The skull and crossbones were meant to symbolize "momenti mori", or "remember death". In an earlier age of our history, when life was much more precarious that it is today, one's mortality, and the need to be prepared to "meet thy maker" was often forefront on our ancestor's minds. As an example, a poem often inscribed on stones from the 19th century read: Remember man as you walk by As you are now, so once was I As I am now, so you shall be So be prepared to follow me Ellis Michaels Co-coordinator Pennsylvania USGenWeb Tombstone Project [email protected] > [Original Message] > From: <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Date: 6/10/2008 9:35:26 AM > Subject: Re: [PAWESTMO] tombstone carver James Gemmell > > > In a message dated 6/9/2008 8:27:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, > [email protected] writes: > > just learned another interesting thing. He carved skull and crossbones on > some of the tombstones that look like they were later chiseled off. > > > I hope this will come through okay. > Quote: > > Skull and or Skull/ Crossed Bones - Death. > > Unquote. > It was on a site that discussed symbols on tombstones. > It seems so obvious the person is dead, why the heck would they need a > symbol to prove it? Maybe just the carver's sense of the macabre. > > Shirley Maynard > > > > **************Vote for your city's best dining and nightlife. City's Best > 2008. (http://citysbest.aol.com?ncid=aolacg00050000000102) > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message