Fall is a great time to get out and explore. When you're out on
your next weekend getaway or holiday, consider paying a visit to
a cemetery.
Cemeteries are steeped in history and folklore. They are also the
last resting place of the rich, famous, and infamous. From learning
the fascinating imagery of the dead, to taking headstone rubbings,
to visiting the shrines of your childhood heroes, the cemetery is
a good place to have fun finding art, exploring your ancestry, and
paying your respects to the dead.
Interesting Graveyard Symbolism
The symbols exhibited in cemeteries and on gravestones are designed
to survive the passage of the ages. They are worthy of our attention
because they have been considered important enough to commemorate
our dead and be their last message to us. They can have religious,
historical, or personal significance, either specifically to the
deceased's family or to the wider community, and although deciphering
them can sometimes be complicated, the stories they tell us are
always interesting.
The next time you visit a cemetery, observe the workmanship and
attention to detail on the gravestones, ironwork and mausoleums.
The specific shapes and symbols on statues, engravings, and scrollwork
are speaking to you, if you know how to listen.
Although the Christian cross, menorah of Judaism and crescent of
Islam are obvious religious symbols, other symbols may be subtle
and more thought provoking. The following list of symbols and their
meanings will help you the next time you visit the dead.
Mortality
The frailty of human existence is often depicted by the scythe,
skull, spade, coffin, and candle. Premature death, as in the death
of a child or young adult, is illustrated with the use of roses
in bloom, lilies, morning glories, butterflies and lambs.
Innocence
Childlike and virginal purity are frequently depicted with cherubs,
doves and lilies.
Power or Importance
Important and powerful people are often buried with symbols
of oak leaves, lions, laurel leaves or wreaths. US military tombstones
often include stars and stripes around an eagle.
Occupations
Often in death people are memorialized for what they did in
life. Headstones frequently have symbols depicting the tools of
specific trades or occupations. Crossed swords are representative
of the military, hammers and anvils for blacksmiths, looms for weavers,
compasses for shipbuilders, cleavers for butchers, sextants for
seamen, wedges for masons, and hoes or corn for farmers.
Immortality
The belief in, or hope for immortality is often represented
by trees, hands pointing upward, birds, angels and sunlight.
Whether you are researching your family's roots, visiting the famous,
or just spending an entertaining afternoon, cemeteries have a lot
to offer. Even a casual meander through the rows of graves will
give you an opportunity to learn about history, art, and the lives
of the many extraordinary people who've gone before us.
