Author Archives: gravelyspeaking

The Hourglass

Posted on April 5, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The soap opera, Days of Our Lives, has as their catchphrase,  “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.” The meaning of that catchphrase is clear–life passes by very quickly.  Life measured by the grains of sand … Continue reading →

Posted in Symbolism | 1 Comment

Our darling boy

Posted on April 4, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

Some epitaphs, especially on the gravestones of children, can be heartbreaking.  They tell of the parent’s sorrow and the hopes and dreams that were not realized because of the death of the child like the epitaph below found on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Epitaphs | Leave a comment

A parent’s lament

Posted on April 2, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The gravestone of three-year old Willie displays a weeping willow shading a resting lamb.  The willow is a traditional symbol of sorrow and morning. The lamb is a symbol of Jesus Christ, first found in the Biblical passage John 1:29 … Continue reading →

Posted in Epitaphs, Symbolism | Leave a comment

We miss thee

Posted on April 2, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

Several companies manufactured “white bronze” markers.  They were actually made of zinc and have a blue tint to them when you spot them in a graveyard.  The markers age very well, and often show very few signs of aging or … Continue reading →

Posted in Epitaphs | Leave a comment

The Harp

Posted on March 31, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The light and airy tones that emanate from the harp, etereal and almost mystical, have long been thought of as the sound of Heaven.  The harp has been considered the instrument of angels.

Posted in Symbolism | Leave a comment

The Dragon

Posted on March 30, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The mythical creature–the dragon–has figured large in literature, movies, and culture, most especially in Eastern cultures.  The view of the dragon between the East and the West could hardly be more polar opposite.  In Western cutlure, the dragon for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Symbolism | 1 Comment

Heart-in-Hand

Posted on March 30, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

When I walk around cemeteries, I look for symbols I have not seen and, of course, stellar examples of funerary art.  I have written before about the the Heart-in-Heart symbol but was struck by the pristine condition of the symbol found … Continue reading →

Posted in Symbolism | 3 Comments

Supreme Council of the Royal Arcanum

Posted on March 28, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The crown with the initials V. M C. is a symbol representing the Supreme Council of the Royal Arcanum, a membership organization founded by John A. Cummings and Dr. Darius Wilson in Boston on June 23, 1877.  The State of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

KP

Posted on March 27, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The Knights of Pythias, a society based on the Greek story of friendship from 400 B. C. between Damon and Pythias, became the very first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an Act of the United States Congress. Pythians … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

PS

Posted on March 27, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The symbol above marks the grave of a woman who belonged to the Order of Pythian Sisters.  The organization is the auxillary organization for the Knights of Pythias.  On October 22-23, 1888, the Order was founded at Warsaw, Indiana, by Pythian … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment