Skull Tattoo Meaning
A skull looks like a symbol of death, but in art it has almost always been a symbol about life: how short it is, how to live it, and how to remember those who have gone.
Memento mori
Memento mori is Latin for "remember that you will die". Painters of the 1600s placed skulls among flowers, books and candles in still lifes called vanitas, to remind the viewer that wealth, beauty and time all pass. A skull tattoo in this sense is not dark — it is a reminder to live fully and not waste time.
The skull in sacred art
In many paintings of the crucifixion a skull lies at the foot of the cross. Golgotha, the hill where Christ was crucified, means "place of the skull", and by an old tradition it was the burial place of Adam — so the skull under the cross stands for death defeated.
Saints are often painted with a skull: Saint Jerome in his study, Mary Magdalene in penitence, Saint Francis in prayer. For them it was an object of meditation on life and eternity. A skull next to a saint, a rosary or a candle carries this contemplative meaning.
Remembrance and celebration
In Mexico the calavera, the decorated sugar skull of Día de los Muertos, is not about fear at all. It honors family members who have died and celebrates their memory. A calavera tattoo is a sign of love for the dead and of Mexican heritage.
Strength and protection
Soldiers, bikers and sailors have worn skulls as a sign of courage — someone who has faced death and is not afraid of it. A skull with a crown speaks of power over death; a skull with a snake joins death and rebirth; a skull with a rose joins death and beauty.
Skulls in black and grey realism
The skull is one of the best subjects for black and grey: bone has no color, and its form is built entirely from light and shadow — the deep eye sockets, the cheekbones, the line of the teeth. Realistic skulls can be combined with architecture, statues, clocks and flowers into large compositions on the forearm, the thigh, the chest or the back.
Before the consultation
Decide what your skull should say: a reminder to live, a sacred meditation, remembrance or strength. Bring references of skulls, sculptures or paintings you like, and tell the artist which elements should sit around it.
Skull Tattoo Questions
What does a skull tattoo symbolize?
Most often memento mori — a reminder that life is short — and also remembrance, courage and protection.
Is a skull tattoo a religious symbol?
It can be. In Christian art the skull at the foot of the cross stands for death defeated, and saints are painted with skulls as objects of meditation.
What does a sugar skull tattoo mean?
It honors family members who have died, in the tradition of the Mexican Día de los Muertos.