I thought I would start a short series of posts on helpful hints that may help when visiting cemeteries. The first article is a list of meanings of carvings you may see on tombstones. If you know of any additional symbols that I may have not added, please feel free to add your comments below.
- Anchors and Ships-Hope or Seafaring Occupation
- Angels-Spirituality and they guard the tomb
- Arches – Victory in Death
- Arrows- Mortality
- Bible-Christian Headstone (see holy book and open books)
- Bouquets/flowers-Condolences, sorrow, grief
- Broken Column-Loss of head of family
- Broken Ring-Family circle severed
- Buds/Rosebuds-Morning of life or renewal of life/died young
- Bugles-Resurrection and the military
- Butterfly-Short lived/early death
- Candle being snuffed-Time, mortality; Loss of Life
- Chalice-Sacraments
- Chereb-Angelic/early death
- Coffin-Mortality
- Corn-Ripe old age
- Crescent-the deceased was probably a Muslim
- Cross-Emblem of Faith
- Crossed Swords-High-ranking military person
- Crown-Soul’s achievement and the Glory of life after death
- Dart-Mortality
- Draperies/Curtains-setting of the stage for the next death in the family
- Doves-The soul, purity, innocence, gentle
- Father Time-Mortality
- Flowers fully open-death of an older woman
- Flying Bird-Flight of the soul
- Fruits-Eternal plenty
- Full-Open Rose- Prime of life
- Garlands-Victory in death
- Grim Reaper-Death personified
- Hands, pointing up-Pathway to heaven
- Hands, clasped-Farewells or the bond of marriage (see also handshake)_
- Hands, praying-Asking God for eternal life
- Hands, blessing-Blessing of those left behind
- Handshake-Farewell to earthly existence/Shaking the hand of God
- Harp-Praise to the Maker
- Heart-Usually found in Catholic cemeteries, refers to the suffering of Christ for our sins.
- Holly-people used to believe that holly bushes protexted the tombs from lightning strikes
- Holy Books-on a Mormon headstone indicate the Bible or Book of Mormon
- Horns-Resurrection
- Hourglass-Time has run out; Swiftness of time
- Hourglass with Wings of Time-Time flying/short life
- Imps-Mortality
- Ivy-Friendship and Immortality
- Lamb-Innocence
- Laurel-Fame or Victory
- Lily or Lily of the Valley-Emblem of innocence and purity
- Menorah-An emblem of Judaism
- Morning Glory-Beginning of life
- Oak Leaves & Acorns-Maturity, ripe old age
- Open Book/Bible-deceased minister, teacher, scholar
- Palm Branch-signifies victory and rejoicing
- Picks and Shovels-Mortality
- Poppy-Sleep
- Portals-Passageway to eternal journey
- Rod or Staff-Comfort for the bereaved
- Rooster-Awakening; resurrection
- Roses-Brevity of earthly existence
- Scythe-an instrument of the harvest; death cuts us down
- Scull and or Scull with Cross Bones-Death
- Sheaf of Wheat-Ripe for harvest, divine harvest time
- Shells-Pilgrimage of life
- Spade or Crossed Spade and Shovel-Death
- Star of David or Mogen David-International symbol of Judaism
- Stars & Stripes with Eagle-Liberty
- Suns-Resurrection
- Thistles-Remembrance; deceased was of Scottish descent
- Tomb-Mortality
- Torch Inverted-Life Extinct
- Trees-Life
- Tree Stump with or without Ivy-Head of Family; immortality
- Trumpeters-Heralds of the resurrection
- Urn with Blaze-Undying friendship
- Urn with wreath or crepe-Mourning
- Weeping Willow-Sorrow
- Willows-Eternal sorrow
- Winged Effigies-flight of soul
