''Totenkopf'' (, i.e. ''skull'', literally "dead person's head") is the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

word for the

skull and crossbones A skull and crossbones is a symbol consisting of a human skull and two long bones crossed together under or behind the skull. The design originated in the Late Middle Ages as a symbol of death and especially as a ''memento mori'' on tombstones. ...

symbol. The "skull and crossbones" symbol is an old international symbol for death, the defiance of death, danger, or the dead, as well as

piracy Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

toxicity Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a subst ...

. It consists usually of the

human skull The skull is a bone protective cavity for the brain. The skull is composed of four types of bone i.e., cranial bones, facial bones, ear ossicles and hyoid bone. However two parts are more prominent: the cranium and the mandible. In humans, the ...

with or without the

mandible In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower tooth, teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movabl ...

and often includes two crossed long-bones (

femur The femur (; ), or thigh bone, is the proximal bone of the hindlimb in tetrapod vertebrates. The head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone forming the hip joint, while the distal part of the femur articulates with ...

s), most often depicted with the crossbones being ''behind'' some part of the skull. In English, the term ''Totenkopf'' is commonly associated with 19th- and 20th-century German military use, particularly in

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

Naval use

In early modern sea warfare,

buccaneers Buccaneers were a kind of privateers or free sailors particular to the Caribbean Sea during the 17th and 18th centuries. First established on northern Hispaniola as early as 1625, their heyday was from the Restoration in 1660 until about 1688, ...

used the totenkopf as a pirate flag: a skull or other skeletal parts as a death threat and as a demand to hand over a ship. The symbol continues to be used by modern navies. Image: Pirate Flag of Rack Rackham.svg , Calico Jack Rackham's flag Image: Pirate Flag of Emanuel Wynne.svg , Emanuel Wynne's flag Image: Pirate Flag of Stede Bonnet.svg ,

Stede Bonnet Stede Bonnet (1688 – 10 December 1718) was an early 18th-century English/Barbadian pirate, also known as the Gentleman Pirate for the reason that he was a moderately wealthy landowner before turning to a life of crime. Bonnet was born in ...

's flag Image: Pirate_Death's_Head_Flag.svg , Depiction of Stede Bonnet's flag as described in a report from the 1718 Boston News-Letter Image: Flag of Edward England.svg ,

Edward England Edward England ( –1721) was an Irish pirate. The ships he sailed on included the ''Pearl'' (which he renamed ''The Royal James'') and later the ''Fancy'', for which England exchanged the ''Pearl'' in 1720. His flag was the classic Joll ...

's flag Image: Marine_Raiders_insignia.svg , Insignia for the

USMC The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...

Marine Raiders The Marine Raiders are special operations forces originally established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II to conduct amphibious light infantry warfare. " Edson's" Raiders of 1st Marine Raider Battalion and " Carlson's" Ra ...

German military

Prussia

Use of the ''Totenkopf'' as a military emblem began under

Frederick the Great Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...

, who formed a regiment of

Hussar A hussar ( , ; hu, huszár, pl, husarz, sh, husar / ) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely ...

cavalry in the

Prussian army The Royal Prussian Army (1701–1919, german: Königlich Preußische Armee) served as the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It became vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power. The Prussian Army had its roots in the co ...

commanded by Colonel von Ruesch, the Husaren-Regiment Nr. 5 (von Ruesch). It adopted a black uniform with a ''Totenkopf'' emblazoned on the front of its mirlitons and wore it on the field in the

War of Austrian Succession War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

and in the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754� ...

. The ''Totenkopf'' remained a part of the uniform when the regiment was reformed into Leib-Husaren Regiments Nr.1 and Nr.2 in 1808.

Brunswick

In 1809, during the

War of the Fifth Coalition The War of the Fifth Coalition was a European conflict in 1809 that was part of the Napoleonic Wars and the Coalition Wars. The main conflict took place in central Europe between the Austrian Empire of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, Francis ...

Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (german: Friedrich Wilhelm; 9 October 1771 – 16 June 1815), was a German prince and Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Oels. Nicknamed "The Black Duke", he was a military officer who led th ...

raised a force of volunteers to fight

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, who had conquered the Duke's lands. The Brunswick corps was provided with black uniforms, giving rise to their nickname, the

Black Brunswickers The Brunswick Ducal Field-Corps (german: Herzoglich Braunschweigisches Feldcorps), commonly known as the Black Brunswickers in English and the ''Schwarze Schar'' (Black Troop, Black Horde, or Black Host) or ''Schwarze Legion'' (Black Legion) in G ...

. Both hussar cavalry and infantry in the force wore a ''Totenkopf'' badge, either in mourning for the duke's father,

Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Charles William Ferdinand (german: Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand; 9 October 1735 – 10 November 1806) was the Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and a military leader. His titles are usually shortened to Duke of Brunswic ...

, who had been killed at the

Battle of Jena–Auerstedt The twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt (; older spelling: ''Auerstädt'') were fought on 14 October 1806 on the plateau west of the river Saale in today's Germany, between the forces of Napoleon I of France and Frederick William III of Pruss ...

in 1806, or according to some sources, as a sign of revenge against the French. After fighting their way through Germany, the Black Brunswickers entered British service and fought with them in the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

and at the

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armie ...

. The Brunswick corps was eventually incorporated into the Prussian Army in 1866.

German Empire

The skull continued to be used by the Prussian and Brunswick armed forces until 1918, and some of the stormtroopers that led the last German offensives on the Western Front in 1918 used skull badges. ''

Luftstreitkräfte The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Force)—known before October 1916 as (Flyer Troops)—was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-language sources it is usually referred to as the Imperial German Air Service, alt ...

'' fighter pilots

Georg von Hantelmann Leutnant Georg von Hantelmann (9 October 1898 – 7 September 1924) was a German fighter ace credited with winning 25 victories during World War I. It was notable that these victories included three opposing aces shot down within the same week in ...

and

Kurt Adolf Monnington Leutnant Kurt Adolf Monnington (1891–1939) was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. Biography Kurt Adolf Monnington was born on 29 September 1891 in Hamburg, the German Empire.Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...

military pilots who used the ''Totenkopf'' as their personal aircraft insignia.

Weimar Republic

The ''Totenkopf'' was used in Germany throughout the

interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the World War I, First World War to the beginning of the World War II, Second World War. The in ...

, most prominently by the ''

Freikorps (, "Free Corps" or "Volunteer Corps") were irregular German and other European military volunteer units, or paramilitary, that existed from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. They effectively fought as mercenary or private armies, regar ...

''. In 1933, it was in use by the regimental staff and the 1st, 5th, and 11th squadrons of the ''

Reichswehr ''Reichswehr'' () was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first years of the Third Reich. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshaped ...

''s 5th Cavalry Regiment as a continuation of a tradition from the ''Kaiserreich''.

Nazi Germany

In the early days of the

Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...

Julius Schreck Julius Schreck (13 July 1898 – 16 May 1936) was an early senior Nazi official and close confidant of Adolf Hitler. Born in Munich, Schreck served in World War I and shortly afterwards joined right-wing paramilitary units. He joined the Nazi ...

, the leader of the ''Stabswache'' (

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

's bodyguard unit), resurrected the use of the ''Totenkopf'' as the unit's insignia. This unit grew into the ''

Schutzstaffel The ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS; also stylized as ''ᛋᛋ'' with Armanen runes; ; "Protection Squadron") was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe d ...

'' (SS), which continued to use the ''Totenkopf'' as insignia throughout its history. According to a writing by

Reichsführer-SS (, ) was a special title and rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945 for the commander of the (SS). ''Reichsführer-SS'' was a title from 1925 to 1933, and from 1934 to 1945 it was the highest rank of the SS. The longest-servi ...

Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...

, the ''Totenkopf'' had the following meaning:

The ''Skull'' is the reminder that you shall always be willing to put your self at stake for the life of the whole community.

The ''Totenkopf'' was also used as the unit insignia of the ''Panzer'' forces of the German ''Heer'' (Army), and also by the ''Panzer'' units of the

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

, including those of the elite Fallschirm-Panzer Division 1 Hermann Göring. Both the

3rd SS Panzer Division The 3rd SS Panzer Division "Totenkopf" (german: 3. SS-Panzerdivision "Totenkopf") was an elite division of the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II, formed from the Standarten of the SS-TV. Its name, ''Totenkopf'', is German for "de ...

of the

Waffen-SS The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscripts from both occup ...

, and the World War II era Luftwaffe's 54th Bomber Wing ''

Kampfgeschwader 54 ''Kampfgeschwader'' 54 "Totenkopf" (, KG 54) was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II. It served on nearly all the fronts in the European Theatre where the German Luftwaffe operated. KG 54 was formed in May 1939. The bomber wing was equi ...

'' were given the unit name "''Totenkopf''", and used a strikingly similar-looking graphic skull-crossbones insignia as the SS units of the same name. The 3rd SS Panzer Division also had skull patches on their uniform collars instead of the SS sieg rune. SS_Totenkopf_1923-34.gif, The first version of the SS-Totenkopf; used from 1923 to 1934 SS-Totenkopf.svg, The second version of the SS-Totenkopf; used from 1934 to 1945 Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-405-0593-36, Flugzeug Junkers Ju 88.jpg, Junkers Ju 88 of ''

'' (KG 54) in France, November 1940 KG54 Totenkopf.svg, The "standalone" version of the WW II Luftwaffe KG 54 wing's ''dead's head'' unit insignia Panzer Totenkopf.jpg, German Panzer ''totenkopf'' German SS uniform. Peaked visor cap with skull emblem (Totenkopf). Norwegian Armed Forces Museum (Forsvarsmuseet) Oslo, Norway 2019-03-31 DSC01647.jpg, German SS uniform. Peaked visor cap with skull emblem (Totenkopf)

Non-German military

2-6th cavalry commando - new guinea - beer

* A skull and crossbones has often been a symbol of pirates, especially in the form of the

Jolly Roger Jolly Roger is the traditional English name for the flags flown to identify a pirate ship preceding or during an attack, during the early 18th century (the later part of the Golden Age of Piracy). The flag most commonly identified as the Jolly ...

, but usually having the crossbones ''below'' the skull's lower mandibile (if present) rather than behind it, as used by pirate

Samuel Bellamy Captain Samuel Bellamy ( c. 23 February, 1689 – 26 April 1717), later known as "Black Sam" Bellamy, was an English sailor, turned pirate, who operated in the early 18th century. He is best known as the wealthiest pirate in recorded history, an ...

in one example. * The uniform of the

Spanish Army The Spanish Army ( es, Ejército de Tierra, lit=Land Army) is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies — dating back to the late 15th century. The ...

's Lusitania Dragoon Regiment during part of the 18th century included three skull and crossbones in the cuffs, and in 1902 the skull and crossbones insignia was authorized again to replace the regiment number on the sides of the collar. * It was used as the emblem on the uniforms of Greek revolutionaries of

Alexander Ypsilantis Alexandros Ypsilantis ( el, Αλέξανδρος Υψηλάντης, Aléxandros Ypsilántis, ; ro, Alexandru Ipsilanti; russian: Александр Константинович Ипсиланти, Aleksandr Konstantinovich Ipsilanti; 12 Dece ...

Sacred Band (1821) The Sacred Band (Greek: ) was a military force founded by Alexander Ypsilantis at the beginning of the Greek War of Independence, in the middle of March 1821 in Wallachia, now part of Romania. It was formed by volunteers students of the Greek ...

during the

Wallachian uprising of 1821 The uprising of 1821 was a social and political rebellion in Wallachia, which was at the time a tributary state of the Ottoman Empire. It originated as a movement against the Phanariote administration, with backing from the more conservative bo ...

* Armenian fedayis, during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

against the Ottoman Empire, used a skull with two bolt rifles under the words "revenge revenge" in their flags. * The British Army's

Royal Lancers The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths' Own) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed by an amalgamation of 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) and the Queen's Royal Lancers on 2 May 2015. It serves as the Formatio ...

continue to use the skull and crossbones in their emblem, inherited from its use by the

17th Lancers The 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1759 and notable for its participation in the Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War. The regiment was amalgamated with the 21st Lanc ...

, a unit raised in 1759 following

General Wolfe James Wolfe (2 January 1727 – 13 September 1759) was a British Army officer known for his training reforms and, as a major general, remembered chiefly for his victory in 1759 over the French at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in Quebec. ...

's death in Quebec. The emblem contains an image of a death's head, and the words 'Or Glory', chosen in commemoration of Wolfe. * In 1792, a regiment of ''

Hussards de la Mort The Hussards de la Mort or Death Hussars were a French light cavalry company formed during the French Revolution. History On June 12, 1792 a squadron was created by the French Assembly formed from 200 volunteers. In July, Kellermann organize ...

'' (Death Hussars) was formed during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

by the

French National Assembly The National Assembly (french: link=no, italics=set, Assemblée nationale; ) is the lower house of the bicameral French Parliament under the Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known a ...

and were organized and named by Kellerman. The group of 200 volunteers were from wealthy families and their horses were supplied from the King's Stables. They were formed to defend against various other European states in the wake of the revolution. They participated in the

Battle of Valmy The Battle of Valmy, also known as the Cannonade of Valmy, was the first major victory by the army of France during the Revolutionary Wars that followed the French Revolution. The battle took place on 20 September 1792 as Prussian troops comm ...

and its members also participated in the

Battle of Fleurus (1794) The Battle of Fleurus, on 26 June 1794, was an engagement during the War of the First Coalition, between the army of the First French Republic, under General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, and the Coalition Army (Britain, Hanover, Dutch Republic, and H ...

. They had the following mottos: , and – Victory or death; Freedom or death; and Live free or die. * Although not exactly a ''Totenkopf'' per se, the

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

an guerrilla leader Manuel Rodríguez used the symbol on his elite forces called ("

Hussars A hussar ( , ; hu, huszár, pl, husarz, sh, husar / ) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely ...

of death"). It is still used by the

Chilean Army The Chilean Army ( es, Ejército de Chile) is the land arm of the Military of Chile. This 80,000-person army (9,200 of which are conscripts) is organized into six divisions, a special operations brigade and an air brigade. In recent years, and a ...

's 3rd Cavalry Regiment. * The primarily Prussian 41st Regiment New York Volunteer Infantry (mustered on 6 June 1861; mustered out 9 December 1865) wore a skull insignia. * The ''Vengeurs de la Mort'' ("death avengers"), an irregular unit of

Commune de Paris The Paris Commune (french: Commune de Paris, ) was a revolutionary government that seized power in Paris, the capital of France, from 18 March to 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard had defended ...

, 1871. * The Portuguese Army Police 2nd Lancers Regiment use a skull-and-crossbones image in their emblem, similar to the one used by the Queen's Royal Lancers. * The

Kingdom of Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...

's Hussar Regiments wore a death's head emblem in the Prussian Style on the front of the mirleton. * Ramón Cabrera's regiment adopted in 1838 a skull with crossbones flanked by an

olive branch The olive branch is a symbol of peace and victory associated with customs of ancient Greece and connected with supplication to gods and persons in power. It is found in most cultures of the Mediterranean basin and became associated with peace ...

and a sword on a black flag during the Spanish

Carlist Wars The Carlist Wars () were a series of civil wars that took place in Spain during the 19th century. The contenders fought over claims to the throne, although some political differences also existed. Several times during the period from 1833 to 187 ...

. * Serbian

Chetniks The Chetniks ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Четници, Četnici, ; sl, Četniki), formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland and the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationa ...

wore a death's head emblem in several conflicts: guerrilla in

Old Serbia Old Serbia ( sr, Стара Србија, Stara Srbija) is a Serbian historiographical term that is used to describe the territory that according to the dominant school of Serbian historiography in the late 19th century formed the core of the ...

, First and Second Balkan Wars,

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

(both defense and resistance) and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. * Some Macedonian-Bulgarian

komitas Soghomon Soghomonian, ordained and commonly known as Komitas, ( hy, Կոմիտաս; 22 October 1935) was an Armenian priest, musicologist, composer, arranger, singer, and choirmaster, who is considered the founder of the Armenian national scho ...

that were members of the

Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; bg, Вътрешна Македонска Революционна Организация (ВМРО), translit=Vatrešna Makedonska Revoljucionna Organizacija (VMRO); mk, Внатр� ...

wore a death's head emblem, usually with crossed revolver and

qama The qama ( fa, قمه, ady, къамэ , ce, шаьлта, ka, ხანჯალი ) is a short Caucasian dagger. It has a long, wide double-edged blade and is native to the North Caucasus. The qama was also traditionally carried by the Cossac ...

below the skull and crossbones (similar to the Serbian ones) throughout the existence of the organization in several conflicts:

Macedonian Struggle The Macedonian Struggle ( bg, Македонска борба; el, Μακεδονικός Αγώνας; mk, Борба за Македонија; sr, Борба за Македонију; tr, Makedonya Mücadelesi) was a series of social, po ...

(

Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising The Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising, or simply the Ilinden Uprising of August–October 1903 ( bg, Илинденско-Преображенско въстание, Ilindensko-Preobrazhensko vastanie; mk, Илинденско востание, ...

, the

Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...

, during the interwar period in Macedonia,

Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...

, and in

. The most prominent example being

Pitu Guli Pitu Guli (; 1865–1903) was an Aromanian revolutionary in Ottoman Macedonia, a local leader of what is commonly referred to as the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO).Brown, K. (2003) ''The Past in Question: Modern Mace ...

who wears one in his only known photo, and his so
Steryu Gulev
* The Italian elite storm-troopers of the

Arditi Arditi (from the Italian verb ''ardire'', lit. "to dare", and translates as "The Daring nes) was the name adopted by a Royal Italian Army elite special force of World War I. They and the opposing German '' Stormtroopers'' were the first modern ...

used a skull with a dagger between its teeth as a symbol during World War I. Various versions of skulls were also later used by the Italian Fascists. * The Russian Kornilov's Shock Detachment ( 8th Army) adopted a death's head emblem in 1917. Then after World War I, the unit became Kornilov's Shock Regiment as a part of the White Russian

Volunteer Army The Volunteer Army (russian: Добровольческая армия, translit=Dobrovolcheskaya armiya, abbreviated to russian: Добрармия, translit=Dobrarmiya) was a White Army active in South Russia during the Russian Civil War from ...

during the

Russian Civil War , date = October Revolution, 7 November 1917 – Yakut revolt, 16 June 1923{{Efn, The main phase ended on 25 October 1922. Revolt against the Bolsheviks continued Basmachi movement, in Central Asia and Tungus Republic, the Far East th ...

. * The Estonian

Kuperjanov's Partisan Battalion The Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion ( et, Kuperjanovi jalaväepataljon) is a battalion of the Estonian Land Forces. It is a part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade. Battalion headquarters is at Taara Army Base, Võru. History Estonian War of Independenc ...

used the skull-and-crossbones as their insignia (since 1918); the Infantry Battalion continues to use the skull and crossbones as their insignia today. * Two Polish small cavalry units used death's head emblem during

Polish–Ukrainian War The Polish–Ukrainian War, from November 1918 to July 1919, was a conflict between the Second Polish Republic and Ukrainian forces (both the West Ukrainian People's Republic and Ukrainian People's Republic). The conflict had its roots in ethn ...

and Polish–Soviet War – (also known as i.e. ''Death Hussars'') and . * During 1943–1945 the Italian

Black Brigades The ''Corpo Ausiliario delle Squadre d'azione di Camicie Nere'' (Italian: Auxiliary Corps of the Black Shirts' Action Squads), most widely known as the Black Brigades ( it, Brigate Nere), was one of the Fascist paramilitary groups, organized ...

and numerous other forces fighting for the

Italian Social Republic The Italian Social Republic ( it, Repubblica Sociale Italiana, ; RSI), known as the National Republican State of Italy ( it, Stato Nazionale Repubblicano d'Italia, SNRI) prior to December 1943 but more popularly known as the Republic of Salò ...

wore various versions of skulls on their uniforms, berets, and caps. * The

United States Marine Corps Reconnaissance Battalions The United States Marine Corps Reconnaissance Battalions (or commonly called Marine Division Recon) are the Special Operations Capable reconnaissance assets of Marine Air-Ground Task Force that provide division-level ground and amphibious re ...

use the skull-and-crossbones symbol in their emblem. * The

No. 100 Squadron RAF Number 100 Squadron is a former Royal Air Force squadron. It last operated the British Aerospace Hawk T1, providing 'aggressor' aircraft for air combat training from RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire, UK. History First World War No. 100 was est ...

(

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

) continue to use a flag depicting a skull and crossbones, supposedly in reference to a flag stolen from a French brothel in 1918. * The

Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais (BOPE) (; literally "Special Police Operations Battalion") or BOPE is the police tactical unit and gendarmerie of the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro State (''PMERJ'') in Brazil. Due to the nature ...

, a special unit within the military police of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, uses the skull emblem to differentiate their team from the regular units. *

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

's 3rd Infantry Division (백골부대) have a skull-and-crossbones in their emblem. * Many

United States Cavalry The United States Cavalry, or U.S. Cavalry, was the designation of the mounted force of the United States Army by an act of Congress on 3 August 1861.Price (1883) p. 103, 104 This act converted the U.S. Army's two regiments of dragoons, one ...

reconnaissance troops or squadrons utilize a skull insignia, often wearing the traditional Stetson hat, and backed by either crossed cavalry sabers, crossed rifles, or some other variation, as an unofficial unit logo. These logos are incorporated into troop T-shirts, challenge coins, or other items designed to enhance morale and esprit de corps. File:Hussard de la mort.JPG, A French (1792) File:Alexander2.jpg,

, founder of the military force The Sacred Band, shown wearing the fighting force's uniform, complete with mandible-less totenkopf. (1821) File:Bandera de Ramón Cabrera.svg, Spanish Carlist flag (1838) File:17th Lancers - cap badge, original, antique.jpg, Cap badge of the British

File:Knoe04 59.jpg, Swedish hussars in 1761 File:Kornilovzy.jpg, Kornilov's Shock Detachment flag bearer and honor guard (1917) File:Odznaka Góra Stracenia (SF).jpg, Pin worn by veterans of the Battle of Lwów. The G.S. stands for Góra Stracenia (Execution Mount) (1918) File:II Szwadron Śmierci 1920.jpg, Polish Voluntary II Death Squad in Lviv, Ukraine (1920) File:Odznaka Dywizjonu Huzarów Śmierci wz. 1920 - replika.jpg, The "death's head" was the insignia of

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

''Death Hussar Divisions'', 1920 (

Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (Polish–Bolshevik War, Polish–Soviet War, Polish–Russian War 1919–1921) * russian: Советско-польская война (''Sovetsko-polskaya voyna'', Soviet-Polish War), Польский фронт (' ...

) File:Kevyt osasto 4 kypärä.JPG, Helmet of a

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

''Light detachment 4'' (

) in skeletal paint scheme. File:Insignia of the Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion.svg, Insignia of the Estonian

Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion The Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion ( et, Kuperjanovi jalaväepataljon) is a battalion of the Estonian Land Forces. It is a part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade. Battalion headquarters is at Taara Army Base, Võru. History Estonian War of Independenc ...

File:Peacekeepermissileuniform.jpg, Stylized Totenkopf on

shoulder sleeve insignia A shoulder sleeve insignia (often abbreviated SSI) is an embroidered patch worn on some uniforms of the United States Army. It is used by major formations of the U.S. Army; each formation has a unique formation patch. The U.S. Army is unique amon ...

of the United States Air Force

400th Missile Squadron The 400th Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 90th Operations Group at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, where it was inactivated in 2005. The squadron was first activated as the 1 ...

uniform sometime between 1995 and 2005 File:Deuce_Four_Skull2.jpg, United States Army’s 24th Infantry Regiment's "Deuce four skull" symbol used to mark buildings where enemy combatants had been killed in Iraq as part of

Operation Iraqi Freedom {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...

(2004) File:United_States_Navy_SEALs_81.jpg, Totenkopf inspired patch depicting

Punisher The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher made ...

(Marvel character) skull symbol, without optional leg bones, worn by

US Navy SEALs The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sma ...

(2012) File:Syrian Republican Guard SSI.svg, Insignia of the

Syrian Republican Guard The Syrian Republican Guard ( ar, الْحَرَسُ الْجُمْهُورِيُّ, ''al-Ḥaras al-Jumhūriyy''), also known as the Presidential Guard, is an elite 25,000 man mechanized division, although it may actually approach corps size wi ...

(2021)

Police use

*The uniform of the

Ordnungspolizei The ''Ordnungspolizei'' (), abbreviated ''Orpo'', meaning "Order Police", were the uniformed police force in Nazi Germany from 1936 to 1945. The Orpo organisation was absorbed into the Nazi monopoly on power after regional police jurisdiction w ...

-- Nazi Germany's uniformed

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

could feature the totenkopf. Peaked visor cap of the

Sicherheitsdienst ' (, ''Security Service''), full title ' (Security Service of the ''Reichsführer-SS''), or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. Established in 1931, the SD was the first Nazi intelligence organization ...

SD with skull emblem. * "

" variations of the totenkopf appear on police vehicles. *

Challenge coins A challenge coin is a small coin or medallion, bearing an organization's insignia or emblem and carried by the organization's members. Traditionally, they might be given to prove membership when asked and to enhance morale. They are also colle ...

as used by the Firearms Training Team for the

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

police force. File:WW2 in Norway. German Police uniform. Peaked visor cap of the Sicherheitsdienst SD (Schutzstaffel, SS) with skull emblem (Totenkopf) Norwegian Armed Forces Museum (Forsvarsmuseet) Oslo, Norway 2020-02-24 2912.jpg, Peaked visor cap of the

SD with skull emblem. Norwegian Armed Forces Museum, Oslo, Norway.(1936) File:Solvay NY totenkopf decal on police vehicle.jpg, "Thin blue line" variation of the totenkopf used on police vehicles in

Solvay, New York Solvay is a village located in the town of Geddes, Onondaga County, New York, United States, and a suburb of the city of Syracuse. According to the 2010 census, the village had a total population of 6,584. The village is named after the Solvay ...

.(2017) File:CMF Blindados 1.jpg,

Armored personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

used by the

(BOPE). According to the official BOPE website, the logo represents victory over death. (2018) File:Calgary police totenkopf challenge coin.jpg, Challenge coin used by the Firearms Training branch of the Calgary Police Service. (2020) File:Nnpf pin.png

Commercial use

* Craft International logo, military training company founded by

Chris Kyle Christopher Scott Kyle (April 8, 1974 – February 2, 2013) was a United States Navy SEAL sniper. He served four tours in the Iraq War and was awarded several commendations for acts of heroism and meritorious service in combat. He has over 150 c ...

* Wilhelm "Deathshead" Strasse, a major antagonist in the ''

Wolfenstein ''Wolfenstein'' is a series of World War II video games originally developed by Muse Software. The majority of the games follow William "B.J." Blazkowicz, an American Army captain and his fight against the Axis powers. Earlier titles are center ...

'' series * Sometimes placed within a circle next to a 6 to represent

Death in June Death in June are a neofolk group led by English musician Douglas P. (Douglas Pearce). The band was originally formed in the United Kingdom in 1981 as a trio, but after the other members left in 1984 and 1985 to work on other projects, the gro ...

Other uses

In the United States, the skull & crossbones symbol has often been used to indicate a poisonous substance.

Etymology

''Toten-Kopf'' translates literally to "Dead's Head", meaning exactly "dead person's head". Semantically, it refers to a skull, literally a ''Schädel''. As a term, ''Totenkopf'' connotes the human skull as a symbol, typically one with crossed thigh bones as part of a grouping. The common translation of "Totenkopf" as ''death's head'' is incorrect; it would be ''Todeskopf'', but no such word is in use -- the English term

death squad A death squad is an armed group whose primary activity is carrying out extrajudicial killings or forced disappearances as part of political repression, genocide, ethnic cleansing, or revolutionary terror. Except in rare cases in which they are ...

is called ''Todesschwadron'', not ''Totenschwadron''. It would be a logical fallacy to conclude that usage varies only because of the German naming of the

death's-head hawkmoth The name death's-head hawkmoth refers to any of three moth species of the genus ''Acherontia'' (''Acherontia atropos'', '' Acherontia styx'' and '' Acherontia lachesis''). The former species is found in Europe and throughout Africa, the latter ...

, which is called ''skull hawkmoth'' (''Totenkopfschwärmer'') in German, in the same way that it would be a fallacy to conclude that the German word for ''night candle'' (i.e. ''Nachtkerze'') would mean ''

willowherb Willowherbs are annual or perennial herbaceous plants in the flowering plant family Onagraceae. Willowherb may refer to: * A species of willowherb in the genus ''Epilobium'' * A species of willowherb in the genus ''Chamaenerion ''Chamaenerion'' ...

'', just because the willowherb hawkmoth (''Proserpinus proserpina'') is called ''night candle hawkmoth'' ('' Nachtkerzenschwärmer'', ''Proserpinus proserpina'' ) in German. Contemporary German language meaning of the word ''Totenkopf'' has not changed for at least two centuries. For example, the German poet

Clemens Brentano Clemens Wenzeslaus Brentano (also Klemens; pseudonym: Clemens Maria Brentano ; ; 9 September 1778 – 28 July 1842) was a German poet and novelist, and a major figure of German Romanticism. He was the uncle, via his brother Christian, of Franz a ...

(1778–1842) wrote in the story ''"Baron Hüpfenstich"'':
"Lauter Totenbeine und Totenköpfe, die standen oben herum ..."Clemens Brentano: Baron Hüpfenstich - Chapter 2
(Projekt Gutenberg-DE) (i.e. "A lot of bones and skulls, they were placed above ...").

References

Bibliography

* Klaus D. Patzwall: Der SS-Totenkopfring. 5th edition: Patzwall, Melbeck 2010, . * Joost Hølscher (Author, Illustrator): Death's Head, The History of the Military Skull & Crossbones Badge (The History of Uniform). 1st edition: Éditions Chamerelle 2013, {{ISBN, 978-90-820326-0-4 Symbols Military insignia Military heraldry Nazi symbolism Fascist symbols Heraldic charges