The Origin of the Symbol of the Death's Head?

Question

I am very interested in symbols and there origin. One that has fascinated me is the Nazi SS Death's head symbol. I can find plenty abou the SS but I want only to know about were the Nazis came up with the Death Head symbol. How old is that symbol and what are its pre-nazi origin and how has it evolved.

Answer 1

I pulled this off wikipedia. Pretty interesting. Good question!

Use of the symbol as a military insignia began with the cavalry of the Prussian army under Frederick the Great. Frederick formed Husaren-Regiment Nr.5 (von Ruesch), a Hussar regiment commanded by Colonel von Ruesch. These Hussars adopted a black uniform with a Totenkopf emblazoned on the front of their Mirletons and wore it on the field in the War of Austrian Succession and in the Seven Years' War.

Hussar from Husaren-Regiment Nr.5 (von Ruesch) in 1744 with the Totenkopf on the ShakoIn 1808, when the regiment was reformed into Leib-Husaren Regiments Nr.1 and Nr.2, the Totenkopf remained a part of the uniform.

During the Napoleonic Wars, when Frederick Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg was killed in battle, his troops changed the colour of their uniforms to black, with a Totenkopf on their Shakos in mourning their dead leader (Other sources claim that the "Black Brunswickers" were so equipped while Friedrich Wilhelm of Brunswick lived, as a sign of revenge on the French [1]).


August von Mackensen, German field marshall.The death's head continued to be used throughout the Prussian and Brunswick Armed forces until 1918.

The Totenkopf was used in Germany throughout the inter-war period, most prominently by the Freikorps. In 1933 it was in use by the regimental staff and the 1st, 5th, and 11th squadrons of the Reichswehr's 5th Cavalry Regiment.

The WW II era Luftwaffe's 54th Bomber Wing (Kampfgeschwader 54) was known officially by the name "Totenkopf", using virtually the same graphic skull-crossbones insignia as the SS units of the same name.


[edit] SS Usage
In the early days of the NSDAP, Julius Schreck, the leader of the Stabswache (Adolf Hitler's bodyguard unit), adopted the Totenkopf for his unit. This later grew into the Schutzstaffel (SS), which continued to use the Totenkopf as insignia throughout their brief history. As they had done with the Swastika, the Nazis simply adopted the Totenkopf from the historical tradition and used it for their own purposes, leaving it marked with a stigma that has continued to the present.


[edit] Use outside Germany
The Kingdom of Sweden's Hussar Regiments wore it in the Prussian Style on the front of the Mirleton.
The Russian Kornilov regiment adopted it in 1917.

Regimental cap badge of the Queen's Royal LancersThe British Army's Queen's Royal Lancers continue to use the skull and crossbones in their emblem, inherited from its use by the 17th Light Dragoons - a unit raised in 1759 following General Wolfe's death in Quebec, with an emblem of a death's head and the words 'Or Glory' chosen in commemoration of him. [2]
Death In June, an experimental musical group, use a modified version of a totenkopf as a sort of logo, flanked by the number 6 since 1982. Although the particular version used by Death In June is a modified, faintly grinning version of the SS insignia, Pearce has stated the symbolism is clear: "The Totenkopf for Death, and the six for the sixth month - June." The totenkopf-6 appears on numerous articles of merchandise and many things relating to Death In June.
Marilyn Manson used this symbol on clothing during the Golden Age of Grotesque era in a parodying manner.
Although not exactly a Totenkopf per se, the Chilean guerrilla leader, Manuel Rodriguez used the symbol on his elite forces called "Husares de la muerte" (Hussars of death).

Answer 2

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The cross is a remembrance of the lifeblood that was poured out for you. It has been proven that a cross was the implement of death, yet the disciples also venerated it's meaning in their lives. A "staros", is a pole that a cross-bar is attached to . The Romans were masters at keeping their victims alive as long as possible. Jesus was spared having His legs broken because of the closeness to the passover, and because He expired from the beating He endured for you before the leg-breaking was implemented. The cross was no more than 6 to 8 feet off the ground, to accommodate lifting the crossbar into the cross-notch. The victim's ankles were nailed into the sides of the bottom of the beam, otherwise the body would have pitched forward, and out, and caused an earlier death. It has been proven that an upright pole, with the victims hands over his head, as depicted in your magazines, would have caused the victim to suffocate within 15 or 20 minutes, because of the inability to draw his breath. Also, your magazines falsely show a clean, and barely bleeding Jesus, in order to diminish His suffering in the eyes of your Watchtower Worshipers. Back to the cross; There was a small seat, or a foot-bar that the victims of the cross had to stand, or position themselves on to stay alive as long as possible..that is why the legs of the others were broken, because they would not be able to stand any longer, and they would die quickly, so they could be removed so as not to leave their bodies on the crosses during the Passover. Didn't you know that, oh wise one? The upright pole described by JW's is more of a phallic symbol that the cross, as they were called "sacred poles", and your inference of the "pagan" origins are confused with mythology, not the Roman methodology of torture. That "dead guy" was raised bodily on the third day, and reigns in full power over the earth, and all of the heavens. The Cross, is a symbol of Life for Christians, but a symbol of repugnance for the uneducated. Please don't attack Christians for your anger against your father, and the false security Jehovah's Witnesses give you. Don't trust in men, start praying from your heart.

Answer 3

i know a lot of their symbols came from ancient Indian texts
but this one was probably just made up cause it looked evil
like the jolly roger on pirate ships
I could be wrong though
actually, I think the jolly roger actually had more of a meaning to it too, and it supposedly wasn't just used on pirate ships at first

Answer 4

Totenkopf Meaning

Answer 5

The link below will show you the whole page of the info above.

Answer 6

Excuse me - Skull and Bones for a symbol, how original. Shall we discuss pirates in 18th century, Shakespeare (Hamlet) in 16-17th century ... what is more obvious than a skull and skeletal bones for death??

Answer 7

All I know is that it is called the totenkopf.