Category Archives: Symbolism

She Weeps

Posted on December 2, 2014 by gravelyspeaking

This statue in the Bohemian National Cemetery at Chicago, Illinois, is replete with rich symbolism. The mourning figure tenderly wipes her eye with the corner of the funeral pall in a sign of grief. She gently leans against a broken … Continue reading →

Posted in Saving Graces, Symbolism | Leave a comment

The Hand of God

Posted on November 29, 2014 by gravelyspeaking

N. G. LEWIS DIED DEC. 21, 1869 AGED 69 Y. 10 M. 7D. The rounded-top white marble gravestone of N. G. Lewis depicts the hand of God holding a broken chain. The broken link of chain represents a life that has ended. … Continue reading →

Posted in Symbolism | 2 Comments

The Circle of Life in a Wagon Wheel

Posted on November 26, 2014 by gravelyspeaking

  In funerary art, tombstones took on the look of tree stumps during the rustic movement. The gravestones were purposefully designed to look like trees that had been cut and left in the cemetery to mark a grave. Most of … Continue reading →

Posted in Symbolism, Treestump gravestones | 2 Comments

I.N.R.I.

Posted on November 17, 2014 by gravelyspeaking

In many cemeteries, especially Catholic cemeteries, one is likely to find the crucifixion as part of the symbols adorning the gravestones.  In this case in the St. Martin Cemetery at Whitefield, Indiana, the letters “I.N.R.I” are written above the crucified … Continue reading →

Posted in Symbolism | 1 Comment

The Pyramid: Monumental Architecture

Posted on October 22, 2014 by gravelyspeaking

This is my 500th post. So, to commemorate the occasion, I wanted to write about something monumental. When it comes to funerary sculpture and architecture, nothing is more monumental than the pyramid.  The Egyptians knew how to bury their dead, … Continue reading →

Posted in Mausoleums, Symbolism | 3 Comments

Cross and the Crown

Posted on October 17, 2014 by gravelyspeaking

The Gothic-style Miller family monument in the Glendale Cemetery at Akron, Ohio, is inscribed, “Be Thou Faithful Unto Death and I Will Give Thee a Crown of Life”. That message is further reinforced by the mourning figure atop the monument … Continue reading →

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Reach for the sky

Posted on October 16, 2014 by gravelyspeaking

This small monument is dedicated to the memory of a infant girl, the epitaph too faint and eroded to read clearly, is in the form of a bed.  The covers are pulled aside and the pillow still has an indentation where the … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Graves, Symbolism | 1 Comment

Eternal Sleep

Posted on October 14, 2014 by gravelyspeaking

The most poignant and tender gravestones are those for children.  In the 1850s, the mortality rates for children under one year, were estimated at over 200 deaths per thousand, with much higher mortality rates for children under 5. Here, is … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Graves, Symbolism | Leave a comment

Anchor

Posted on October 12, 2014 by gravelyspeaking

The anchor is an ancient Christian symbol that has been found in early catacomb burials.  The anchor was used by early Christians as a disguised cross.  The anchor also served as a symbol of Christ and his anchoring influence in … Continue reading →

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From Monumental to Simplicity

Posted on October 7, 2014 by gravelyspeaking

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I. O. O. F.) is a fraternal organization that formed in England in the 1700s as a service organization. The American association was founded in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 26, 1819. According to the I.O.O.F. … Continue reading →

Posted in Metal Markers, Symbolism | Leave a comment