Kraków shooter patch: what the horned skeleton symbol means
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The clothing of 24-year-old Michał O., who opened fire in the Polish city of Kraków, bore a patch showing a horned skeleton, an hourglass and a spear. According to the Polish news portal Onet, the symbol is used by some special forces units and traces back to an 18th-century pirate flag.
Where the symbol comes from
Onet reports that the image is linked to the flag of one of the most feared pirates in history, Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard for his thick black beard. At the height of his pirate career he commanded four ships, 60 guns and a crew of more than 400 men.
The flag was meant to inspire fear and make the crews of targeted ships surrender without a fight. Every element of the patch has its own meaning: the horned skeleton represents death, the devil or a demon, while the hourglass in its right hand shows that the enemy's time is running out. The spear piercing a heart in the left hand signals no mercy and foretells a brutal death, and the drops stand for blood shed by the enemy.
How the symbol is used today
Today, according to Onet, the motif is popular among soldiers and fans of military insignia. It can stand for ruthlessness and resilience in combat, readiness for anything, the desire to intimidate the enemy and a determination to fight to the end. There is another reading as well: a message to the opponent that “no prisoners will be taken.”
Patches with the Blackbeard symbol have been or are still used by special forces units in the armies of many countries, for example the US Navy SEALs. Onet reports that they have also been seen on mercenaries in Ukraine.
What is known about the shooter
Onet writes that 24-year-old Michał O. comes from the city of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. He had a permit for two firearms and travelled in a car registered to his 52-year-old father. Why he wore this patch remains unclear. Investigators are now carefully examining his background to understand what drove him to such a terrible crime.
Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz
