Talk:Skull and crossbones

skull and crossbones as a symbol of resurrection
I had heard that the symbol was originally one of resurrection - the church taught that resurrection was bodily but then ran into the problem of overflowing graveyards (how can you dig up and dispose of someone's remains if doing so derprives them of their invitation to judgement day). The solution was to tweak the teaching somewhat and say that only the skull and thigh bones were required. Thus the graves could be dug and just the main bones preserved. cf the catacombs in Paris. I've tried to source this but unsuccesfuly - I see a lot of sites atributing the symbol to the knights templar. Generally in my experience it is safe to disregard anything that atributes anything to the knights templar. Nashernasher 13:32, 12 August 2007 (UTC)

someone's nephew
My 12-yr-old nephew wants to get a t-shirt featuring a skull and crossbones. His mom won't let him. I think it's perfectly fine for him to have and wear such a t-shirt as long as he's informed about what it means and what it will say about what he wears. Your comments...

Earlier this article had a picture of a skull and crossbones which is a pirate symbol known as the Jolly Roger. This page should have a skull and crossbones picture with a fiercer looking poison crossbones.


 * Try Jolly Roger. Mark Richards 00:13, 6 May 2004 (UTC)

I'd like to thank whoever put the new skull and crossbones picture on this page. That crossbones looks more like a poison skull and crossbones than Jolly Roger. The Jolly Roger looks more like a pirate skull and crossbones.

The Skull and Crossbones is a flag primarily, the disambiguative attempt of this article to focus on the poison logo is inappropriate for something with an extensive history as a flag. The Jolly Roger and Skull and Crossbones have nothing in common, except in a disney-mentality world where the 'jolly roger' -is- the skull and crossbones. Jachin 1 July 2005 09:01 (UTC)

you know...
Mr. Yuk is way cooler than the skull and crossbones. Hosterweis (talk) 03:37, 12 August 2005 (UTC)

The cap badge of the Queen's Royal Lancers is more like a totenkopf than Skull and crossbones in that it lacks a lower jaw bone. Jooler 00:56, 28 August 2005 (UTC)

The skull and corssbones motif, or some variation thereof, was used extensively by pirates during the 16th and 17th centuries. It's use was to designed to inspire fear in their victims.Z umperzoo 21:40, 11 December 2006 (UTC)z_umperzoo

Origin
Wouldn't the Jolly Roger predate New York State poison regulations? — Omegatron 00:59, 6 February 2006 (UTC)

Use of Skull and Crossbones on crucifixes
Does anybody know when, or why, the practice of putting the skull and crossbones on crucifixes was discontinued? Z umperzoo 21:36, 11 December 2006 (UTC)z_umperzoo

skull and crossbones
this is apochrypal, I'll admit, but if anyone has heard it before or knows a source, please share...I was told once that when the black plague was making the rounds through Europe, the infected simply were herded onto a boat which was then anchored way out in the harbor, far from everyone else. The skull and crossbones would be hung from a mast as a warning to other boats to steer clear and definitely not to try to board her, as death would be price. Then, at some point, privateers, or pirates, latched onto the idea as a means of instilling dread and perhaps causing authorities to be hesitant to investigate or attempt seizure of the vessel.–64.4.97.7 00:45, 17 December 2006 (UTC)Ratfish

Fixed the above, as it was bleeding of the page for some reason. Did not change the text in any way. Ratfish: (correct name?) maybe you already read it, but you may want to look here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolly_Roger for more on this: it may enlighten you as to some of the theories why the flag was used.

Use of skull and crossbones in youth / music culture
Heavy metal / skateboard / punk symbolism etc: I think the article lacks at least a mention of the useage of the skull and crossbones in the above subcultures: Hells Angels and so on. There's this: "Today, it is generally used as a warning of danger", and a little about official use of the symbol in the "Moder Uses" section, but I feel there could be more.

Jolly Roger as main flag design?
Previously, the mention of the Jolly Roger portrayed it in the idea that it was the main or only design features in pirate flags. I changed this a bit, adding some information in italics, in order to present the right idea. The Jolly Roger does not have much to do with the skull and crossbones symbol, except in its similarity in design.

Christoph Jenkins 17:48, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Crucifixtotenkopf.jpg
Image:Crucifixtotenkopf.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

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BetacommandBot 05:07, 5 August 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Qrlcapbadge.jpg
Image:Qrlcapbadge.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot (talk) 08:33, 21 January 2008 (UTC)

Danger Mines
The skull and crossbones image is used to mark Land_mines in many parts of the world.  --71.228.105.93 (talk) 00:53, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Image copyright problem with Image:ECU flag.gif
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Pittsburgh origin mentioned, but the "Pittsburgh Pirates" problem isn't?
The idea for Mr. Yuk came up in the Pittsburgh area because the skull and crossbones became associated with the Pirates baseball team! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.63.16.20 (talk) 21:34, 1 April 2015 (UTC)

Corunna (A Coruña), Spain
The local coats of arms bears a skull and bones. The explanation is based on Greek mythology: Hercules defeated the giant Geryon. Hercules is the legendary founder of Corunna and the Roman lighthouse is called the Tower of Hercules, with the skull and bones of the killed Geryon as part of the lighthouse's foundations.

Requested move 6 February 2022

 * The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion. 

The result of the move request was: moved. However, there is no consensus to move Skull and Bones, where a WP:HATNOTE may suffice instead. (closed by non-admin page mover) Sceptre (talk) 14:29, 25 February 2022 (UTC)

– Clear WP:BROADCONCEPT page for the topic. In terms of the secret society, its name is overly vague and should be redirected to the disambiguation page, or made a disambiguation page of its own. ᴢxᴄᴠʙɴᴍ (ᴛ) 14:40, 6 February 2022 (UTC) — Relisting. Vpab15 (talk) 17:52, 14 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Skull and crossbones (symbol) → Skull and crossbones
 * Skull and crossbones → Skull and crossbones (disambiguation)
 * Skull and Bones → Skull and Bones (secret society)
 * Support, per nom. This is helpful. Jax MN (talk) 17:09, 6 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Oppose the move of Skull and Bones, but I don't currently have a !vote on the others yet (although I think the rationale makes sense and will likely support). Usage of the name Skull and Bones, especially in title case, looks pretty unambiguous in terms of common usage and is not simply interchangeable with skull and crossbones (and to be honest I think it's a different enough change to make more sense as a separate discussion).--Yaksar (let's chat) 20:35, 6 February 2022 (UTC)
 * I do have a concern about the main move proposal. Much of the content that one would assume makes the symbol a primary topic is actually really about the symbol's use on the Jolly Roger flag, for which we have a separate page. A lot of the significance of that symbol, and potentially even the majority, comes from its usage in that capacity, even if that page is at a different name.--Yaksar (let's chat) 18:30, 7 February 2022 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.
 * Support as to Skull and crossbones (symbol) and Skull and crossbones; oppose as to Skull and Bones at that capitalization. The symbol is the clear primary topic, and can be substantially expanded with some of the information in the articles on specific uses of the symbol. BD2412  T 04:01, 7 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Oppose for now, largely because the "Skull and Crossbones (symbol)" page is rather poor and scant, and little better (and in some ways worse) than the disambiguation page. If it was improved, I might support it. But in its current state, it just takes away links and adds little or no information.  It's not clear what that page is supposed to be.  Walrasiad (talk) 07:40, 7 February 2022 (UTC)
 * If it was put in the main namespace, it would likely be improved more. You are putting the cart before the horse here. (it also doesn't hurt anyone really, because it can still function as a disambiguation for the other topics even if they aren't outright merged into it). ᴢxᴄᴠʙɴᴍ (ᴛ) 12:07, 7 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Oppose for now, for much the same reasons as 's. There may be a case for a broad concept article, which would allow the article about the symbol to be...well...about the symbol. --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 10:54, 7 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Support. 's simple argument (below) convinced me to change my !vote. --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 10:56, 15 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Support. The generic usage (and that of pirates) is the primary topic. Also poor disambiguation, considering most others on the list also refer to the symbol. Oppose 3rd though, as the society is definitely the primary topic there. -- Necrothesp (talk) 14:11, 9 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Neutral 1 and 2, support 3. I'd also add Skull & Crossbones → Skull & Crossbones (video game), insufficient disambiguation there. 162 etc. (talk) 18:44, 14 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Support the first 2 proposals, as the symbol is the primary topic here. Rreagan007 (talk) 01:32, 15 February 2022 (UTC)
 * The 3rd should probably go to the DAB is moved per WP:DIFFCAPS since Skull and Bones, the secret student society is a proper noun unlike the symbol.  Crouch, Swale  ( talk ) 10:37, 16 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Support all - holy cow primary topic is a thing  Red   Slash  21:12, 17 February 2022 (UTC)

Laughing emoji
This is colloquially used as a laughing emoji, particularly among youth. Does this deserve a mention? 71.221.194.121 (talk) 00:51, 17 July 2024 (UTC)