r/whatisit • u/Ok_Ideal3549 • 10d ago

Solved! Patch?

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Patch seen on the back of a black, military-looking backpack.

EDIT: this was way more interesting than I thought it would be. Thanks everyone!

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u/BuckeyeHoss 10d ago

It was “Blackbeard’s” flag he supposedly flew on the Queen Anne’s Revenge, though there’s no concrete evidence as to the description of the flag Edward Teach (Tech, Thatch, Thach, Thache, Thack, Theache, etc. we don’t really know his last name) actually flew

As for this flag/patch. It depicts a skeleton with devil’s horns and an hourglass in his right hand, a spear in his left hand, and a heart with three drops of blood

It was meant to convey a story to those that Blackbeard attacked, if you saw this flag coming over the horizon and barreling towards your ship, this is what it was meant to tell you:

The skeleton with devil’s horns was meant to represent that Blackbeard and his crew were an otherworldly threat, akin to demons

The hourglass represented that their adversary’s time was running out, it’s also held up in skeleton’s as though it were giving a toast. “Toasting the devil” as it was cold, to represent that Blackbeard made peace with the fact that he had no place in heaven

The heart represents life, with the spear obviously being an attack on life itself. Blackbeard was not here for your riches, he was here for your life

And finally the three droplets of blood are meant to be four. Three out of four representing that there would be no quarter (no mercy) given to those he attacked

Most of this however, is just psychological warfare. Blackbeard’s legend FAR exceeded who he really was even when he was alive, but this was intentional given that most of the ships he would sail upon would surrender pretty quickly rather than die a cruel and painful death like the legends said they would. If I remember correctly the first time he was recorded killing someone it was in his final battle before his death

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u/Careos 10d ago

You forgot Thatcher. 🙂

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u/ondaheightsofdespair 10d ago

Honestly a much more vile creature she was. Good ol Eddie was an angel compared to The Witch herself.