May His Dear Soul Rest in Peace

I saw grave stones with skull and crossbones on my visit to Glüeckstadt January 2005. These not being Jewish symbols raises questions. I therefore posted the question on Jewish Gen's discussion forum.

The pirate theory is definitely wrong, the symbol appears on the Matzevah's of men, women and children. There is no evidence that any Jews were pirates, and piracy was NOT a Jewish profession!. This community in Glueckstadt were ex Marrano Jews of the Portuguese nation.

The Christian symbol of Skull and crossbones: The skull and Crossbones tomb icons are very common in Christianity back to catacombs in the fourth and fifth centuries. From the Middle Ages there were also a number of 'memento mori'. Such images (the skull and crossed bones, the hourglass, and even the scythe) are reminders of the end to which we all come. They also warn sinners of the brevity of earthly life. And there was also early thinking that evidence of the body was necessary before entry into heaven. (the skull and crossbones was a reminder of where the body was). Perhaps inspired by Golgotha, the Place of the Skull, where Jesus was crucified. The Christian concept of Jesus there dying on the cross on behalf of his believers so they might enter heaven is the message of hope in death. This would explain the crossed bones.

The Masonic symbol It is also an important emblem in Freemasonry, where it symbolizes the transience of the material world, and is used in initiation rituals as a symbol of rebirth. 

As Nazi Symbol: "Death's Head" was the symbol of the Nazi SS-Totenkopfverbande the Nazi SS Death's Head Division (purpose was hunt out enemies (Jews) and to guard the concentration camps). The symbol is often seen as a tattoo, which indicates that its wearer has murdered one of the movement's enemies (ie Jews). Although Nazi's were not around at this time, the idea that the person killed one of the their enemies a) is NOT a Jewish concept b) is just totally improbable !

As a Symbol of membership of the Chevra Kaddisha:
This is wrong this is NOT a symbol of the Chera Kaddisha. It does NOT indicate that a person was a membership of the Chevra Kaddisha (burial society).

As a Jewish Symbol from Kabbalah:
A possible Jewish connection I have found is a reference to Kabala. There is a suggestion that it may symbolize the sephirah daath on the kabalistic Tree of Life. The gateway to the higher realms of understanding only achievable through spiritual death and rebirth, a skull did not inspire horror, on the contrary, it symbolised the promise of a new life. This may be an explanation and fit into the worldview of the ex-Marrano Portuguese Jews of Glueckstadt. Some were influenced by Kabala as evidenced in some comments in the 30 Drosha's (religious sermons) of Alvaro Dinis (aka Semuel Yachia 1565 - 1650 ) published in Hamburg 1629. His family, (forced new Christian converso's) after much pain, torture and humiliation and indignity they escaped Portugal and the Inquisition.

The Grave art of the Portuguese Jews 
Portuguese Jews in this period (16th and 17th Century) were ex Marrano's (i.e. forced Christian converts, whose families practiced Catholism for 2 or 3 generations as "New Christians")
Grave art of the Portuguese Jews in Glüeckstadt and Hamburg on the gravestones from the 17th and 18th century cover an abundance of subjects. They are not in the most part characteristically “Jewish art” and show a major resemblance with the contemporary Christian art of the time.  In many cases they have in the corners Rosettes that trim plain tombstone. The inscriptions have a predilection to have floral wreaths, floral jewellery with baroque medallions with or without text ,and  frequently have motifs of a half naked woman or angels. The ban on the use of pictures in religious settings and religious rites practiced throughout the ages by Jews as proscribed by Halachah (Jewish Law)  was not practiced by these Portuguese, neither in their cemeteries nor in their synagogues.  Amsterdam’s Ultra Orthodox Jewish Rabbis as well as Isaac Aboab, Rabbi Fonseca, Jacob Sasportas, Selomoh de Oliveira or Salomo de Jacob Aelyon accepted with a heavy heart the artistic taste of their Jewish  parishioners for their use of heathen subjects on graves
The images on the Portuguese Jewish graves can be divided in four main groups: a) decorative and allegorical images: cypress, palms trees; a tree, that is struck by an axe in a hand, that comes out of the clouds,; wheat sheaf (on children graves), two little angels with trumpet announce the death of the deceased etc.  A wide range of grave symbols on Portuguese Tombstones, that shows the transitoriness of life is expressed in grave art. These are frequently decorated with angel or angel wings, hours glass, the skull (without or with crossbones and some with or without hours glass) and a hand with some scales as a sign for the weighing of the deeds of the deceased.  (b) Base reliefs with the statement of the occupation and the meaning of the occupation, as well as priestly blessing; tools of a member of the Chevra Kaddisha (burial Society) ; opened book (for a scholar) etc; (c) scenes out of the last meeting of the deceased and (d) biblical scenes, especially alluding to the first name the deceased like Jacobs dream; Eve with the snake; Moses striking the rock and water coming out; Rachel with the sheep; King David with the harp, or Daniel in the lion pit.  Through the choice of Jewish  names - usually Abraham, Jacob, David, Joseph and Daniel for the men, Sara, Rachel, Ester, Ribca (Rebecca)  for the women - and the use of pictorial decorations, as a reference to the name of the deceased, indicates that they want to be attached  to Jewish tradition.  Subjects that are on graves are found also duplicated on Ketubbot (marriage certificates), Haggadot (Passover books), Rimonim, Talassim (prayer shawls) or in Jewish printing.  
Portuguese grave art is impressive through its unusual wealth of biblical scenes.  In contrast to the Portuguese cemetery in Hamburg, Amsterdam or Curação where Tombstones and stone Sarcophagi  are blunted, pyramid style graves, where as the Portuguese part of the Glüeckstadt cemetery shows only simple, tombstones lying horizontally , covering the entire grave.  The gravestones possess Hebrew and/or Portuguese Spanish texts that run around  the Tombstone or are arranged in lines.  The writing on the gravestone usually is framed.  Often in the four corners of the stone, are  Rosettes outside of the framing or around the outside as a trimming.  The Tombstone became in the course of  time after 1700s  skilful trimmed with biblical and allegorical representations.  The Glüeckstadt resident’s gravestones are clearly recognizable, and have much in common with those in Hamburg.  Trimmings as  borders, with angels head with wings, skull and crossbones, and hours glass or columns and almost identical epitaphs of wisdom shows close the relations between both cities, although Hamburg always considered itself  the mother community.  There use leads us to the conclusion that these are Christian symbols, adopted by Jews because they lived in the middle of a Christian environment BUT  particularly because of the Marrano’s had a Christian past.  

Reference: From Michael Studemund-Halévy "Die portugiesisch-spanischen Grabinschriften in Norddeutschland: Glückstadt und Emden"