ChristStory Easter Basket

SKULL & CROSSBONES

Golgotha

The human skull and crossbones seem a rather odd Easter symbol. Its use in Christian art stems from the biblical passion story. Jesus, bearing His cross, was led to a small hill called Golgotha, which is Hebrew for "Place of a Skull." There He was crucified between two thieves (Mt 27:32-44; Mk 15:22-23; John 19:17-18). Christian legend states that Golgotha was Adam's grave and the cross was set on top of his skull and bones so that the blood of Christ might flow down upon them cleansing his descendants from original sin. The skull resting below the cross also represents the belief that Christ was victorious over death.

Skulls, especially when pictured with scourges are attributes of penitent saints such as St. Francis of Assisi, St. Jerome, and St. Mary Magdalene. In pictures of saints and hermits, skulls represent the rejection of vain living and the holy contemplation of mortality. The morbidity of these thoughts may be tempered by a cross being placed near the skull to symbolize the saint's meditations upon the eternal life to be enjoyed in the company of our Lord and God.

The familiar skull and crossbones sign has long been used to warn the unwary of poison and other dangers which, if ignored, could lead to death. It was also a favorite symbol on Christian graves to show a joyous liberation from the flesh and to serve as a warning to sinners of the vanity and brevity of earthly life.

The Danse Macabre (French for Dance of Death) was a very popular image during the days of the great European plagues. In these pictures, people both rich and poor, young and old, great and small, were forced to dance by skeletons, showing that no one is immune to the great equalizer, Death. In northern Peru, dancing skeletons played flutes and other instruments to represent the kingdom of the dead.

The personification of Death is also known as the Great Reaper and may be portrayed as a skeleton holding a scythe with which to reap souls and an hourglass to indicate that life on earth passes swiftly. In Christian art, skeletons rising from their graves or coffins remind us of the dead rising to join in the Last Judgment where they will receive either eternal life or eternal death.

All these memento mori (reminders of death) were to show people the vanity of worldly living. The pursuit of youth, sinful pleasures, wealth, beauty, and all the vain exaltations of this world were proven by the use of the skull and crossbones to come to naught. The flesh was mortal. Therefore, only spiritual treasures ought to be sought (Mt 6:19-21; 13:44-46; 19:21; Mk 10:21; Lk 12:33-34; 18:22-30).

The skull, since it survives the dissolution of the body, was believed by primitive peoples to contain the life force of the dead. The result of this belief was skull worship or the collecting of skulls from people and animals with the thought that one might thereby acquire their power and skills. Like ashes, the skull was the concentrated remains of the dead. It, like the head, was believed to be the "seat of thought." Some people believed the vault of heaven was a great skull. Other non-Christian uses of the skeleton were to show the emergence of the familiar "skeleton in the closet" or family secret and to show the rising of the evil "undead" such as vampires.

All scripture quotes are from the NKJV Bible.