Somebody recently asked the question about the significance of the Skull and Crossbones on a gravestone. I am from Scotland and have looked into this but have been unable to get a definitive answer. Over here theories range from, a reminder of our mortality and nothing more to links with piracy. The latter, I think can be discounted, as the use of the skull and crossbones known as the Jolly Roger showed the crossbones behind the skull and not as on the gravestones, either below or above. The symbol was used by the Knights Templar on their shields and ships in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The large number of gravestones with this symbol on them, would I think rule out any link to the Knights Templar as I cant find any record of there being that many members. This is where we come on to Free Masonry, the symbol was used to denote a Master Mason and so far, on my travels I have not found a grave with this symbol, that contained a female which would slightly support this link. As many of the gravestones I have seen with this symbol on them, are fairly large and grand this lends itself to this theory as well. I have been told that this symbol may have been used to denote the grave of someone that died of plague, but I can not find any evidence to support this, other than mass graves with no names on the gravestone carried this symbol. It seems to get more confusing the more people you talk to, but maybe one day ther may be an definite answer