stripe being twice the size of each red stripe. The flag was soon used on Spanish ships, coastal fortresses, and military outposts.[1] In the 1720s, during the War of Garcia and Pierre, the flag was also used by Spanish privateers under the command of Garcia de la Avaricia.[2] In 1750, during the quest for the Fountain of Youth, The Spaniard's fleet also flew that flag, though his men carried different flags in battle.[3]
Behind the scenes[]
- The flag of Spain first appeared in the 2006 video game Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow.[4] It was first identified by name as "Spanish flag" in the 2008 book Legends of the Brethren Court: The Caribbean,[5] though would later be identified as "flag of Spain" in Day of the Shadow.[6]
- In almost all Pirates of the Caribbean materials,[4][2][5][6][3] the national flag of Spain of 1785 served as the flag displayed on Spanish islands and ships, instead of the historically accurate flag, the Cross of Burgundy, used in the first half of the 18th century. This is most likely a mistake made behind-the-scenes, since the flag used was not flown by Spain until 1785, thirty-four years after the events of Dead Men Tell No Tales set in 1751. The only known appearance of the Cross of Burgundy flag was in the cancelled video game Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned.[1]
- Both flags of Spain were meant to appear in the video game Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned and at least be mentioned in the graphic novel Six Sea Shanties, which were both scheduled to be released in 2011.[1][7] But since both were cancelled, it is unknown if their appearances are canon or not.
Appearances[]
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned
- Legends of the Brethren Court: The Caribbean (First identified as Spanish flag)
- Legends of the Brethren Court: Day of the Shadow (First identified as flag of Spain)
- Six Sea Shanties: Strangers Bearing Gifts (Mentioned only)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow (First appearance)
- Pirates of the Caribbean Online
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
External links[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Pirates of the Caribbean Online
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Legends of the Brethren Court: The Caribbean
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Legends of the Brethren Court: Day of the Shadow
- ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: Six Sea Shanties