Unique Serving Platter

When most of us think of skull and crossbones, we envision the symbol consisting of a human skull and two bones crossed together either behind or under the skull. It is generally used in warning labels on poisonous substances, with the crossbones behind the skull. Traditionally the crossbones behind the skull indicate poison while the crossbones under the skull indicate pirates or piracy, such as featured on the Jolly Roger, one of the many flags of European and American pirates. Historically, actual skulls and bones were long used to mark the entrances to Spanish cemeteries for many centuries eventually leading the symbol to its association with the concept of death. Today, the skull and crossbones is used by many groups and societies, like the British Army, the United States Marine Corps, the Skull and Crossbones Society, as well as Kappa Sigma, Sigma Phi Epsilon, and Phi Kappa Sigma fraternities.

The Skull and Crossbones Society is one of the oldest of Yale University’s secret societies and by far the most secretive. The society has long been an inspiration for speculation and imagination, as members were sworn to secrecy and were to remain tight lipped about essentially trivial secrets. The group fastened a picture of its symbol to the door of the chapel on campus where the group met, “a cold looking nearly windowless Greco-Egyptian building with padlocked iron doors.” According to www.skullandcrossbones.org, generations of Bush men, as in George W. and George H., attended Yale and were all “Bonesmen” during their time at the university. Many other significant, historical public figures, also attended Yale and were members of the secret Skull and Crossbones Society.

So there you have it, a short synopsis of the skull and crossbones symbol. Now the next time you see a Jolly Roger or pirate toys, you’ll dig this article out of your short term memory and display your knowledge to anyone that will listen! The skull and crossbones is still in use today as the only standard symbol for poison, but this may change due to its association with popular pirate toys that attract unknowing children to it’s dangers. For the most part, the skull and crossbones is a just a symbol, aside from its pirate popularity, that will continue on to mystify several generations to come. It glows in the dark at Halloween on costumes and flags alike, in addition to gracing the bow of an occasional ship passing.

The book of the dead is actually a term that refers to two books. One of them is a Tibetan Book of the Dead, the other is an Egyptian one. Of the two, for some reason, the Egyptian one is far more popular among fans of world religions. I think it probably have to do that the Tibetan religion is still around, while the Egyptian religion has not been practiced for centuries. This makes it ancient and mysterious, and indeed there are many mysteries about the ancient Egyptians. There are things that we still do not know about the construction of their pyramids, or the way that they embalmed their dead. We do not know what lies beneath the earth under the Sphinx, as Egypt will not let scientists go under there no matter how many times that they ask. Given all of this mystery, it is no wonder that the Egyptian Book of the Dead is an object of so much fascination.

There actually is a lot that is known about the Egyptian Book of the Dead, in spite of all of the mysteries about ancient Nile delta civilization. The fact is that historians basically know what it is about, and anyone with an internet connection can easily get a copy any time that they want to. It is basically a record of what happens after the body dies, and a collection of prayers for the recently deceased. It is believed that the Book of the Dead would be chanted over the body of anyone who had enough money to hire the requisite priests for several days to help the deceased to reach a good afterlife. It must have been impressive to hear that chanting, for days on end, in a room filled with flickering candles and a pickled corpse. It is a rather unappetizing, yet oddly captivating image.

It is images like the chanting of the Book of the Dead that help to explain why it is that ancient Egyptian civilization is so popular. Really, you can see it almost everywhere. People will get tattoos of ancient Egyptian gods, shirts with pictures of the masks of pharaohs, and all other types of Egyptian paraphernalia. I am sure there are many people who own copies of the Book of the Dead just to make their coffee tables look cool. But if you are a mythology buff, the Book of the Dead has more to offer than just ambiance.