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Cemetery Symbolism in Stone Presented by Bret Petersen [email protected]

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Cemetery Symbolism in Stone Presented by Bret Petersen Mbpetey@Yahoo.Com Cemetery Symbolism in Stone Presented by Bret Petersen [email protected] Sometimes it is said that “Dead men tell no tales”. However, the more one learns about tombstones and the information that they can contain, one will find that often there are many “tales” to be found. Some of the information that can be found is blatantly obvious – names, dates and sometimes even addresses or a picture of the deceased. However, often missed are the subtle messages that are found as part of the symbolism used on the tombstone itself or surrounding markers. These symbols can give you information about religion, group affiliations, hobbies, personality, marital status, military service or ethnic origin. The following is a compilation of some of these symbols and their meanings. Keep in mind that often the meanings are subjective and can represent many different things. ANIMALS DOVE DESCENDING: Holy PEACOCK: immortality; eternity; Many grave markers display carved Ghost resurrection; incorruptibility of the or three-dimensional animals and DOVE: peace; innocence; purity; flesh these have strong symbolic messenger of God carrying soul to PELICAN: feeds young with own meanings. The following are some heaven. Seven doves represent the blood; redemption through Christ of the most commonly encountered seven spirits of God or the Holy PHOENIX: immortality; baptism symbolic animal designs: Spirit in its seven-fold gifts of RAM: sacrifice grace. When shown with an Olive ROOSTER: the awakening from ANT: Christian industry Sprig it means hope or promise. the fall from grace; repentance BATS: the underworld EAGLE: fierceness; ascension: the SHEEP & GOATS: Christians and BEE: resurrection, the risen Christ; heavenly conveyor, national non-believers chastity emblem of the United States: a SERPENT: symbol of death BIRDS (sometimes only wings): military professional, Civil War SNAKE: sin; Satan; fall of man souls casualties SNAKE (hooped or in a circle): BIRDS FLYING: souls flight back EAGLE WINGED: St. John, the eternity to God Evangelist SPHINX: strength and protection; BUTTERFLY or CHRYSALIS: EGG: regeneration guards entrances resurrection; Christian FISH: Christ; plentifulness, faith SQUIRREL: Christian forethought; metamorphosis; The meaning is FOX: cruelty; cunning spiritual striving derived from the three stages of the FROG: resurrection or sometimes SWALLOW: indicates a child or life of the butterfly—the caterpillar, sin and worldly pleasures motherhood the chrysalis, and the butterfly. The HORSE: Courage or generosity three stages are symbols of life, LAMB: Christ; Redeemer; BODY PARTS death and resurrection. meekness: sacrifice; innocence; ARMS OUTSTRETCHED: the DEER (or STAG): the faithful most common 19th century child's plea for mercy thirsting for God marker BREASTS: the Divine, nourishing DOG: Signifying the loyalty and LAMB WITH BANNER: fluid of the soul (17th century); the that the master was worth loving; resurrection church; the ministry; the short life. At the feet of medieval LION: strength; courage; royalty; nourishment of the soul women, signifies the loyalty and power; guardian; fallen hero. EYE OF GOD or ALL-SEEING inferior place of each in the Symbolizes the power of God and EYE: symbolizes the all-knowing chivalric order. guards the tomb against evil spirits. and ever-present God. DOLPHIN: portrays the idea of LION (winged): St. Mark the HANDS: Hands in some form are resurrection Evangelist very common on grave markets. DRAGON: being defeated by St. OWL: suggests wisdom Symbol of leaving George, depicts triumph over sin OX (winged): St. Luke the -Hands, clasped: Many times Evangelist these hands all seem to be in the same, but look for a number of not supposed to remarry or EFFIGES (winged): the flight of interesting characteristics. First, touch a dead body, for the soul most of the hands show the right example. People who are FATHER TIME: mortality, the hand in a grasp with fingers Cohen often have Cohen as grim reaper overlapping the other hand while their last name. This is the FOUR EVANGELISTS: Matthew, the left hand is open. This could hand gesture made by Cohen winged man; Mark, winged lion; symbolize that the devotion of at the end of services in Luke, winged ox; John, winged these two is not destroyed, a close Orthodox synagogues. eagle bond between individuals, unity HEART: Love, mortality, love of IMPS: figures, some winged, some and affection even after death. God, courage and intelligence. not, doing funeral related tasks; Clasped hands are also symbolic of Bleeding - Christ's suffering mortality a farewell or last good-bye. Look at for our sins. MAN (winged): St. Matthew the the cuff to distinguish between a Encircled with thorns - the Evangelist man's or woman's hand (woman suffering of Christ for our sins TRUMPETERS: heralds of the would have a frilly cuff.) The (often Catholic) resurrection person who died first holds the Flaming - signifies extreme WOMAN WEEPING: mourning; other's hand, guiding the spouse to religious fervor recalls myth of Niobe, whom the heaven. Pierced by a sword - the gods turned to stone as she wept for • Hand of God plucking a link of Virgin Mary, harkening to her slain children a chain: represents God Simeon's prophecy to Mary at bringing a soul unto himself. the birth of Christ, "Yea, a LATIN PHRASES • Hands holding: sword shall pierce through FUGIT HORA: "hours are o A chain with a broken link thine own soul." It can also be fleeting", "time flies" symbolizes the death of a used to represent charity. IHS: monogram or symbol family member. representing the Greek contraction o A heart - symbolic of FIGURES of "Jesus": sometimes regarded as charity and is common on ANGEL: messenger between God an abbreviation of the Latin phrase 19th century memorials. It & man; guide. Angels signify meaning "Jesus, Savior of Men" is typically seen on spirituality. They guard the tomb, INRI: often seen on a banner of memorials of members of guide the soul, pray for the soul in latin cross: "Iesus Nazarenus Rex the Independent Order of purgatory, and direct the living Iudaeorum". Latin for Jesus of Odd fellows. Charity visitor to think heavenwards. Two Nazareth, King of the Jews (John o An open book - the angels, saints of the Catholic 12: 19-22) embodiment of Faith Church, can be named as we find MEMENTO MORI: "remember Hand pointing: them: Michael, who bears a sword, death" • Hand pointing: and Gabriel, who toots a horn. TEMPUS ERAT: "time is gone"; o Downward - mortality or Angels shown without one or the "time has run out" sudden death. (Possibly a other of these artifacts belong to the XP: Chi Rho-first two Greek letters depiction of a secret nameless legions of personal of the word "Christ" Masonic handshake.) guardian angels and other o Upward - the reward of decorations. OBJECTS the righteous, ANGEL FLYING: rebirth; confirmation of life after ALPHA & OMEGA: first and last guardian angel letters of the Greek alphabet death. Heavenly reward, ANGEL TRUMPETING: call to ascension to heaven. symbolizing the beginning & end the resurrection of all things, see Revelation 22:13 • Hands praying: connote ANGEL WEEPING: grief devotion ANCHOR: hope, life eternal; may CHILD or CHILDREN: usually signify seafaring profession. An • Two hands touching at thumbs represent the untimely death of the - The hands are making the anchor with a broken chain stands innocent. They may be shown for the cessation of life. "Live long and prosper" mourning a parent, but if holding a gesture that Mr. Spock used ANVIL: martyrdom skull that means they are dead ARCH: triumph, victory in death on Star Trek (Leonard Nimoy themselves. is Jewish, and that's where he ARK: church; salvation CHILD SLEEPING: Victorian ARK OF NOAH (rare): refuge, got it). death motif The Cohen was the priestly salvation DEATH'S HEAD WINGED: ARMOR: protection from evil caste. They perform a few mortality specific functions in Orthodox ARROW: martyrdom, mortality EFFIGES: the soul ARROW QUIVER: warlike Judaism, and have a few EFFIGES (crowned: personal unique restrictions: they are reward of righteousness BABY'S CHAIR: small, empty in the cross. The cross also appears the graves of adults. The continual furniture symbolized unfulfilled in Japanese heraldry where it movement suggests constancy, lives of children; represented the stands for the four quarters of the perhaps of affection. child now gone; with small shoes earth or the four cardinal directions. PITCHER: Jewish symbol, on chair - connection to childhood, CROSS (with rays of rising sun): representative of washing the hands symbolized inability to achieve glory of the High Priests. adulthood CROSS (with winding sheet): PORTALS: passageways to the BANNER: victory; triumph descent from cross eternal journey BATTLE AXE: martyrdom CROWN: reward of faithful, PORTRAITS: stylized likenesses BELLS: call to worship victory, triumph, glory; of the deceased BIBLE: resurrection through the righteousness; resurrection PYRAMID: symbolic of death scripture; the clergy. CROWN ON CROSS: sovereignty ROCK: steadfastness of Christ; • A single Holy Bible is often of Christ stability found on Christian stones. CROZIER: bishop ROD or STAFF: Comfort for the • Two holy books on Mormon CUP or CHALICE: Usually used to bereaved. headstones indicates the Bible represent the Sacraments or ROSARY: devotion to Mary and the Book of Mormon Eucharist SCALES: weighing of souls; • Three holy books - the Bible, DARTS: mortality, dart of death justice Book of Mormon, and DOOR: entrance to heaven SCROLL: the law; Scriptures, Doctrine & Covenants DRAPERY OVER ANYTHING: honor and commemoration. BOOK: faith, learning to read and sorrow; mourning Symbol of life and time. Both ends write, a scholar. It may represent FIELD ARTILLERY (rare): the rolled up indicates a life that is the Book of Life. A popular form is military profession unfolding like a scroll of uncertain the book as a double page spread. FINGER: pointing to heaven length and the past and future see also Bible FLAME: eternity hidden. Often held by a hand BOOKS (stacked): knowledge FLEUR-DE-LIS: Virgin; Trinity representing life being recorded by BRANCH SEVERED: mortality FLYFOT: swastika angels.
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