Our fascination with the mystery of death makes it impossible to remain indifferent at the sight of a human skull. Although dead, the easily recognizable human features remind us unmistakably of our own mortality.
Skull bracelet at Santa Muerte
The mysterious image of the skull is deeply engraved in the minds of people and cultures around the world. As such, it is a symbol of consciousness, life and death, time, piracy, adventure, rebellion and freedom, mystery, alchemy, and immortality.
Our fascination with the mystery of death makes it impossible to remain indifferent at the sight of a skull.
Although dead, the easily recognizable human features remind us unmistakably of our own mortality.
The mysterious image of the skull is deeply engraved in the minds of people and cultures around the world. As such, it is a symbol of consciousness, life and death, time, piracy, adventure, rebellion and freedom, mystery, alchemy, and immortality.
Symbol of our own awareness of the elusive concept of time and mortality, the skull is at the same time a symbol of the quest for life.
In alchemical transcriptions, the skull serves as a symbol of the worthless remains in the quest for immortality. It embodies the human spirit, which attempts to break the boundaries of its own consciousness and mortality.
The most famous skull symbolism in history is found in Shakespeare's play "Hamlet," in the scene where Hamlet finds the skull of Yorick, his old friend.
Hamlet refers to the skull as a symbol of despair, mortality, and inevitable end. However, it is also a symbol of immortality, life beyond death, and the mystery of the infinite realms of reality and secrets beyond our human perception.
Skull bracelets by Santa Muerte
As evidenced by Hamlet's words to his friend: "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy".
It was in Shakespeare's time, under the reign of the red-haired Queen Elizabeth, that the skull ring made its appearance.
Usually devoid of its lower jaw, the skull ring marked the prodigals, immoral behaviors, bawds, and prostitutes.
The symbol became known as the "skull" worn by the "rakes" (short for rakehell-"hellraiser"), men who spent most of their time drinking, chasing women, usually prodigals spending their inherited money on "wine, women, and song...".
Thus, in this way, the skull ring came to signify
the rebellious spirit, outsiders, and the "black sheep".
And let's not forget the symbol of the skull and crossbones
The notorious symbol of piracy. Its origin can be traced back to the order of the Templars.
The Templars used the skull symbol to indicate that they possessed the relics of Christian saints.
As they used the emblem of the skull and crossbones on their ships while engaging in acts of piracy, it became the famous emblem of pirates.
When they were accused of heresy, their order was dismantled, and they were persecuted in the 14th century, the symbol also became a sign of rebellion.
The pirate skull was associated with ruthlessness and despair. Their use of death imagery symbolized the challenge to the natural order of things or simply chaos and anarchy.
The combination of the skull with the image of a bleeding heart and the winged hourglass on the pirate's black emblem, combined three meanings - death, violence, and limited time - indicating the dangers of the journey and the sailor's experience.
For many cultures, such as the ancient Mayans, the human skull represented life, as can still be seen today in the Day of the Dead in Mexico.
In different cultures, the skull is also a symbol of triumph over enemies or a symbol of power when one has the ability to take life.
The symbol of the skull and serpent is also a powerful image that incorporates the skull as a symbol of both death and knowledge or human consciousness. The serpent was borrowed from ancient Greece as a symbol of knowledge and immortality, as it sheds its skin and "is reborn" again. The serpent symbolizes esoteric knowledge that exists beyond our own mortality.
The skull is a powerful symbol and a powerful reminder with layers and layers of hidden meanings from the cradle of the human race. A symbol of mortality, the passage of time, encouraging us to "seize the day," or perhaps a symbol of rebellion, freedom, or courage in the face of our own mortality.