Skull Symbol

The Skull symbol initially takes the shape of a human skull sometimes with a cross of bones. This symbol first emerged in the late middle ages as a symbol of death, and people used this symbol to draw it on the tombstone. Later, in the modern days, this symbol is used more to indicate a warning of danger. The skull symbol also could be found printed on chemical hazards, especially poisons substance and deadly chemicals. In the military, some people used it to represent strength and warning of ferocity. In the 14th century, it became associated with pirates as they used to draw this symbol on a flag and hang it on their ships.

History of Skull Symbol

The skull symbol came to be used more widely to mark the entrances of many graveyards, primarily Spanish cemeteries, and as an easily identifiable warning sign on poison and other dangerous powder and liquid containers since the 19th century. The skull, along with the crossbones symbol, was also famous on crucifixes. They were made in Northern Europe right during the 18th and 19th centuries. In that period, the symbol was worn as larger wall hangings mostly in religious orders Memento Mori on rosaries symbolized the victory of the Christ over death. During a funeral, all these crucifixes were placed on coffins and later given to the deceased's family. Besides the connection of death, the skull symbol had a military use as well. Even nowadays, the skull and crossbones are often used in military insignia, such as in coats of arms of military regiments.

For instance, we can find the skull and sometimes even with crossbones in the stereotypical cartoons. In these cartoons, the pirates are sporting the skull and crossbones' symbol on their hats, flags, or ships. The skull and crossbones symbol was then used as a charge in heraldry on the coat of the 8th-century regiment of Lusitania Cavalry. Later, in the early 17th-century, the skull with crossbones appeared on the "plague panel" from Augsburg. Then, the skull symbol was used as a high voltage sign right from Saudi Arabia. India is another example, where the skull and crossbones were used as a sign warning of high voltage in Mumbai. EU took the skull and the crossbones symbol as a standard toxic symbol, which was then defined by Dangerous Substances Directive. Another example of the skull's popularity and the crossbones sign appears in Poland, where it was mounted on a power box.

The use of Skull Symbol

Concerning the skull symbol as an indicator for the position, it came into use in the nineteenth century. In the 1829s, the New York State required the labeling of chemicals and containers of poisonous substances around the states. The skull and crossbones symbol appeared to have been used mainly for that purpose since the 1850s. Formerly, some of the motifs had been used, such as the Danish three pluses indicated "+ + +" and the skeleton drawings. Later, in the 1870s around the world, poison manufacturers started to use the bottles of bright cobalt along with a wide range of raised designs and bump to enable easy recognition in the dark, hence in that way, they indicated poison. Ten years later, by the 1880s, the skull and crossbones symbol had become ubiquitous. As a result, the brightly colored bottles soon lost their association with poison. As mentioned earlier, the symbol of the skull and crossbones has also entered popular culture mainly in piracy. Hence, once the pirates began to use this symbol on their flags and shops, undoubtedly, the skull symbol became the most well-known icon.

Interestingly, the skull symbol is also viewed as the seat of the spirit, intelligence, and the spark of human life, in philosophy. However, the skull symbol is the remnant of the body, which is thought to be the least resistant to decay. Another sign of the skull icon is its strength as a symbol. Previously, many primitive cultures believed that wearing skulls would ensure their well-being, luck, and protection.

Skull Symbol in keyboard systems

In various keyboards of systems, platforms, and applications, such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Android, WhatsApp, and other applications, you will find this icon <☠ > with different designs. The most widely spread image of the skull symbol is a whitish-gray skull, a cartoon-styled human skull along with its large and black eye sockets. That skull symbol commonly indicates a symbolic death. For instance, it represents dying from extreme laughter, from frustration, or even as a result of affection. The skull symbol is also famous around Halloween celebrations. The symbol of the skull was first approved in 2010. It was as part of "Unicode 6.0", and later in 2015, the skull symbol was added to Emoji 1.0.