Pirate Symbols: The Hourglass

While Hourglasses were essential to the proper functioning of ships, keeping track of watches and marking the hours at night where no other clocks could function, they were also important symbols for pirates. Found on my pirate flags, they were a symbol to those pirates were attacking that their time was running out. Seeing symbols like the hourglass on the flag of an approaching vessel filled with hungry, dirty men was meant to impel the pirate's prey to simply give up without fighting, which they often did.