Graves are marked with different symbols that have different meanings to the people and families involved with them. Several symbols are the same, while others seem to be unique. We started to wonder what these meant.
Check out the different symbols that we have encountered on the graves that we have found. Please note that there are hundreds of different symbols and graves and many of them won't be seen in the cemeteries that we have visited. I am only posting up the symbols that we have found here. To view other gravestone symbols please check out the links section of my blog.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The dove is found on many gravestones in the cemeteries that we have visited so far. It is generally found on the graves of young woman and is supposed to be a messenger of God or mean peace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The lamb is generally found on the headstones of children and represents innocence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The rose is usually found on the headstones of young women and symbolizes beauty.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The square and compass, sometimes with a "G" in the middle, is found on the headstones of those belonging to the Freemasons.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A hand with the finger pointing up to heaven is a very common symbol on headstones from the mid to late 1800s. It is sometimes carved with the words "GOING HOME" or "GONE HOME" above it or sometimes below it. It symbolizes that one has gone home to heaven.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An open book can symbolize a few different things. It is sometimes found on the graves of ministers and clergymen, but I have found it more often than not on the graves those devoted to their faith. I can also represent the Book of Life where a person has their good deeds and accomplishments recorded. I have also read that it can be on the graves of the scholarly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A soldier standing at attention on a headstone usually signifies someone that fought in the war. I have mostly found this on Civil War era graves. I have also seen them with the soldier's back towards the onlooker and some tents in the background.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The clasped hands on a headstone symbolize a farewell to one's earthly existence. Sometimes, it was also used as a a Masonic or Odd Fellows symbol. Native Americans of the Delaware tribe used this on their graves.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the symbol for the Fraternal Order of the Eagles. This organization was originally made up of those engaged in the performing arts and was founded in 1898. The claimed credit for establishing Mother's Day as a holiday. The letters on the bottom of the symbol are "L.T.J.E." which stands for Liberty, Truth, Justice, Equality.
Read more about them here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An urn symbolizes the soul. Many times the urn will have a drape of some sort, though other times it will not. The drape itself means mourning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The letters T O T E stand for the Totem of the Eagle which can be associated with the Improved Order of the Red Men. This organization dates back to before the Revolutionary War. Read more about it here.
I am not sure of the symbolism of the axe since I have seen these letters more often on the symbol of the Red Men, which is an Indian head.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Willow Tree is very popular on headstone from the early to mid 1800s. It symbolizes perpetual morning or grief. At this time, Greek and Roman architecture and mythology were very popular, so it is possible that it was used to symbolize the Underworld, but specifically Persephone.
In Native American graves, it can represent an Iroquois grave.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a symbol for the Woodmen of the World. They sometimes use trees with various symbols (vines, anchors, mallets, flowers) carved into them, though other times the trees have nothing to do with this organization.
Read more about them here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is an interesting symbol because I am not sure what it means when all together, but the separate parts have their own meanings. The five pointed star represents the Star of Bethlehem, while the sheaf of wheat represents the harvest. I am not sure what the letters P. and R. stand for, though.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As stated previously, the hand with the finger pointing up represents going home to heaven. In this case, the hand is above a closed book which represents a life completed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The rosebud symbolizes one's whose earthly existence was cut short.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A hand holding an open book symbolizes the embodiment of one's faith. The words HOLY BIBLE are inscribed on the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is a willow tree with an animal of some sort lounging underneath it. This is another combination symbol headstone. The willow tree stands for perpetual mourning while the animal (probably a lamb) represents innocence of youth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The dove is one of the most common bird symbols found on headstones. It is a symbol of peace, but also can be representative as a messenger of God. I have found it mostly on children's headstones.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blacksmith's graves are fantastic! There is one cemetery that I visited that has three. They all are very similar with the large anvil as the main component of the headstone. This one has the blacksmith's tools on the top of the anvil, which at least one of the others is plain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a castle or mansion symbol. I believe that it is representative of the Kingdom of God as it states underneath it "In My Father's House There Are Many Mansions." I have seen similar carvings on other headstones and some have gates in front of them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ferns represent humility and sincerity. I have seen them on tree headstones at the base before, this one is on a fallen log headstone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A dog stands for loyalty, fidelity, watchfulness and vigilance. I have only seen this one so far, but images of other headstones generally show the dog laying down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a symbol for the Improved Order of the Red Men. There is an eagle holding something in its mouth sitting on top of the round symbol itself. Their motto is Freedom, Friendship and Charity.
Read more about them here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An angel is the guide to heaven. Some of the angels are representations of Saint Matthew. Most that I have seen are female angels.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roses are usually the flower that I see on headstones, but I found this small dogwood on a child's grave. The dogwood is the symbol for resurrection, sacrifice and eternal life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grapes are meant to represent the Blood of Christ. I have not run across grapes on a headstone very often.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three chain links are the symbol for the International Order of the Odd Fellows, also known as the I.O.O.F. Sometimes the letters F. L. T. will be inscribed in the links. These letters stand for Friendship, Love and Truth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the gate. It is the symbol for the passage from earth to heaven. Sometimes, it is alongside what looks like a city behind the gate. Other times, it is under clasped hands.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the symbol for the Grand Army of the Republic. At the bottom it says "1861 Vet 1866". It is generally reserved for men who fought and were honorably discharged in the Civil War. This particular one, however, was found on a woman's grave.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hands are a very common motif on headstones. This particular one, a hand holding what appears to be a wilted bouquet symbolizes the mortality of life. I have only seen this once so far.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An anchor is a symbol of hope or eternal life. They are often found on Mason's graves as they are a symbol for well-founded hope.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The drapery is a common theme on many headstones. Sometimes it is draped over the headstone, other times it is draped over an urn. It symbolizes mourning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rifles are generally on the graves of soldiers and sometimes hunters. The crossed rifles, I don't believe, has any special meaning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The shell represents baptism or rebirth. It is often shown with an infant lying in the bottom of it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The crown symbolizes victory over death. I have not seen it very often on headstones in our area.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is another symbol that I have not found very often, at least in our area. It is a torch with the flame facing downward. It represents the end of life, while a torch with the flame upward represents eternity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are many, many more symbols found on headstones. Certain areas of the United States where there were populations of German or French may have completely different symbolism on their headstones, while those of different occupations had other symbols.
Visit the websites below to learn more about the symbols found on headstones.
Grave Addiction
Cemeteries and Cemetery Symbols
United States Genealogy & History Network
There are many other resources for discovering what the symbols on headstones mean, but I have found these to be the most helpful for discerning the ones that I found.
0 comments:
Post a Comment