Category Archives: Symbolism

HERE LYES BURIED THE BODY OF MRS. ELIZABETH IRELAND WIFE TO MR. WILLIAM IRELAND AGED 52 YEARS DEC’D. OCT. Ye 12, 1738. Many symbols in the graveyard are meant to remind passersby that life is short and that all will … Continue reading →

Here lies buried The Body of Mr BENJAMIN PARKER Mercht Who Departed this Life The 14th day of November 1769 Aged 54 Years Here again on this gray slate gravestone in the Granary Burying Ground at Boston is an example … Continue reading →

Alexander Mackay Junior’s gray slate gravestone in the Granary Burying Ground at Boston displays a skull with the lower jaw missing, teeth nearly chewing on crossed bones. This symbol, like many found in cemeteries in the 17th and 18th Century … Continue reading →

For this mortal must put on immortality. To the Memory Of DAVID PATTERSON, MERCHANT Who died at sea, October 31, 1834, aged 27 years. ERECTED By his commercial friends and associates As a memorial of their Affection And respect for … Continue reading →

This intricately carved gray marble caboose, track, and wheel displaying the letters: B of RRT can be found in the Union Cemetery at Uhrichsville, Ohio.  The tale told by the cemetery maintenance crew about the marker is that the man buried under the railroad … Continue reading →

The winged death’s head was a grim reminder that life was short, not that one need’s that reminder as they stroll through a cemetery. Slowly the imagery began to change.  Though it is not as stark as the skull, it … Continue reading →

The cast-iron gravestone in the Oakland Cemetery at Sandusky, Ohio, is decorated with  grape clusters and leaves. In Christianity the Eucharist, which is part of a religious ceremony also called Holy Communion, is a time when Christ’s followers are to do … Continue reading →

An oil lamp is carved into the top of Peter Leslie’s white-marble tablet gravestone. A flickering flame can be seen coming from the lamp, providing light. The Bible verse, II Samuel: Chapter 22, verse 29, says, “For thou art my lamp, … Continue reading →