Comments on: The Original Skull & Crossbones? https://mechtraveller.com/2016/12/original-skull-crossbones/ Mechanically-minded travel Tue, 14 Feb 2023 08:32:10 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Alastair https://mechtraveller.com/2016/12/original-skull-crossbones/#comment-20094 Tue, 14 Feb 2023 08:32:10 +0000 http://mechtraveller.com/?p=1995#comment-20094 In reply to JC.

Thanks JC. Very interesting! 🙂

]]> By: JC https://mechtraveller.com/2016/12/original-skull-crossbones/#comment-20086 Mon, 13 Feb 2023 19:47:29 +0000 http://mechtraveller.com/?p=1995#comment-20086 Hi there, I can offer an explanation as to why this claim is made…and why st Nicholas IS in fact the inspiration for the skull and crossbones. Though…it’s not because of this. In fact, what I am about to tell you is the inspiration for this. It goes back to the byzantine empire under the reign of Otto II. His to be wife Theophanu had St Nicholas as her patron Saint. And in her travels across the land, on her way to be married to Otto II, she brought popularity to st nick as a Saint there. Prior to this, st nick was already established as the patron Saint of seafarers, after his apparition lowered the sails, set the mast upright, and calmed the seas of a floundering ship, who hands prayed to the Bishop of Meira for protection. Thus, a later gang of Byzantine raiders, sailed to Meira (in Turkey), sacked the church where St Nicholas was entombed, and stole his bones as relics. However, these were split up. Some ended up in Venice, while the skull and upper leg bones went to Bari, where they are kept as relics in dedicated churches there. Thus the skull and crossbones relates to the byzantine pirates stealing these relics to use as protection, from the patron Saint dedicated to the protection of seafarers, during their raiding activities. With the stonework here, on the British church, being a reflection of this story. And then reflected on the flags of pirate ships all over in the form of the Jolly Roger. This also relates to the raiding of Skull & Bones Society at Yale University. So it was always the bones of Santa Claus on your most favorite pirate flag!

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