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Cemetery Symbolism - Letting the Dead Speak

Cemeteries are usually very familiar things to genealogists; some spending countless hours researching and recording information there. You see symbols on tombstones all of the time. But how well do you know what those symbols mean?

Here's a glossary of some symbols you may encounter in your travels. If you think we're missing any symbols and you would like to add them to our list please send an email to newsletter@familyhistoryplace with the subject "cemeteries" and let us know.

Anchor

Early Christians often practiced their faith in hiding to escape persecution. They needed symbols to help point other Christians to places of worship. The anchor in an early Christian setting is one such symbol, often a disguised cross. It could also represent Christ as an anchor stopping us from drifting away and becoming lost. Alternatively, the anchor is very commonly used to represent sailors. An Anchor with a broken chain could represent a life cut short suddenly.

Angels

Angels usually guard the tomb, guide the soul of the deceased, and pray for the soul. They represent spirituality. Two angels are very common on Catholic tombs: Michael, bearing a sword, and Gabriel, blowing a horn. These are "Arch Angels" in the Catholic faith and saints of that church.

Broken Columns

It could be that the grave is really old and the column broke, however broken columns are often deliberately used to represent the discontinuation that will eventually befall all of us.

Books

Books, or sometimes scrolls, serve to remind us that tombstones are more than just rocks.... they are records containing information. An open book could signify the stone is a biography or the continuation of the soul. A closed book could represent the end of the story of the deceased's life. Often you will see bible verses quoted, or possibly Arabic characters identifying the book as the Koran.

Candles

Candles represent the spirit or the soul. In Christianity, candles represent Jesus Christ... the Light of the World. Sometimes people leave candles at graves as a memorial or to represent that they have said prayers for the deceased.

Chains

Medieval scholars believed that a gold chain bound the soul to the body; as such broken links on a tombstone from medieval times often represented the release of the soul from the body. Unbroken chains have also been known to represent the continuity of life and the ties that bind us all as humans.

Chains are also the symbol for the International Order of Odd Fellows. This organization is dedicated to providing decent burials to the poor and impoverished. You know for sure this is the case if you see the letter IOOF or FLT with the chain. FLT stands for one of their mottos : Friendship, Love, and Truth.

Colors

There is a general rule that western societies use black as a color of mourning while eastern societies use white. Black signifies the darkness and lack of light associated with dying. White represents the bones and the paleness of a corpse. This differentiation is not absolute however, many white tombstones are seen in Europe and the white dove is commonly found. Also Catholics and Anglicans often use purple as the official color of mourning.

Crescent Shape

Normally denotes that the deceased was a Muslim.

Cross

Normally, but not necessarily, denotes that the deceased was a Christian. The cross also appears in Japanese heraldry where it stands for the four quarters of the earth or the four cardinal directions.

Crown

Sign of a saint or a king. Represents achievement. Early crowns were often made from plants and their meaning varied depending on what plants were used. As time passed, and metallurgy improved, crowns were made of gold or other metals, with symbols embedded on them.

Curtains

Most would argue that curtains on a tombstone are simply decorative. However they could also have theatrical connotations and represent the world as a stage, the end of the show, or the opening of a new act in the souls journey. What is important in these symbols is what, or who, is in between the parted curtains.

Dogs

Often found at the feet of women on medieval tombs. They signify loyalty. They also serve as a reminder that women were property (like dogs) in the chivalric order of medieval times. In modern times dogs imply that the master was worth loving.... or simply a dog lover.

Dove

Often appearing in both Christian and Jewish cemeteries. Christians see the dove as representing the Holy Spirit. For Jews it is a symbol of peace. For Europeans the dove represents purity and spirituality.

Dragon

For the Chinese it represents imperial power. It also stands for the Universe itself. A magnificent powerful force that can't be mastered. Europeans rarely use the symbol as it represents the devil. However you will see it from time to time, usually being slain to represent a triumph over sin.

Foo Dogs

A long time ago Buddhist missionaries from India try to describe lions to Chinese artists. The drawings that resulted are Foo dogs. Foo dogs are usually found at the entrance to Chinese cemeteries. A female and a male foo dog guard each entrance. The male, on the right, holds down a ball. The ball symbolizes mans authority over the affairs of his family. The female, on the left, holds down a kitten. The kitten symbolizes the woman's raising of children and household management. Together these symbols mean that this relationship remains after death.

Grail

The grail, or chalice, often appears with a circle representing the Eucharist. The two items together represent the Catholic rite of Communion. These symbols are often used on the tombstones of priests.

Hands

Cemetery hands tend to be shown either: clasping, praying, pointing, or blessing. The hand shows the deceased's relationship to other human beings. The hand often means "I lived here". Clasping hands often represent marriage.

Hearts

Represent affection for the living or the dead. Two joined hearts would represent a marriage.

Hour Glass

A symbol for time. A reminder of the finiteness of our lives. Sometimes the hourglass is seen with wings.... this could represent the eternalness of the soul, or simply that "time flies".

Keys

Cemetery keys usually stand for spiritual knowledge or power. If held in the hands of an angel or saint, often Peter, they represent the entry to heaven.

Lambs

Usually lambs mark the grave of a child. This is especially true in Catholicism. The lamb always represents innocence. Christians associate lambs with Jesus, the Lamb of God. Usually lambs are crouching.

Lion

The lion represents the power of God. Similar to Foo Dogs, he lion guards the tomb against evil spirits. They can be said to represent the soul of the departed as well, representing their courage and strength in this world and the next.

Menorah

A symbol of Judaism which by far predates the Star of David or Mogen David.

Pelicans

Medieval scholars actually believed that pelicans feed their young by ripping open her breast and letting her young drink blood directly from her heart. As a result of this error, the pelican became a symbol of Jesus' sacrifice and became a feminine representation of Christianity in the middle ages.

Red Lettering

Chinese tombstones are often made, and deployed, before the person is dead. Red lettering lets you know that the person named on the tombstone is actually still alive. Once the person dies the red letters are repainted white.

Sacred Heart

Unique to Catholic cemeteries, shows the dripping and torn heart of Jesus and represents the suffering of Jesus for our sins.

Stars

Derived from the path of Venus in the night sky, five-pointed stars have been used to symbolize the spirit rising to heaven. However, inverted as the familiar "pentagram", such stars have, quite incorrectly, come to popularly represent evil and Satanism.

The six-pointed star, or Mogen David, also known as the Star of David, is the recognized symbol for Judaism. This symbol was only a minor symbol until the late 19th century. Prior to that time the Menorah was the principle symbol of Judaism.

Wheel

A wheel with six or twelve spokes represents the Wheel of Life or the Wheel of Law, a symbol of Buddhism. According to Buddhists, our lives could be represented by the brief instant when the wheel touches the ground. The U.S. Veterans Administration uses the Wheel of the Law to mark the graves of Buddhists.

Winged Skull

Was once commonly found on tombstones in New England. It represented death and the soul taking flight. The symbol has largely stopped being used in the last hundred years, likely as popular culture began to associate the skull with evil.

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