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Meaning and origin
- Skull romance and transience
Skulls and other bone parts have a long cultic tradition in human history. But a meaning of the skull developed especially in western culture. In the age of the pirates, its symbolism suddenly played a completely different role. The Jolly Roger stepped on the scene. The human skull was also used later as a military symbol, for example by the skull hussars of the German Empire or the SS skull associations in the Third Reich. When tattoos became more and more popular around the beginning of the 20th century, the typical tattoo motifs developed there, as they are still popular today. Including the skull. That was and is often worn on the hand, upper and lower arm and other parts of the body. In the 21st century it has long since arrived in pop culture and is often only viewed from an aesthetic point of view.
- Origin
The origin of this motif can be traced back to ancient times. The skull already appeared on Roman wall mosaics as a still life element. Certainly in the function of a vanitas motif. From the Western Middle Ages onwards, it has retained its significance as a symbol of transience and death. At the time of the Baroque era, the warning about transience took on new meaning. The 30th Years' War had devastated Central Europe and people lived from day to day knowing that they could die very soon. In other cultures, such as Mexican, the development was different. Christian cults were mixed with pagan cults and death there still has a rather positive meaning. Recognizable by the La Catrina or Sugar Skull motifs. These have their origin on the day of the dead, which is honored at this time with a great festival.
