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

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

word for skull. The word is often used to denote a figurative, graphic or sculptural symbol, common in Western culture, consisting of the representation of a

human skull The skull, or cranium, is typically a bony enclosure around the brain of a vertebrate. In some fish, and amphibians, the skull is of cartilage. The skull is at the head end of the vertebrate. In the human, the skull comprises two prominen ...

– usually frontal, more rarely in profile with or without the

mandible In jawed vertebrates, the mandible (from the Latin ''mandibula'', 'for chewing'), lower jaw, or jawbone is a bone that makes up the lowerand typically more mobilecomponent of the mouth (the upper jaw being known as the maxilla). The jawbone i ...

. In some cases, other human skeletal parts may be added, often including two crossed long bones (

femur The femur (; : femurs or femora ), or thigh bone is the only long bone, bone in the thigh — the region of the lower limb between the hip and the knee. In many quadrupeds, four-legged animals the femur is the upper bone of the hindleg. The Femo ...

s) depicted below or behind the skull (when it may be referred to in English as a "

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. ...

"). The human skull is an internationally used 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 valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

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, bacteria, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect o ...

. In English, the term ''Totenkopf'' is commonly associated with 19th- and 20th-century German military use, particularly in

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

. The german word for skull without emotional connotation is ''Schädel''.

Naval use

In early modern sea warfare to early modern sea piracy,

buccaneers Buccaneers were a kind of privateer or free sailors, and pirates 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 unti ...

and

pirates 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 valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

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. File:Pirate Flag of Emanuel Wynne.svg , Emanuel Wynne's flag flown in 1700 File:Jolly Roger flag of pirate Bartholomew Roberts (early).svg ,

Bartholomew Roberts Bartholomew Roberts (17 May 1682 – 10 February 1722), born John Roberts, was a Welsh pirate who was, measured by vessels captured, the most successful pirate of the Golden Age of Piracy. During his piratical career, he took over 400 prize shi ...

' flag as described in a report from 1720 File:Flag of Edward England.svg ,

John Taylor John Taylor, Johnny Taylor or similar is the name of: Academics *John Taylor (Oxford), Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, 1486–1487 * John Taylor (classical scholar) (1704–1766), English classical scholar *John Taylor (English publisher) ...

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 Jolly Rog ...

and

Samuel Bellamy Captain Samuel Bellamy ( 23 February 1689 – 26 April 1717), erroneously known as "Black Sam" Bellamy, was an English sailor turned pirate during the early 18th century. He is best known as one of the wealthiest pirates in the Golden Age of Pi ...

's flag as described by eyewitness Thomas Baker (Bellamy's crew) File:Pirate Death's Head Flag.svg ,

Stede Bonnet Stede Bonnet (c. 1688 – 10 December 1718) was an English pirate who was known as the Gentleman Pirate because he was a moderately wealthy landowner before turning to a life of crime. Bonnet was born into a wealthy English family on the is ...

's flag as described in a report from the 1718 Boston News-Letter File:19th century Barbary pirate flag.svg , 19th century

Jolly Roger Jolly Roger was the England, ensign flown by a piracy, pirate ship preceding or during an attack, during the early 18th century (the latter part of the Golden Age of Piracy). The vast majority of such flags flew the motif of a human skull, or � ...

used by

Barbary corsairs The Barbary corsairs, Barbary pirates, Ottoman corsairs, or naval mujahideen (in Muslim sources) were mainly Muslim corsairs and privateers who operated from the largely independent Barbary states. This area was known in Europe as the Barba ...

File:Marine Raiders insignia.svg , Insignia for the

USMC The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...

Marine Raiders The Marine Raiders are special operations forces originally established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II to conduct amphibious warfare, amphibious light infantry warfare. Despite the original intent for Raiders to serve ...

German military

Prussia

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

Frederick the Great Frederick II (; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He was the last Hohenzollern monarch titled ''King in Prussia'', declaring himself ''King of Prussia'' after annexing Royal Prussia ...

, who formed a regiment of

Hussar A hussar, ; ; ; ; . was a member of a class of light cavalry, originally from the Kingdom of Hungary during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely adopted by light cavalry ...

cavalry in the Prussian army 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 The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Related conflicts include King George's War in Nort ...

and in the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

. 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 I and Napoleon's French Emp ...

Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (; 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 the Black Brunswickers agai ...

raised a force of volunteers to fight

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

, 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 (), commonly known as the Black Brunswickers, was a volunteer military unit raised by Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel during the Napoleonic Wars. The Duke was a strong opponent of Napoleon's occ ...

. 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 (; 9 October 1735 – 10 November 1806) was the ruling prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, hereditary duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and a military leader. His titles are usually shortened to Duke of Brunswick in English-l ...

, 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 (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...

and at the

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (then in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium), marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The French Imperial Army (1804–1815), Frenc ...

. 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 Combat Forces)known before October 1916 as (The Imperial German Air Service, lit. "The flying troops of the German Kaiser’s Reich")was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-langu ...

'' 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 are just two of a number of

Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,; ; , ; were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulga ...

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, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...

, most prominently by the ''

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

''. 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 two years of Nazi Germany. 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''. Flag of the Iron Division Freikorps.svg, Flag of the Iron Division Freikorps FreikorpsBerlinStahlhelmM18TuerkischeForm.jpg, Armed Freikorps troops in Berlin in 1919 Garford Putilov in Freikorps use.jpg, A Garford-Putilov Armoured Car used by the ''

'' in 1919 Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H26073, Berlin, Fahne Freikorps Brüssow.jpg, Flag at a meeting of former Brüssow Freikorps members in 1934

Nazi Germany

In the early days of the

Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...

Julius Schreck Julius Schreck (13 July 1898 – 16 May 1936) was a German 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 Party in ...

, the leader of the ''Stabswache'' (

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

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

Schutzstaffel The ''Schutzstaffel'' (; ; SS; also stylised with SS runes as ''ᛋᛋ'') was a major paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe during World War II. It beg ...

'' (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 Uniforms and insignia of the Schut ...

Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and military leader who was the 4th of the (Protection Squadron; SS), a leading member of the Nazi Party, and one of the most powerful p ...

, 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.

SS-Totenkopfverbände (SS-TV; or 'SS Death's Head Battalions') was a major branch of the Nazi Party's paramilitary (SS) organisation. It was responsible for administering the Nazi concentration camps, concentration camps and extermination camps of Nazi Germany ...

'' ('Death's Head Units') was the Schutzstaffel (SS) organization responsible for administering the

Nazi concentration camps From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps (), including subcamp (SS), subcamps on its own territory and in parts of German-occupied Europe. The first camps were established in March 1933 immediately af ...

and

extermination camps Nazi Germany used six extermination camps (), also called death camps (), or killing centers (), in Central Europe, primarily in occupied Poland, during World War II to systematically murder over 2.7 million peoplemostly Jewsin the Holocau ...

for

, among similar duties. While the ''Totenkopf'' was the universal cap badge of the SS, the SS-TV also wore this insignia on the right collar tab to distinguish itself from other SS formations. 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, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

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

3rd SS Panzer Division The 3rd SS Panzer Division "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 "death's head"the skull and crossbones sy ...

of the

Waffen-SS The (; ) was the military branch, combat branch of the Nazi Party's paramilitary ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscr ...

, 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 equ ...

'' 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 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) Bundesarchiv Bild 101III-Mielke-036-23, Waffen-SS, 13. Gebirgs-Div. "Handschar".jpg, Members of SS ''Handschar''; the SS-Totenkopf was printed on their fez cap.

Non-German military

* A

has often been a symbol of pirates, especially in the form of the

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

in one example. * The uniform of the

Spanish Army The Spanish Army () is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest Standing army, active armies – dating back to the late 15th century. The Spanish Army has existed ...

'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 (12 December 1792 – 31 January 1828) was a Greek nationalist politician who was member of a prominent Phanariot Greeks, Phanariot Greek family, a prince of the Danubian Principalities, a senior officer of the Imperial R ...

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 c ...

during the

Wallachian uprising of 1821 The uprising of 1821 was a social and political rebellion in Wallachia, which was at the time a Vassal and tributary states of the Ottoman Empire, tributary state of the Ottoman Empire. It originated as a movement against the Phanariotes, Phana ...

* Armenian fedayis, during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

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 armoured cavalry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed by an amalgamation of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers, 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) and the Queen's Royal Lancers on ...

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 regiments of the British Army, 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 regim ...

, a unit raised in 1759 following

General Wolfe Major general (United Kingdom), Major-general James Wolfe (2 January 1727 – 13 September 1759) was a British Army officer known for his training reforms and, as a Major-general (United Kingdom), major general, remembered chiefly for his vi ...

'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'' (Death Hussars) was formed during the French Revolution by the

French National Assembly The National Assembly (, ) is the lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral French Parliament under the French Fifth Republic, Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (France), Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known ...

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 Kingdom of France (1791–92), France during the French Revolutionary Wars, Revolutionary Wars that followed the French Revolution. The battl ...

and its members also participated in the

Battle of Fleurus (1794) The Battle of Fleurus was fought on 26 June 1794 during the War of the First Coalition between the French Revolutionary Army under Jean-Baptiste Jourdan and an Habsburg monarchy, Austro-Dutch Republic, Dutch army commanded by Prince Josias of ...

. 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 western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

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

Hussars A hussar, ; ; ; ; . was a member of a class of light cavalry, originally from the Kingdom of Hungary during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely adopted by light cavalry ...

of death"). It is still used by the

Chilean Army The Chilean Army () is the land arm of the Chilean Armed Forces. This 80,000-person army (9,200 of which are conscripts) is organized into six divisions, an army aviation brigade and a special operations brigade. In recent years, and after sever ...

'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 (, ) was a French revolutionary government that seized power in Paris on 18 March 1871 and controlled parts of the city until 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard (France), Nation ...

, 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, is a Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic country by both area ...

'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, a ramus of '' Olea europaea'', is a symbol of peace. It is generally associated with the customs of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, and is connected with supplication to divine beings and persons in power. Likewise, it is f ...

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 1 ...

. * Serbian

Chetniks The Chetniks,, ; formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland; and informally colloquially the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationalist m ...

wore a death's head emblem in several conflicts:

guerrilla Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, Partisan (military), partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include Children in the military, recruite ...

Old Serbia Old Serbia () 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 Serbian Empire in 1346–71. The term does ...

, First and Second Balkan Wars,

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

(both defense and resistance) and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. * Some Macedonian-Bulgarian

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

that were members of the

Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; ; ), was a secret revolutionary society founded in the Ottoman territories in Europe, that operated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Founded in 1893 in Salonica, it initia ...

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

qama Khanjali (Georgian: ხანჯალი) also known as a kindjal, is a double-edged dagger used in the Caucasus. The shape of the weapon is similar to that of the ancient Roman ''gladius'', the Scottish dirk and the ancient Greek xiphos. Inh ...

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

Macedonian Struggle The Macedonian Struggle was a series of social, political, cultural and military conflicts that were mainly fought between Greek and Bulgarian subjects who lived in Ottoman Macedonia between 1893 and 1912. From 1904 to 1908 the conflict was p ...

(

Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising The Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising (), consisting of the Ilinden Uprising (; ) and Preobrazhenie Uprising,Keith Brown (2013). Loyal Unto Death Trust and Terror in Revolutionary Macedonia. Indiana University Press. pp. 15-18. . was an organi ...

, the

Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans, Balkan states in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan states of Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg), Greece, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Montenegro, M ...

, during the interwar period in Macedonia,

Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" () has been its colloq ...

, 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 son Steryu Gulev. * The Italian elite storm-troopers of the

Arditi Arditi (from the Italian verb ''ardire'', '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 s ...

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 (; ), abbreviated to (), also known as the Southern White Army was a White Army active in South Russia during the Russian Civil War from 1917 to 1920. The Volunteer Army fought against Bolsheviks and the Makhnovists on the ...

during the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

. Also a death's head emblem was depicted on 17th Don Cossack regiment and Mariupol 4th Hussar regiment badges of

Russian Imperial Army The Imperial Russian Army () was the army of the Russian Empire, active from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was organized into a standing army and a state militia. The standing army consisted of Regular army, regular troops and ...

. * The Estonian Kuperjanov's Partisan Battalion 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 the Ukrainian People's Republic). The conflict had its roots in ...

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

Black Brigades The Auxiliary Corps of the Black Shirts' Action Squads (), most widely known as the Black Brigades (), was one of the Fascist paramilitary groups, organized and run by the Republican Fascist Party (''Partito Fascista Repubblicano'', PFR) operat ...

and numerous other forces fighting for the

Italian Social Republic The Italian Social Republic (, ; RSI; , ), known prior to December 1943 as the National Republican State of Italy (; SNRI), but more popularly known as the Republic of Salò (, ), was a List of World War II puppet states#Germany, German puppe ...

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

United States Marine Corps Reconnaissance Battalions A United States Marine Corps Reconnaissance Battalion (or commonly called Marine Division Recon) is a reconnaissance unit within the Ground Combat Element (GCE) of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) that conducts amphibious reconnaissance ...

use the skull-and-crossbones symbol in their emblem. * The No. 100 Squadron RAF (

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

) 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 "Battalion of Special Police Operations") is the tactical police unit and gendarmerie of the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro State (''PMERJ'') in Brazil. Duties The BOP ...

, 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. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

'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. The United States Cavalry was formally created by an act of United States Congress, Congress on 3 August 1861 and ceased as a dist ...

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. *A version of the Punisher skull symbol has been used by U.S. military personnel since the

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

. * Members of the

Azov Regiment The 12th Special Forces Brigade "Azov" () is a formation of the National Guard of Ukraine formerly based in Mariupol, in the coastal region of the Sea of Azov, from which it derives its name. It was founded in May 2014 as the Azov Battalion (), ...

of the Ukrainian National Guard have used the totenkopf. * 72nd Mechanized Brigade of Ukrainian Ground Forces have a skull in their emblem. *The skull and

crosshair A reticle or reticule, also known as a graticule or crosshair, is a pattern of fine lines or markings built into the eyepiece of an optical device such as a telescopic sight, spotting scope, theodolite, optical microscope or the screen of ...

were the main symbol of the

Wagner Group The Wagner Group (), officially known as PMC Wagner (, ), is a Russian state-funded private military company (PMC) controlled 2023 Wagner Group plane crash, until 2023 by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a former close ally of Russia's president Vladimir Pu ...

until it was merged with the

Rosgvardiya The Federal Service of Troops of National Guard of the Russian Federation (), officially known as the (),#Official website, Official website is a federal executive body which is responsible for law enforcement, internal security, counter-terro ...

Gallery

Flags

Doliente de Hidalgo.png, Flag used from 1811 to 1812 by ''Regimiento de la muerte'' (Death Regiment) after Hidalgo's death in the Independence War Flag of Quiroga 1.svg, One of the flags used by

Argentine Argentines, Argentinians or Argentineans are people from Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their ...

caudillo A ''caudillo'' ( , ; , from Latin language, Latin , diminutive of ''caput'' "head") is a type of Personalist dictatorship, personalist leader wielding military and political power. There is no precise English translation for the term, though it ...

Facundo Quiroga Juan Facundo Quiroga (27 November 1788 – 16 February 1835) was an Argentine caudillo (military strongman) who supported federalism at the time when the country was still in formation. Early years Quiroga was born in San Antonio, La Rioja ...

, "Rn.o M." means "Religion or Death" (1825-1834) File:Bandera de Ramón Cabrera.svg, Spanish Carlist flag (1838) Philippine revolution flag llanera.png, Flag used by Filipino revolutionary general Mariano Llanera (1896–1899) Banner of russian death unit.jpg, Banner of one of Russian "Death Units", formed in Eastern Front in 1917 Anarkistimatruuseja.jpg, Sailors of the ''Petropavlovsk'' in Helsinki, before the

Finnish Civil War The Finnish Civil War was a civil war in Finland in 1918 fought for the leadership and control of the country between Whites (Finland), White Finland and the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic (Red Finland) during the country's transition fr ...

(Summer 1917); Flag calls for "death to the

bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie ( , ) are a class of business owners, merchants and wealthy people, in general, which emerged in the Late Middle Ages, originally as a "middle class" between the peasantry and aristocracy. They are traditionally contrasted wi ...

", the flag was later used during the Kronstadt uprising and the occupation of Naissaar Island. File:Kornilovzy.jpg, Kornilov's Shock Detachment flag bearer and honor guard (1917) File:II Szwadron Śmierci 1920.jpg, Polish Voluntary II Death Squad in Lviv, Ukraine (1920) Anarchy flag in Hulyaipole Museum.jpg, Flag used by Svyryd Kotsur's Dnipro Division, with the slogan "Death to all who stand in the way of freedom for the working people" (1920) Arditi del Popolo Flag.svg, Reconstruction of the insignia used by the

Arditi del Popolo The ''Arditi del Popolo'' () was an Italian militant anti-fascist group founded at the end of June 1921 to resist the rise of Benito Mussolini's National Fascist Party and the violence of the Blackshirts (''squadristi'') paramilitaries.

(1921–1924) Sandinoflagusmc.jpg, A flag captured by U.S. marines from Sandino's forces in 1932

Other

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:17th Lancers - cap badge, original, antique.jpg, Cap badge of the British

File:Knoe04 59.jpg, Swedish hussars in 1761 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: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 * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

''Death Hussar Divisions'', 1920 (

Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (14 February 1919 – 18 March 1921) was fought primarily between the Second Polish Republic and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, following World War I and the Russian Revolution. After the collapse ...

). Croix de Feu.svg, Early symbol of the Fire Cross League File:Kevyt osasto 4 kypärä.JPG, Helmet of a Finnish ''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 () is a battalion of the Estonian Land Forces. It is a part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade (Estonia), 2nd Infantry Brigade. Battalion headquarters is at Taara Army Base, Võru. History Estonian War of Independence ...

File:Peacekeepermissileuniform.jpg, Stylized Totenkopf on

shoulder sleeve insignia Shoulder sleeve insignia (SSI) are distinctive cloth patches worn on the left sleeve of the United States Army uniform just below the shoulder seam by soldiers assigned to divisions, corps, armies, and other specifically authorized orga ...

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 th ...

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 The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...

(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 ma ...

(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 United States Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main funct ...

(2012) File:Syrian Republican Guard SSI.svg, Insignia of the Syrian Republican Guard (2021)

Police use

*The uniform of the

Ordnungspolizei The ''Ordnungspolizei'' (''Orpo'', , meaning "Order Police") were the uniformed police force in Nazi Germany from 1936 to 1945. The Orpo was absorbed into the Nazi monopoly of power after regional police jurisdiction was removed in favour of t ...

-- Nazi Germany's uniformed

police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...

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 Schutzstaffel, SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. Established in 1931, the SD was the first Nazi intelligence ...

SD with skull emblem. * "

" variations of the totenkopf appear on police vehicles. * Challenge coins as used by the Firearms Training Team for the

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

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 The "thin blue line" is a term that typically refers to the concept of the police as the line between law-and-order and chaos in society. The "blue" in "thin blue line" refers to the blue color of the uniforms of many police departments. The ...

" variation of the

skull used on police vehicles in

Solvay, New York Solvay is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village located in the town of Geddes, New York, Geddes, Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York (state), New York, United States, and a suburb of the city of Syracuse, New Yor ...

(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 * * *

Other uses

* International

hazard symbol Hazard symbols are universally recognized Symbol, symbols designed to alert individuals to the presence of Hazard, hazardous or dangerous materials, locations, or conditions. These include risks associated with Electromagnetic field, electromag ...

to indicate poisonous substances * 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 had 160 confi ...

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

Wolfenstein ''Wolfenstein'' is a series of alternate history 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. Earlie ...

'' series, is named after the symbol * 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. However, after the other members left, in 1984 and 1985, to work on other projects, ...

* The phrase "never lose your smile" is sometimes used in social media posts as a way of subtly expressing Nazi sympathies, particularly in countries where open promotion of Nazism is illegal. The phrase refers to the totenkopf skull, which, in some versions of the symbol, appears to be smiling. As the phrase also has innocuous meanings, its use by neo-Nazis is an example of a dogwhistle that relies on

plausible deniability Plausible deniability is the ability of people, typically senior officials in a formal or informal chain of command, to deny knowledge or responsibility for actions committed by or on behalf of members of their organizational hierarchy. They may ...

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, massacres, or enforced disappearances as part of political repression, genocide, ethnic cleansing, or revolutionary terror. Except in rare cases in w ...

is called ''Todesschwadron'', not ''Totenschwadron''. It would be a

logical fallacy In logic and philosophy, a formal fallacy is a pattern of reasoning rendered invalid by a flaw in its logical structure. Propositional logic, for example, is concerned with the meanings of sentences and the relationships between them. It focuses ...

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 throughout Africa and in Europe, the latter t ...

, 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, * Adrian Ruda
Der Totenkopf als Motiv. Eine historisch-kulturanthropologische Analyse zwischen Militär und Moden (The Skull as Motif: A Historical-Cultural Anthropological Analysis between Military and Fashion)
Böhlau, Köln 2023, {{ISBN, 978-3-412-52890-4. Symbols Military insignia Military heraldry Nazi symbolism Fascist symbols Heraldic charges Memento mori