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Tuesday, February 7, 2012

A Macabre Monarchist?

The question has been posed to your resident mad man whether my frequent use of the skull and crossbones (or variations thereof) has any sinister connotations. I have been asked about this before, though probably not as often as some might think (it is rather odd I suppose). I have heard a few odd suggestions over what I might be intending to convey in my use of such symbols. One suggested this was a subtle show of support for internet piracy (not true, I tend to view any piracy as something negative -like most people) but my personal favorite was the suggestion that this was some unconscious effort on my part to equate monarchy with poison -which shows that some people have way too much free time on their hands; unconscious or not, even I’m not that crazy-contradictory. So, since being asked about it again I thought I might explain it just for the sake of anyone who may be curious but has never been inclined to ask about it.

First of all, let me assure you there is no sinister intention behind it. I may be a touch on the creepy side but I am certainly not specifically trying to convey that. Nor am I a part of or intending to show support for any conspiratorial secret societies. I might point out that, although far from common, the skull and bones symbol has been used by monarchists around the world in the past. From the Whites in Russia to the Black Brunswickers in Germany to the Carlists in Spain various monarchist groups have made use of the image to symbolize their attitude of “death to traitors” in reference to those who took up arms against their sovereign. I could say that and that would be perfectly true and I have, in some of my doodling, incorporated the symbol in that sort of framework. However, that would not be the complete truth which is actually far less dramatic, deep or meaningful and just personal.

For some reason, members of my family have always had something unique associated with them. My mother, for example, always had a thing for monkeys so, over time, people sent her every sort of stuffed monkey imaginable. For my father it was pigs, because he always thought piglets were cute. For my sister it was Tweety Bird because of a nickname our Grandfather gave her and so, over time, she acquired a ton of stuff related to Tweety Bird. Our grandfather gave almost everyone a nickname, something special between him and the (originally) child in question. One couple who were friends of my grandparents had a son named Jackson and my historically minded Grandpa immediately nicknamed him “Stonewall Jackson” (after the famous Confederate general). This little tot eventually grew into a very, very large young man and was an accomplished football player. Guess what everyone still called him. Yep, “Stonewall”. The nicknames Grandpa gave usually drew on some aspect of the person in question, though not always. My sister got her nickname solely because Grandpa proved incapable of pronouncing her actual name.

Well, in my case, Grandpa gave me a nickname that was based on the rather skeletal appearance I’ve had pretty much ever since I lost my baby fat. My Grandma never liked it because she was afraid I would think I was being made fun of and develop a complex or something (oh, if only that were all…) but I knew my nickname was an affectionate term. As with the others, because of that nickname, skulls, bones and skeletons have just become associated with me over time. It was never anything sinister, though I raised quite a few eyebrows at my very strict, private Christian school with things like my keychain with a skeleton on it or my bone-carved necklace with a smiling skull on it. And it continues to this day. Not long ago my sister gave me a doormat with a skull and bones on it as a birthday present. As the years have gone by I have probably held a little more tightly to this (probably silly) personal symbol because the two people closest to me who always called me by the nickname that inspired this, my Grandfather and an uncle of mine, have since gone on to their eternal rewards. Only those people closest to me ever called me by my nickname and those people are almost all gone now so I’m sure I display it even more now than I used to just as a way of keeping their memory close at hand. Others may misunderstand it or simply not know what it means, but all that really matters to me is that I do.

It may seem morbid or creepy to a lot of people (and I can seem that way myself often enough I suppose) but the bones, skulls and skeletons are just images I have been associated with for most of my life because of the nickname given to me by my grandfather, the greatest, saintliest man I have ever known, (a very cheerful and funny man by the way who loved playing pranks and exchanging jokes) and whose memory I cherish. Grandpa was never very good at remembering names (nicknames were easier for him, again, because they were chosen because of something unique that stood out about that person) but though few call me by my nickname anymore, I still cling to it and, God willing, if by some miracle I am able to see my Grandfather again some day, I know exactly what he will call me. I cannot imagine anything better than the feeling of hearing his voice call me that again. So, again, rest assured, it's nothing sinister, just a personal thing.

I hope that clears up any confusion.
As ever,
The Mad Monarchist

16 comments:

  1. I had presumed it had something to do with your Christianity.

    I don't know too much about them, but I am aware of bone chapels, depictions of saints with skulls, skulls as relics etc.

    ...although now that I think of it those are all more Catholic and I believe you're a Protestant?

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    1. I do have many bone chapel pictures. My favorite (which is on the sidebar linking to the late royals gallery) of the crown made of bones is from such a chapel. It is often seen with saints, sometimes as a symbol of martyrdom, a symbol of vanity (usually) or the victory over death. In such a context it is to show that death is not to be feared as it was defeated -something many people don't understand.

      Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim, Buddhist, I've had people assume I was all of them. So far the only major religions I havn't been accused of being a part of is Judaism and Hinduism (though I have been accused of being a Zionist before). I've never actually said because at this point I find it funny that people think I'm so many different things when what I actually believe seems pretty obvious to me.

      I will say that, where I live, one holiday that really freaks out the outsiders is the 'Dia de los Muertos' when skulls and skeletons are all over the place. Again, it's nothing sinister but it shocks alot of people who are unfamiliar with the local Hispano-Mexican culture prevalent in this area.

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  2. Everyone knows MM is a Traditionalist Catholic. :)

    Btw what was your nickname: 'skull and bones'?

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  3. I will admit I had also assumed your skulls and crossbones motif had alot to do with your Faith, (and just like Kalim, for the exact same reasons) and I appreciated that. A good Momento Mori does a person good I believe, especially if it creeps them out, it just shows they dont consider their mortality enough. And again, I had also drew the connection with the motif and uncompromising counter-revolutionary attitudes towards traitors (so personified in the mad baron himself). Now that I am aware of the personal connection it has with you, it gives the symbol more character and your blog seems alot more personalized.

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  4. Thank you Mad Monarchist, Its always good to hear the insight of the most prevalent Monarchist on the Web.

    Your well researched and written articles are always a highlight, and this is no exception.

    I always thought it meant you were a Monarchist to the Death

    Anyway Keeping Fighting the Good Fight for us Monarchists out there!

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  5. Thank you for sharing that unique and personal story!

    Fr Theodore

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  6. Awesome reasoning. Nothing more to say.

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  7. Yes those skulls did give me the shivers, but like you said there is always something someone always associates with out of personal reasons. I myself have that as well and I know many others who do.

    And wow... I always thought you were a Catholic. As a Protestant, I know I wouldn't be talking about the papacy and all unless they were generally negative things or tend to avoid the subject altogether out of neutrality. That's us Protestants in general, but I'm not the one to tell anyone who believes in what, only the person himself would know. And I like how you keep your articles religiously neutral that sometimes you make it vague regarding your faith. That's great, and you ought to keep it that way because that's not what the blog is for; it's for the monarchist cause regardless of religions not named Republicanism.

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    1. Just to clarify: at no point in this article or any of the comments have *I* said where I go to church. I do try to be fair, which is difficult, but I don't want to believe that having a point of view necessarily negates fairness and honesty. Also, as you say, this is a monarchy blog, not a religious blog (though the two go together so it's not exclusive) and even if I started preaching I doubt anyone would be converted to the true faith (mine!) by a weblog. It would just put off people who I might otherwise be in almost total accord with.

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  8. Also I wanted to ask something:
    http://i.imgur.com/HPsLs.jpg

    It's quite obvious an American made this... but why do they pair monarchy with communism? Those two are completely against each other that communists fought for the very destruction of the already established monarchies in the world... but why some people insist that the two are one and the same? Is it because they equate dictators as monarchs (mono + archy)? It's definitely not the same :/

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    1. Well that thing was just all sorts of stupid. Not only do they push together diametrically opposed ideologies they also appear ignorant of the actual definitions of their terms. Unfortunately this is all too common today.

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  9. Of course, if you were a monarchist, you'd need a point of view after all!

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  10. That is ridiculous... but a friend sent it to me just for me to look at it. Then I felt dumb after looking at it not because I'm a slow reader when it comes to English but because it was stupid :|

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  11. Fear not my dear Mad Monarchist. You're in fine company, with such luminaries as Dr Leonard "Bones" McCoy of the starship Enterprise and other such characters, fictitious or otherwise.

    Perhaps you can start saying "Damnit Jim, I'm a monarchist, not a communist!"

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    1. Dr Mcoy was always my favorite, probably for that reason, though I assume his nickname was shortened from "Sawbones" which is what they used to call doctors.

      "He's dead Jim"

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  12. I believe the skull and crossed bones on a black field was also the battle flag of The Templars.....at least on their ships and somehow over time it became associated with pirates.

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