Skull and Roses (“Bertha”) Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse designed the poster, but the famous skeleton originally comes from a 1913 “Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam” illustration by Edmund Joseph Sullivan. The band later used the design again on their untitled 1971 album (often called “Skull and Roses”).

Why is Skull and Roses called Bertha?

Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter wrote the words for this song, as he did for most Dead songs. Jerry Garcia wrote the music. For years the legend was that “Bertha” was named after an old fan (an actual mechanical fan, not a fan of the music) that would jump around the Grateful Dead’s office when turned on.

What does the Grateful Dead skeleton mean?

“So the kids, they dance, they shake their bones.” The Dancing Skeleton motif conveys the psychedelic nature of the Grateful Dead and their music. Skeletons are closely associated with death.

Why is it called a steal your face?

The lyrics actually refer to the father of drummer Mickey Hart, who had served as the band’s manager but stole a bunch of money and left, but it was soon taken to have another layer of meaning by the fans.

What does the 13 point lightning bolt mean?

The logo of the Grateful Dead first started as a 13 point lightning bolt, originally created as a way for the band to mark their equipment at music festivals. The lightning bolt design concept came to Owsley Stanley, Grateful Dead’s sound engineer, after seeing a graphic design on a road sign advertisement.

What is the Grateful Dead skull logo called?

After it was used in the poster for the show, the Dead cropped it to the skull for the cover of their 1971 live album Grateful Dead (also known as “Skull and Roses,” or sometimes by the name the band preferred, “Skullfuck”).

Why are roses called Mary?

Roses represent the Virgin Mary



Roses were associated with Mary from early times. The thirteenth century Saint Dominic is credited with spreading the familiar devotion called the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a series of prayers to Our Lady, symbolised by garlands of roses worn in Heaven.

Is Bertha the skeleton?

The skeleton with a crown of roses, affectionately named Bertha, is a classic piece of Grateful Dead imagery.

What does the rose in Alice and Wonderland represent?

Following the Hundred Years’ War, two houses began fighting for the throne: the House of York and the House of Lancaster. These two families oddly enough had roses for their symbols. The House of York was the white rose, while the House of Lancaster was the red rose.

What does the rose symbolize in Concrete Rose?

“The Concrete Rose” tells the story of a rose that grows up from a crack in concrete, defying the laws of nature. In Shakur’s poem, the concrete symbolizes the toughness of the ghetto, and the rose conveys the greatness that can rise from adverse circumstances.

What does skull and bones represent?

A skull and crossbones is a picture of a human skull above a pair of crossed bones which warns of death or danger. It used to appear on the flags of pirate ships and is now sometimes found on containers holding poisonous substances.

Are skulls a symbol of evil?

As such, human skulls often have a greater visual appeal than the other bones of the human skeleton, and can fascinate even as they repel. Societies predominantly associate skulls with death and evil.

What are skeletons a symbol of?

death

The skeleton’s primary symbolism is death. But it does not just stay in the death symbolism. Paradoxically, the skeleton presents abundance and rebirth to the realm of life; in other words, concealed also in the skeleton is the symbolism of rebirth.