Some people may be confused by the presence of the skull and bones under the Cross of Christ. However, in the images of the crucifixion, everything is deeply symbolic and indicates important aspects of the Christian faith and tradition.
Images of the skull and bones under the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ are often found not only on icons depicting the suffering of the Savior on the cross, but also on pectoral crosses. At the same time, on some images of the crucifixion, the letters "G" and "A" are visible next to the skull. This is a kind of abbreviation for the head of Adam. Thus, under the crucifixion of Christ is depicted the head of the progenitor of mankind, Adam.
This practice is based on church tradition. The Holy Scriptures call Golgotha (the place where Jesus Christ was crucified) the Execution Ground. It is believed that it was there that the body of the righteous Adam was laid after death. An explanation of the naming of Golgotha by the Place of the Execution can also be found in the Christian tradition. The first people did not know what to do with the deceased person. Therefore, Adam was laid on the ground, and under the rays of the sun, the skin and muscle tissue decayed until the frontal bone appeared.
The death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross at the burial place of the first man, Adam, is deeply symbolic. So, the Holy Scripture tells that death itself came into the world after the fall of man. Just as sin and death entered the world through Adam, in Christ humanity inherited reconciliation with God, salvation and the opportunity to be in paradise again after death. The blood of the Savior of the world, as it were, washed the burial place of Adam and his skull.
The skull and bones under the image of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ also symbolize all of humanity, which needed salvation. The sin of the ancestors, which prevented peace between people and God, is now washed by the blood of the Only Begotten Son of God. The sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ became evidence of the great love of God for man.
Thus, the images of the skull and bones under the crucifix do not mean any mystical death, do not mean the magical elements of necromancy. This is an indication of tradition and a symbol of the salvation of all mankind through the death on the cross of the Savior of the world.
