Skull and crossbones

Military use

Main article: Skull and crossbones (military)

The skull and bones are often used in military insignia, such as the coats of arms of regiments.

Since the mid-18th century, skull and crossbones insignia has been officially used in European armies as symbols of superiority. One of the first regiments was the Frederick the Great's Hussars in 1741, also known as the "Totenkopfhusaren". From this tradition, the skull became an important emblem in the German army. Identical insignia has been used in the Prussian army after the First World War by Freikorps and in Nazi Germany by the Wehrmacht and the SS. The idea of elitism symbolized by the skull and crossbones has influenced sub- and pop culture and has become part of the fashion industry.

Symbol for poisonous substances

The skull and crossbones has long been a standard symbol for poison.

In 1829, New York State required the labeling of all containers of poisonous substances. The skull and crossbones symbol appears to have been used for that purpose since the 1850s. Previously a variety of motifs had been used, including the Danish "+ + +" and drawings of skeletons.

In the 1870s poison manufacturers around the world began using bright cobalt bottles with a variety of raised bumps and designs (to enable easy recognition in the dark) to indicate poison, but by the 1880s the skull and cross bones had become ubiquitous, and the brightly coloured bottles lost their association.

In the United States, due to concerns that the skull-and-crossbones symbol's association with pirates might encourage children to play with toxic materials, the Mr. Yuk symbol was created to denote poison. However, in 2001, the American Association of Poison Control Center voted to continue to require the skull and crossbones symbol.

Gallery

Skeletal Arrangements, Sedlec Ossuary (6282842433).jpg|A skull and crossbone arrangement in the Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic. Coat of Arms of the 8th Light Armoured Cavalry Regiment Lusitania.svg|Skull and crossbones as a charge in heraldry on the coat of the 8th Lusitania Cavalry Regiment 1607-35 Pesttafel Augsburg anagoria.JPG|An early 17th-century "plague panel" from Augsburg Danger High Voltage - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.jpg|High voltage sign from Saudi Arabia BEST DANGER 415 Volts Mumbai.jpg|Skull and crossbones on a sign warning of high voltage in Mumbai, India Warning sign! (9156768909).jpg|Skull and crossbones sign mounted on a power box in Poland Flag of Edward England.svg|A typical Jolly Roger ensign as used by Edward England, John Taylor and Samuel Bellamy for example Mark Twain's American Philippines Flag Proposal.jpg|In 1901, Mark Twain wrote a satirical essay titled To the Person Sitting in Darkness, in which he expressed strong anti-imperialist views against certain ongoing conflicts such as the Philippine-American War. At one point, Twain sarcastically described what the flag of an American-controlled Philippines should look like; "And as for a flag for the Philippine Province, it is easily managed. We can have a special one—our States do it: we can have just our usual flag, with the white stripes painted black and the stars replaced by the skull and cross-bones." Straw Hat Pirates' Jolly Roger.jpg|The Straw Hat Pirates' Jolly Roger from One Piece

References

References

1. "Dictionary and Thesaurus".
2. "WEARING THE SKULL AND CROSSBONES WITH PRIDE".
3. Thomas, Nigel. (2012). "The German Army in World War I (1): 1914–15". Bloomsbury Publishing.
4. (1867). "Colburn's United Service Magazine and Naval and Military Journal, Volumen 32". National Library of the Netherlands.
5. Hølscher, Joost. (2013). "Death's Head - Volumen 1 de The History of Uniform". Editions Chamerelle.
6. Joost Hølscher (Author, Illustrator): Death's Head, The History of the Military Skull & Crossbones Badge (The History of Uniform). 1st edition: Éditions Chamerelle 2013, {{ISBN. 978-90-820326-0-4.
7. Ruda, Adrian. (2023). "Der Totenkopf als Motiv. Eine historisch-kulturanthropologische Analyse zwischen Militär und Moden". Böhlau/Brill.
8. (19 November 1999). "History of Drug Containers and Their Labels". Amer. Inst. History of Pharmacy.
9. "Antique Poison Bottles".
10. "Poison bottle collection". BBC One.
11. Farmer, Meg. (March 2014). "Evolution of the Poison Label: From Skull and Crossbones to Mr. Yuk".
12. "World of 1898: International Perspectives on the Spanish American War / Mark Twain". Library of Congress.