there is a definite seriousness to the human skull.
bound by mortality, death’s head has long been the
mark we associate with secret societies, toxic
substances and black-flagged pirate ships serving
most commonly as a warning to those who fear
putting their lives at risk.
dangerous and horrific, this image certainly doesn’t
seem like an obvious icon for fashionable living.
which is why it’s surprising that not only does this
mark turn up on this days tattoos, t-shirts, trucker hats,
but also must-have designer toys, so what’s the deal?
is the human skull still the same signifier it once was,
from ancient iconography to its appearance alongside
a history of alienated youth culture - or is it placed in the
running for some kind of image makeover?
quite few objects have no traditional and symbolic meaning.
‘nihil est in rebus inane’ (there is nothing senseless in things)
was already proclaimed by roemer visscher in his book of
emblems, 1614...
today the skull has been re-made conceptually (at least
aesthetically) but no nonsense can fatally destroy the
memory of meaning.
lugubrious emblem of human mortality
victory of death over life: commonly the skull is a symbol
of death, (or some romantic notion of immortality - as the
befief that a spiritual part of a person survives death).
vanitas
think of the scene from shakespeare's hamlet where the
prince holds a skull of yorick, a former servant, bemoaning
the pointlessness and temporary nature of worldly matters.
certain themes characteristic of a specific philosophy
have been commonly represented during an era,
and an iconography has been developed to express them.
an example is the still life vanitas vanitatum of the middle
ages, a reminder of the transitory quality of earthly pleasure
symbolized by a skull. pictorial arrangements are dealing
with the vanity of the intellectual world (globe, books), and
of the 'vita voluptaria' (musical instruments, smoking implements).
often painters continued the old tradition of including appropriate
captions or texts on their pictures. the favourite was the
admonition from ecclesiastes I: ‘vanity of vanities; all is vanity'.
the transience of human existence is often brought out
also by other symbols like the candle and the hourglass.
transcendence of temporal existence
the inclusion of the skull makes explicit the essential
finiteness of man and the limitation of human knowledge.
a metaphor for understanding, to that of GOD.
(human vision and knowledge is necessarily limited by
time and place, while GOD can see and know all things
at all times). in hans holbein’s painting ‘the ambassadors’
the anamorphic skull can be connected to the contrast
between discursive reason and intellectual vision as
different stages of human knowledge.
the stable, balanced, serene coposition is interrupted
only by a long gray shape that rises diagonally from the
floor. when viewed from the proper angle, this shape
is recognized as a skull in reflecting holbein's interest
in symbolism and radical perspectives.
the skull disrupts our trust in the Cartesian perspective
center in the same way, our trust in our own reality
(belief systems) becomes distabilised.
it is thought that this might have been Holbein's favorite
painting, because it is the only one he signed with
his full name.
magical protection charm
the skull has been given strong religious connotations
in several cultures. among the people of india and
neighboring regions, the skull necklace is an iconographic
‘memento mori’ (meaning ‘remember that you must die’)
worn by certain gods and goddesses, most notably siva
in his ascetic form and kali in her wrathful form.
skull necklaces are also worn by the wrathful aspects
of allied tibetan and nepalese deities such as kurukulla
- and necklaces and prayer beads carved from animal
or human bones in the form of skulls are popular with
their devotees.
the death-resurrection cycle
the skull and crossbone symbol is also used in initiation
rituals as a symbol of rebirth. it may also symbolize the
‘sephirah daath’ on the kabbalistic tree of life, the gateway
to the higher realms of understanding only achievable
through spiritual death and rebirth. a skull did not inspire
horror, on the contrary, it symbolised the promise of a new life.
good luck
the age-old links between religion, protection, and luck.
in pre - columbian america, the skull was given an
honoured place in the religious iconography of the aztecs
and related tribes of mexico. their descendents, both
indians and people of mixed european and native
american heritage, continue to venerate the skull and
the skeleton during the national ‘day of the dead’ ceremonies,
when skulls made of sugar are eaten and offerings are
placed on the graves of deceased relatives and friends.
mexicans looked upon death as one more misfortune to
contend with, but they also regarded it as the ultimate
liberation. it was one of the most popular forms of ancient
mexican ornament and in modern mexico the skull is still used
in humorous drawing, in toys and candy.
the skull as an emblem occurs frequently in christianity,
inspired by golgotha, the place of the skull, where christ was crucified.
it was the burial place where adam's skull lay directly under the
cross so the blood of jesus could drip on it, thus washing away
the original sin (there was no mention of eve -
official theology was always vague about whether jesus' death
had really washed away original sin or not).
the christian concept of christ there dying on the cross would
explain the crossed bones.
skulls are associated with such penitent saints as st francis of
assisi, st jerome and st mary magdalene. when included in
depictions of them the skull may have a cross placed nearby.
danger signal
the recognised symbol for danger is the skull and
crossbones or for poisonous substances, especially
visible on containers of cleaning solutions.
displayed on a black cloth back ground make up the
pirate's flag commonly known as the jolly roger.
it was certainly a most intimidating symbol for the
carribean pirate who attacked and looted ships.
(the pirate flag were to symbolise that death awaited
those whom the pirates encountered).
masonry
the skull and crossbones or a crossed hoe and sceptre
(symbols of sovereignty) and a skull above them,
are important emblems in masonry, where it symbolizes
the hierarchic structure and the transience of the material
world. US presidents bill clinton and george w. bush
both are members of the ‘skull and bones’ society...
the skull of human head, death's head
interesting reading (and credits):
skull control by jason evans
The Blow Up: Skull Control by Jason Evans
historical pirate flags
http://www.kipar.org/society/author/...ate-flags.html
a reference, searchable by description, of thousands of symbols.
Symbols.Net - Directory to the World of Symbolism
masonry exposed
http://www.trosch.org/bks/msnc/mason...our-ctry-l.jpg
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