Skull

The skull is a bony structure in the head of most vertebrates that supports the structures of the face and forms a protective cavity for the brain.

The English word "skull" is probably derived from Old Norse "skalli" meaning bald, while the Latin word cranium comes from the Greek root κρανίον (kranion).

History
Every pirate captain flies his own variation of the Jolly Roger flag, the most famous of which is the skull and crossbones. Blackbeard's skull and flames revealed a passion for forbidden dark magic. Skulls and skeletons of Blackbeard's victims were used in the design of the Queen Anne's Revenge, with walls made out of skulls.

Behind the scenes

 * When designing the Queen Anne's Revenge, producer Jerry Bruckheimer said that since the most famous pirate flag is the skull and crossbones, skulls and skeletons should be worked into the actual design of the ship. This resulted in production designer John Myhre to recall Kostnice, the famous "Church of Bones" in Kutná Hora, Czech Republic. "It's this amazing church which is literally decorated with bones. They made garlands out of spines and pyramids out of skulls. And I thought wow, instead of doing all this intricately carved molding details, what if we just used the bones of Blackbeard's victims in the design of the 'Queen Anne's Revenge'? So we made moldings of leg and arm bones and teeth, and walls out of skulls, with the idea that Blackbeard actually burned his victims in a giant, flaming lantern on the stern of the ship."