Images of the skull in art

[SergeiSK]

do not know whether it was written in the previous communications of this topic, do not read all the pages, but then found an article:

After the Second World entrenching the perception that the emblem of a skull and crossbones - attributes SS troops. Indeed, in their battle hymn has the words: "We are always ready for battle, if we are called to battle runes and death's head" on their helmets and caps they had the proper image, and one of the divisions had a similar name.
But the history of this logo is much longer, and only the Nazis, it became a symbol of terror, but before that it was not true. The fact that in many ancient cultures skull and bones symbol of the capacity for recovery, strength of spirit and vitality, were considered the embodiment of valor, sacrifice for the country and faith in victory, as well as protection of their ancestors.
Recall, for example, that the Slavic god Yarila portrayed with the ears in the right arm and a dead head - in the left, that is no accident. Russian Knight An overshoot in the famous battle on the field Kulikovo went to fight with Chelubeem without armor, clothing, marked by a dead head (then it was called Adam).
And the ancient god Thor, according to legend, had a ring of pure silver in a wreath of oak leaves, which were broken swastika, dead head and runic inscriptions. Furthermore, when the bath killed one of the characters Edda, Mimira and sent to the gods of his head, then one has kept its charms, and even has the ability to speak, and then consulted when necessary. And the antique gems often found the image of bearded head, rising from the earth and something broadcast bent shape.
AS Pushkin in "Mistress into Maid" mentions: "He wore a black ring with a death's head" Ruslan "arrange" meet and dialogue with her. Death's head found in Russian fairy tales, such as Eruslane Lazarevich. And in the Melanesian tale hero, lost, falls into the cabin, where two corpses, taking their skulls, washes them, and then they tell him the path.
At the funeral of the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm I to the Knights' hall of the palace was draped with banners embroidered with silver thread skull (but without the lower jaw) and cross-bones, and then to the memory of the deceased were formed two regiments of a Hussar, wearing the same emblem. Later, she appeared in the attributes of other military units.
During the First World War, Totenkopf, ie Death's Head, was the emblem of Germany's elite units of the army, it is chosen for a pilot of the German Luftwaffe ace Georg von Hantelman. And chevron Women's Death Battalion under the command of the St. George Cross Maria Botchkareva were decorated with "death's head", as well as shoulder straps impact marine battalion of death. In the Bulgarian Order of Courage "at that time was even degree:" With the skull.
In the Civil War it was used on signs and banners Kornilov regiment of General Krasnov, in 1923, appeared in the Attribution of Nazi storm troopers, and then, in 1934, appeared on the standard armored forces and in the same year - on their helmets and caps SS, as well as on the uniforms of the national militia fighters, the city police and the Coast Guard Danzig.
In addition, Himmler established the premium ring to the SS, decorated, according to the legendary Ring of Odin, runes, oak leaves and dead head, which is not a state award, nevertheless highly valued. They were given until 1944, and during that time was given to about 14,500 copies.
But in other countries, this symbol was used. And if his presence in uniform bodyguard Mussolini could be explained by solidarity with the ideology of German fascism, this argument is completely applicable to the British submariners, a Polish tank crews, the Finnish cavalrymen, the French police with security matters, as well as a number of American units of special designation etc. .
Valentina Ponomareva