What's with all the skulls?

[willowstreetguzziguy]

Maybe I'm missing something... been seeing a lot of SKULL images everywhere. No cross bones, just the skull. Not just on Harley apparel, but the skull image on T-shirts that people are wearing, on the back of pick up trucks, tattoos, on flags flying, etc. With so many out there, there must be some meaning behind it. Can someone explain it?

[MotoG5]

Maybe I'm missing something... been seeing a lot of SKULL images everywhere. No cross bones, just the skull. Not just on Harley apparel, but the skull image on T-shirts that people are wearing, on the back of pick up trucks, tattoos, on flags flying, etc. With so many out there, there must be some meaning behind it. Can someone explain it?

I dont think that anyone could answer that question for every case. It is a symbol that covers a veritable universe of meanings. You would have to ask each person displaying the skull in what ever context what it means to them. I am sure for many its just an art form they find satisfying for many reasons. For others like military units its a message to their opposition. At Halloween its a traditional costume. Other uses are as a warning for poisons or danger. Take your pick but one thing its not is some sort of all inclusive movement that I can see.

[Shorty]

Who doesn't like a little skull on occasion...?    

[MotoG5]

Who doesn't like a little skull on occasion...?    

 

[Turin]

I'd guess pirate envy.

[RinkRat II]

 Possibly the most common skull out there is from the Marvel series The Punisher. Kind of a cult thing adopted by a lot of people including some U.S. military squads in the middle east.
          https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=Marvel%27s+The+Punisher

       Paul B

[bad Chad]

Agreed, and what’s with “the salt life!”

I see it on mini vans in the Midwest for gods sake!

[Knuckle Dragger]

Isn't it a Hispano-Catholic symbol of reverence to one's dead rellies & forebears?

As in All-Hallows E'en, Day-of-the Dead

It's a common-enough & recurrent if not ubiquitous symbol appearing all over the Latin world.

[Blaufeld66]

Bikers often use skulls/skeletons/coffins as a way to say "Yes, we know Death awits us, but we are not afraid of it."

[Perazzimx14]

Bikers often use skulls/skeletons/coffins as a way to say "Yes, we know Death awits us, but we are not afraid of it."

I thought it was becasue they drank Skull vodka/cranberry spritzers so they wouldn't get UTI's. Learn something new everyday.

[larrys]

 Harley gear with skulls on it is not really complete unless it has flames on it, too. Jes' sayin'...
Larry

[rocker59]

Maybe I'm missing something... been seeing a lot of SKULL images everywhere. No cross bones, just the skull. Not just on Harley apparel, but the skull image on T-shirts that people are wearing, on the back of pick up trucks, tattoos, on flags flying, etc. With so many out there, there must be some meaning behind it. Can someone explain it?

This one is quite popular:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punisher

[rocker59]

Then there are these:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_skull

[JJ]

Giving the current situation around the world...it all boils down to two (2) words:

  MOMENTO MORI!!

"Everybody dies...but not everyone LIVES!!" -

 so stop worrying / hand-wringing and LIVE you life NOW...and to the fullest!


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[rocker59]

Everyone is into skulls...

https://skulljewelry.com/products/keith-richards-skull-ring?variant=869650289

[rocker59]

Isn't it a Hispano-Catholic symbol of reverence to one's dead rellies & forebears?

As in All-Hallows E'en, Day-of-the Dead & similar occult/ish celebrations of the Christ cult?

It's a common-enough & recurrent if not ubiquitous symbol appearing all over the Latin world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Souls%27_Day

[Shorty]

Agreed, and what’s with “the salt life!”

I see it on mini vans in the Midwest for gods sake!

Salt Life is just the modern version of  "Life's a Beach."  Those minivans obviously made it to Galveston or Gulfport at least once.  Mine made it as far as Appalachicola...      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7KshbDpAgI

[Lannis]

Bikers often use skulls/skeletons/coffins as a way to say "Yes, we know Death awits us, but we are not afraid of it."

From the guys I see wearing them, it's a way to say "Death awaits, and I'm very afraid of it."

Nothing says "fake tough guy" like a skull mask.

Lannis

[bad Chad]

Salt Life is just the modern version of  "Life's a Beach."  Those minivans obviously made it to Galveston or Gulfport at least once.  Mine made it as far as Appalachicola...      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7KshbDpAgI

Unfortunately is more than that.

Salt Life is a way of life and dress brand for individuals who adore surfing, boarding, and all things shoreline and wave related. The term “salt life” means a kind of boho beach lifestyle, now it's also a company that promotes it.

[Lannis]

Giving the current situation around the world...it all boils down to two (2) words:

  MOMENTO MORI!!

"Everybody dies...but not everyone LIVES!!" -

 so stop worrying / hand-wringing and LIVE you life NOW...and to the fullest!

You'll never get the spell right like that.... It's

MORS MORDRE!

Lannis

[cliffrod]

A pretty quick way to thin out the Skull/Death fashion statement & lifestyle crowd stuff is to seriously discuss what kind of headstone the person wants when they know that I carve headstones for a living.    Even better, suggest they come by and see the latest stone(s) I'm doing.  Most will quickly backtrack or take the discussion in another direction.  Put a real "tombstone" in front of them and they're done.  Talk and cartoon stuff is one thing.  Dead is dead.

I would like to carve a big perfect piece of Quartz Crystal, skull or not, and have a few other skull-carving concepts that will probably never get done.  It's probably the most clearly understood icon of human mortality because it cannot be seen and experienced in a tactile manner as a bare skull until life has passed.  Most people never get to handle a real human skull.  When they do, interpreting it as a representation of the life that no longer inhabits it is hard to avoid.

[rocker59]

Unfortunately is more than that.

Salt Life is a way of life and dress brand for individuals who adore surfing, boarding, and all things shoreline and wave related. The term “salt life” means a kind of boho beach lifestyle, now it's also a company that promotes it.

As usual, Urban Dictionary knocks it out of the park!  LOL!:

Salt Life


1) Originally a sticker on the back of cars used to denote a surfer, bodyboarder, or general beach bum whose life centered around the ocean or related beach going activities. Ever seen a 32 year old man whose primary activity was surfing and working on his tan? That person would have a salt life sticker.

Unfortunately the trend spread to senior citizens, wanna be hipsters, soccer moms, and other persons wishing to inform the world that yes, they too have visited the beach at some point in life and they have the sticker to prove it.

Dude: "Check out this wicked Salt Life sticker I just got for the back of my car!"

Me: "That's really lame dude. My Grandma has one of those on the back of her wheelchair and aren't you afraid of the ocean ever since you got raped by that dolphin?"

Dude: "I don't want to talk about it."

2) A company that makes stickers and shirts originally, primarily only used by white trash but has since spread to be seen on the back of every soccer mom van, drunken redneck driving with a beer or anybody else in Florida that wants to show off the idea that they once visited a beach. Makes you look trashy, says "my primary interest in life is working on my tan and getting drunk at the beach."

"Hey Joe, look at the salt life sticker on the back of that 2015 dodge ram. I bet that guy's a cool dude."

"HQ, i'm going to have a drunk driver in front of me, subject has a saltlife sticker, a pair of Oakley's and a dodge ram"


https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Salt%20Life

[Two Checks]

Quote from: Shorty on February 27, 2020, 08:53:55 PM

Who doesn't like a little skull on occasion...?   

"We'll keep an eye out for ya....."

For the longest time I would see those Salt Life stickers and they look like it read something else...I still think that when I see them especially judging by some of the drivers.

[Lannis]

Unfortunately is more than that.

Salt Life is a way of life and dress brand for individuals who adore surfing, boarding, and all things shoreline and wave related. The term “salt life” means a kind of boho beach lifestyle, now it's also a company that promotes it.

Isn't it just the new version of the "parrothead" trend?   Jimmy Buffett has his own Sirius XM channel, for heaven's sake ....

Lannis

[sidmonsters]

I find this kind of stuff really interesting, to the point that my curiosity spurs me to eventually just ask the wearers (of the shirt, tattoo,whatever).  I've found that if I show sincere curiosity and approach them when they don't have a bunch of others around (so they don't need to "front"), I get a sincere answer.  Most of the time, it really is just an "I dunno...just think they look cool" kind of answer, at which point I just agree and say thanks.  I figure them wearing the symbols front and center should lead them to expect some questions, right?  And when there is some real symbolism to it that they take the time to explain, that's really cool to engage.   That said, I'm not asking serious gangsta- looking individuals what the spiderwebs up the neck and teardrop tattoos signify either...not that curious.  (And don't want to be memorialized by a teardrop tattoo )
Steve

[Lannis]

I find this kind of stuff really interesting, to the point that my curiosity spurs me to eventually just ask the wearers (of the shirt, tattoo,whatever).  I've found that if I show sincere curiosity and approach them when they don't have a bunch of others around (so they don't need to "front"), I get a sincere answer.  Most of the time, it really is just an "I dunno...just think they look cool" kind of answer, at which point I just agree and say thanks.  I figure them wearing the symbols front and center should lead them to expect some questions, right? 

Now that you mention it, I've done the same.  You figure if someone's wearing a badge or Tshirt or sticker, it might be meaningful.

But often it's just "I don't know, my niece gave it to me for my birthday and I just wear it ...."

Lannis

[Perazzimx14]

Those with hypertension should avoid the salt life.

[JJ]

You'll never get the spell right like that.... It's

MORS MORDRE!

Lannis

WTF?!? - - - Could this just be more evidence of...."Thread DRIFT?!?" 

[oldbike54]

 Meh , skulls , bell bottoms , mullets , beards , buzz cuts , suits , tie dye , HD riders , sport bikers , mutton chops sideburns , black leather jackets , doo rags , you name it , all just some goofy fashion statement that means nothing .


                                                                 Come on warm weather .


  Dusty

[Ncdan]

The symbol of the skull or skull and crossbones has a history of hundreds of years in diverse applications from warnings of danger to club symbols and today many military based symbols. To a lot of folks when adults wear them on their cut of sleeve jean jackets over their black leather jackets is seems a little childish to say the least. That being said to put the entire concept in a negative light is also a little over the top. I personally would not approach a special forces member and bad mouth his skull tattoo, you may end up having a bad day!