The origin of the name "Tal-Ħalfa" is a matter of conjecture. The word '"ħalfa'" means '"oath'" or '"vow"' in Maltese. A local legend links with the name of the islet with Dragut, a famous pirate warrior and Ottoman admiral, who swore to seek revenge for his brother’s death on the island of Gozo. According to this legend, Dragut’s brother was killed in Gozo while raiding the island in 1544. The famous pirate asked for his brother’s corpse for burial. The Gozitans refused to turn the body over, and burned it in front of Dragut’s eyes in a place now occupied by St. John’s demi-bastion. It is said that when the Turks boarded their galleys to leave Gozo, Dragut went up on a large rock nearby, now known as il-Ġebla tal-Ħalfa (the "Vow Rock"), where he vowed to come back and wreak his vengeance on the people of Gozo. In 1551, Dragut laid siege to Mdina, but upon remembering his vow, he brought the Mdina siege to an end and sailed off to attack Gozo, taking almost the whole population into slavery.