TOP 10 Skull Symbols
In the past centuries, when the Jolly Roger was raised, it usually heralded terror and often death. In fact, the term "Jolly Roger" probably comes from the French words "Joli Rouge", a French term that refers to the bloody red banners carried by the early privateers. But long after the golden age of pirates, we see this symbol appearing all around us, without necessarily knowing the real meaning of these skulls. So we have prepared a little summary for you so that you can better understand the symbolism of skull.
Let's take a look together at the TOP 10 most unique skull symbols found on pirate flags. 🏴☠️
Symbol N°10 : Skull & Crossbones (Pirate flag)
Edward England, was a famous Irish pirate of the 18th century. He sailed the African and Indian Ocean coasts from 1717 to 1720, and the pirate ships he sailed on included the Pearl and later the Fancy, which was exchanged in 1720 by England for the Pearl. He is known for his famous flag which was the classic Jolly Roger: a skull and crossbones on a black background. By the way, if you want to know more about this flag, we invite you to discover the origins of the Jolly Roger. This is the most common form of the famous pirate flag and the one that has been used most often throughout history. That's why we felt compelled to include it in this ranking. 😅
Symbol N°9 : Poison Danger Pictogram (Death's Head Logo)
The human skull and crossbones have traditionally been used to label toxic ⚠️ products that can be found in the home. In the United States, there was concern that this symbol would actually attract children because of its association with pirates, so a new symbol was created (called Mr. Yuk). Mr. Yuk is now found more often than the traditional poison symbol. Since it is unlikely that non-Americans will recognize Mr. Yuk, it was decided to present it instead of the standard poison symbol that we are all so familiar with.
Symbol N°8: Skull and Crossbones Military Badge (Peacekeeper)
Symbol N°7: Rock & Skull (Iron Maiden)
The cover of the 2006 album "A Matter Of Life And Death" 🎵, designed by famed comic book cover artist Tim Bradstreet, features a zombie head wearing a helmet and placed above two crossed M16 machine guns. It has since been used on many of the band's T-shirts and posters.
Symbol N°6 : Phi Kappa Sigma (the Skull Movement)
Phi Kappa Sigma is an all-male worldwide social and academic movement founded in the United States in the late 19th century. Its members are known as "Phi Kaps", "Skull" and sometimes "Skullhouse" (literally: the "Death's Head House"). The latter two names are due to the skull and crossbones 💀 that appear on the insignia and coat of arms of this fraternity. In the 1850s, the Southern divisions inaugurated the custom of wearing silver skulls on their insignia, and thus became known as the "Silver Skulls."
Symbol N°5 : One Piece flag
In the popular anime and manga Shonen Jump, which takes a rather friendly approach to pirates, the main character, Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat crew sport a Jolly Roger. Granted, it's not exactly menacing, but it's still a classic Jolly Roger with the character's signature Straw Hat insignia. 👒
Symbole N°4 : Skull and Bones
Symbol N°3: Skull Flag (Victory of the Submarines)
Symbol N°2: Prevention logo (the "Home" Registration)
Symbol N°1 : Skull Badge SS-Totenkopfverbände
The SS-Totenkopfverbände (SS-TV), which means "Death's Head Units," was the SS organization responsible for administering the Nazi concentration camps for the Third Reich. The SS-TV was an independent unit within the SS, with its own ranks and command structure. It ran camps throughout Germany, 🇩🇪 such as Dachau and Buchenwald.
Throughout Nazi-occupied Europe, it ran Auschwitz in Poland 🇵🇱 and Mauthausen in Austria, 🇦🇹 as well as many other concentration and extermination camps. The primary function of the extermination camps was genocide and included the camps of Treblinka, Belzec, and Sobibor. They were responsible for facilitating the Final Solution, since known as the Holocaust, in collaboration with the Reich Security Main Office and the SS Economic and Administrative Main Office.