Skull and crossbones: Difference between revisions
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==Symbol for poisonous substances== |
==Symbol for poisonous substances== |
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Revision as of 00:17, 26 February 2022
| ☠ | |
|---|---|
Skull and crossbones | |
| In Unicode | U+2620 ☠ SKULL AND CROSSBONES |
| Related | |
| See also | U+2623 ☣ BIOHAZARD SIGN U+2622 ☢ RADIOACTIVE SIGN |
A skull and crossbones is a symbol consisting of a human skull and two long bones crossed together under or behind the skull.[1] The design originated in the Late Middle Ages as a symbol of death and especially as a memento mori on tombstones.
In modern contexts, it is generally used as a hazard symbol that warns of danger, usually in regard to poisonous substances, such as deadly chemicals.[1]
It is also associated with piracy and software piracy, due to its historical use in some Jolly Roger flags.
Military use
The skull and bones are often used in military insignia, such as the coats of arms of regiments.[2][3][4][5][6]
Symbol for poisonous substances
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (February 2022) |
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.[7] 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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
Gallery
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A skull and crossbone arrangement in the Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic. -
Skull and crossbones as a charge in heraldry on the coat of the 8th Lusitania Cavalry Regiment -
An early 17th-century "plague panel" from Augsburg -
High voltage sign from Saudi Arabia -
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A typical Jolly Roger ensign
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See also
- Danse Macabre – Artistic motif on the universality of death
- Death's Head – Fictional character in Marvel Comics
- Hazard symbol – Warning symbol on locations or products
- Human skull symbolism – Attachment of symbolic meaning
- Mr. Yuk – Label that indicates poisonous material
- Ossuary – Container for dead remains
- Skull art – Use of skulls and skeletons in art
- Skull and Bones – Secret society at Yale University, US
- Totenkopf – German symbol for skull and crossbones
References
- ^ a b "Dictionary and Thesaurus". Merriam-webster.com.
- ^ "WEARING THE SKULL AND CROSSBONES WITH PRIDE". The British Army.
- ^ Thomas, Nigel (2012). The German Army in World War I (1): 1914–15. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781780965512.
- ^ Colburn's United Service Magazine and Naval and Military Journal, Volumen 32. National Library of the Netherlands. 1867. p. 321.
- ^ Hølscher, Joost (2013). Death's Head - Volumen 1 de The History of Uniform. Editions Chamerelle. p. 33. ISBN 9789082032604.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Griffenhagen, George B.; Bogard, Mary (19 November 1999). History of Drug Containers and Their Labels. Amer. Inst. History of Pharmacy. ISBN 9780931292262. Retrieved 19 November 2017 – via Google Books.
External links
Media related to Skull and crossbones at Wikimedia Commons
