Bird skull necklaces have become an increasingly popular jewelry trend in recent years. But beyond just a fashion statement, bird skull necklaces can hold a variety of symbolic meanings for the wearer.
Wearing Death
One of the most common symbolic meanings associated with wearing bird skull jewelry is death. The skull represents mortality, mourning, and loss. Wearing a deceased bird’s skull can be a way to embrace human mortality and carry a reminder that death is an inevitable part of life. It essentially serves as a memento mori, reminding the wearer that their time on earth is limited.
Bird skulls can also represent the completion of the life cycle and the transition between life and death. Just as birds molt and regrow their feathers, shedding their old plumage to make way for the new, death allows new life to flourish. So for some, a bird skull necklace honors the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth.
Additionally, certain species of deceased birds can carry their own unique symbolic meanings related to mortality. For example:
- Owls are associated with wisdom, so an owl skull can represent embracing wisdom and truth in the face of death.
- Crows and ravens are linked with magic and mysticism in many cultures, so wearing one of their skulls taps into their mystical qualities.
- Eagles represent courage and freedom, so an eagle skull evokes bravely accepting the freedom of death.
No matter the specific type of bird, though, wearing its skull reminds the living that death comes for all. It is a way to silently contemplate and accept one’s own inevitable end.
Honoring the Dead
Bird skull necklaces are also sometimes worn as a way to honor dead birds. For bird lovers, especially those who routinely care for sick or injured birds, wearing a necklace crafted from a deceased pet or wild bird can be a touching memorial. It keeps a part of that bird’s spirit close at hand.
Wearing the skull of a beloved pet bird who has passed away can help the owner continue feeling connected with it and grieving its loss. The necklace transforms into a beautiful tribute to a meaningful creature.
Even deceased wild birds can be honored. Someone who discovered a dead bird and carefully cleaned and preserved its skull may wear it as a small monument to that individual creature’s life. People who routinely rescue or rehabilitate wild birds may also collect and wear the skulls of any birds that ultimately did not survive rehabilitation. For them, the skull necklaces become a way to memorialize each bird’s intrinsic value, even in death.
Appreciating Morbid Beauty
Beyond symbolism, many wearers of bird skull jewelry are attracted to their dark, yet intricate, morbid beauty. The skeletal remnants of birds can make striking and thought-provoking accessories.
Bird skulls display delicate, elegant forms. Their hollow eye sockets seem to hold mysteries, and their curved beaks hint at the animals they once were in life. Even without feathers and flesh, cleaned bird skulls retain a surprising amount of personality. Each bleached skull has its own unique contours that appeal to those who appreciate their heavier aesthetic.
There is also an alluring fragility to their lightweight bones. As memento mori, bird skulls are stoic reminders that even the most magnificent creatures eventually fade and die. Their brittle nature hints at the ephemeralness of existence. For some, that morbid reminder is exactly what makes bird skulls so captivating as jewelry.
Connecting with Nature
Wearing the skull of a naturally deceased bird can also be a way to literally stay connected with nature. Bird skull jewelry reduces an animal to its most essential elements, strips away the extra layers, and highlights the architecture shaped by nature itself. A vulture skull necklace, for instance, displays nature’s handiwork in sculpting such an aerodynamic head and sharp, sturdy beak.
This jewelry allows wearers to stay linked with the natural world and carry a small remnant of a wild creature’s life with them. It reminds them that humanity is just one part of the broader ecosystem, subject to the same cycles and networks that birds are. Wearing a skull necklace can be a grounded statement of humans’ interconnectivity with all living beings.
Embracing Goth Subculture
Within the modern goth subculture, bird skull jewelry has become a popular way to culturally signal dark and morbid interests. Along with items like black clothing, pentagram pendants, and bats, bird skulls have become almost stereotypical accessories within the goth community.
Goths who wear bird skull necklaces or other bone jewelry aim to embrace the taboo, the supernatural, and the obscure. Human and animal bones evoke mystery and the strange, so they appeal to those drawn to the shadowy side of existence. Dark subcultures see beauty and meaning in objects and ideas outside the mainstream, so bird skulls present novel ways to decorate oneself and visually announce interests.
While not all goths choose to wear animal bones, bird skull necklaces definitely align with the subculture’s macabre visual leanings. They signal belonging within that community and its appreciation for the unconventional.
Channeling Spirit Animals
For some, wearing the skull of a specific bird species represents connecting with that variety of bird as a spirit animal. Those who feel mystically drawn to birds like ravens, owls, eagles, and other species sometimes like to keep a part of that creature close by wearing a skull necklace.
If the raven holds symbolic meaning for someone, wearing its skull can serve as a tangible reminder of that significance. It keeps the raven’s attributes and messages top of mind. The same goes for any bird variety that holds deep personal meaning or seems to appear repeatedly in someone’s life. A bird skull necklace allows that bird’s essence to stay near as a spirit companion.
This practice relates back to ancient shamanic traditions of wearing animal bones or claws for spiritual purposes and channeling animal guides. Though the meaning is intangible, a bird skull necklace can represent that connection with a meaningful winged creature.
Symbol of Feminine Power
The symbolic meanings of birds also influence the way some women perceive bird skull jewelry. Since ancient times, birds have been associated with feminine energy, fertility, birth, and nurturing. Goddesses like Isis and Aphrodite were visually linked with birds and wings.
While the skulls clearly represent death, the distinctly feminine bird imagery means some women tattoo bird skulls or wear bird skull necklaces to harness that energy. The juxtaposition reminds them of the innate power women hold over creation and destruction, life and death; it becomes an emblem of the complexity of womanhood.
Despite their fragile skulls, birds also represent independence, freedom, and fearlessness in the face of adversity. Women who tap into that bird symbolism see their skull jewelry as representing their own indomitable spirit.
Symbol of Transformation
Birds intrinsically represent transformation, largely because of their metamorphosis from egg to nestling to fledgling and finally adult. Their skulls represent the completion of that transformation at life’s end.
For some wearers, the bird skull symbolizes the many transformations they have undergone in their own lives. It may be worn to celebrate personal growth and change, like moving past trauma or negative experiences and emerging renewed. The skull marks the end of the old self and the emergence of the new.
People who have overcome major health obstacles or embarked on new chapters often embrace the bird skull motif to represent their own transformations. The necklace signifies that they have molted their old feathers and become something new.
Symbol of Overcoming Struggle
The struggles that birds face also give their skulls symbolic meaning for some wearers. Birds contend with many threats in the wild, including predators, lack of food or shelter, severe weather, habitat loss caused by humans, and more. Their skulls represent overcoming those difficulties.
For humans facing their own struggles, whether emotional, physical, spiritual, or mental, a bird skull necklace can be a reminder to keep surviving and thriving against the odds. The skull represents the culmination of the bird’s own perseverance and defiance in the face of hardship. It reminds the wearer that they too can soar past limitations and obstacles.
This meaning relates back to birds’ representation of female power. The skulls become symbols of feminine strength, endurance, and ability to triumph when the cards are stacked against you.
Cool Jewelry Trend
As already mentioned, bird skull necklaces and other bird bone jewelry have become trendy fashion accessories, appreciated for their artistic dark flair. For many wearers, the motivation is primarily aesthetic; they simply enjoy the way bird skulls look as jewelry.
Pop culture and celebrity endorsement have fueled this trend. Singer and performer Lady Gaga helped popularize bird skull style, and fashion icon Alexa Chung routinely wears bird skull motifs. The distinctiveness of bird skulls and their blend of dark whimsy make them eye-catching jewelry choices.
Younger generations like millennials and Gen Z embrace bird skull necklaces as a way to express individuality. The unusual jewelry stands out and represents creative edginess. Mixing feminine and macabre imagery also appeals to youth interested in bending traditional fashion rules.
As a fashion statement, bird skull necklaces attract those drawn to novelty and mystique. Their unusual nature helps people make an artistic statement and express their personal tastes.
Common Bird Skull Necklace Designs
Bird skull necklaces come in an array of different artistic styles, though some designs prove more popular than others. Here are a few common bird skull necklace motifs:
- Single skull: A single, complete bird skull forms the pendant. This simplistic style works for small to medium bird varieties. The skull usually sits horizontally but can also be vertical.
- Single skull with beads: For an added rustic touch, a single bird skull is accented with beads on the chain. Wood, seed, gemstone, and glass beads complement the earthy skull.
- Connected skulls: Rather than one skull, multiple skulls from the same or different species are linked together into one necklace. The skulls may be separate or actually wired together.
- Skulls with arrows or crystals: Bird skulls act as the centerpiece, surrounded by arrowheads, quartz crystals, or additional adornments with symbolic meaning.
- Skull with wings: Detached bird wings may flank the skull pendant or extend from it to represent duality of life and death.
- Skull with flowers: Dried or enamel flowers incorporated into the design symbolize growth and balance the dark skull.
- Skull with antlers: Adding deer antlers creates an otherworldly appearance while providing additional symbolic meaning.
Designers also sometimes stylize bird skulls by adding flourishes like gems, paint, filigree, or art nouveau patterns. This transforms a simple skull pendant into a striking artistic statement.
Bird Skull Necklace Materials
Bird skull pendants are crafted from a range of materials, including:
- Actual bone: Genuine bird skulls or skull segments cleaned, bleached, and wired as pendants. More fragile but organic.
- Metal: Cast brass, silver, or bronze skulls sculpted in detail. Most durable option.
- Crystal: Lead glass skulls have a translucent, ethereal appearance. Risk of chipping or shattering.
- Wood: Carved and etched wooden skull replicas lightweight and rugged.
- Polymer clay: Molded or sculpted clay skulls that are then hardened. Fragile but highly detailed.
- Papier mâché: Built up layers of paper and glue create hollow skulls. Not durable when wet.
Bone and metal bird skulls will last the longest as necklace pendants. But for budget or ethical considerations, plastic, crystal, wood, and paper skulls offer quality alternatives without using actual animal products.
Popular Bird Skull Necklace Birds
While any bird skull or skull replica may be made into a necklace, certain species tend to be used most often. Some top choices are:
- Crows and ravens: Their strong black beaks and mystical associations make them very popular.
- Owls: Symbolizing wisdom, owls are a common choice, especially barn and snowy owls with dramatic faces.
- Vultures: Their large size and ridges on their beaks add texture.
- Ducks: The flat, triangular merganser skull has graphic appeal when engraved.
- Finches: Small and delicate for a more elegant, minimalist look.
- Eagles and hawks: Strong raptor skulls represent courage and vision.
- Cardinals: Their vivid red crests make a visual impact.
While any species holds symbolic meaning, these tend to translate best aesthetically to necklace designs.
Additional Symbolic Meanings
Beyond the broad symbolic themes already outlined, bird skull jewelry can hold additional specific meanings, including:
- Triumph over adversity
- Souvenir of a travel experience or destination
- Curiosity and fascination with anatomy
- Memento of a beloved pet
- Appreciation for science
- Connection with ancient history
- Embrace of the taboo
Different wearers are drawn to skulls and bones for personal reasons that resonate with their interests, values, and life experiences. The diverse potential meanings make bird skull necklaces so versatile.
Conclusion
Bird skull necklaces and their symbolic connotations appeal to a wide range of jewelry lovers. From honoring deceased pets to celebrating major life changes, carrying a reminder of mortality to tapping into mysticism, the variety of meanings gives bird skulls broad significance.
While some only see darkness and taboo in wearing animal bones, bird skulls actually represent duality. Death meets life, fragility meets strength, and ending meets renewal in a bird skull pendant. The rich range of possible interpretations reflects how wearers see themselves and the world around them.
So while morbid and unfamiliar to some, bird skull necklaces ultimately symbolize a deeper understanding of both self and nature. Their unusual imagery celebrates the beauty in aspects of existence that some shy away from. Honoring life, death, and everything in between makes bird skull jewelry meaningful.