Category Archives: Uncategorized

  The double headed eagle is an ancient symbol that has been associated with many empires including the Byzantine Empire as early as the 1400s, the Seljuk Turks, the Holy Roman Empire, the Russian Empire, and more recently, the Albanian … Continue reading →

  A common and oft heard remark from Christians is that when they die they will go to Heaven and meet with St. Peter at the “Pearly Gates” when they enter the Kingdom.  This is such a popular scenario that … Continue reading →

  A stalk of corn is carved into the Bone Family gravestone in the Walnut Hill Cemetery at Council Bluffs, Iowa. Corn is an ancient American crop that has been exported to all corners of the world.  More than 300,000 million … Continue reading →

A large sphinx sets across the grass circle from the Gothic chapel in the Mount Auburn Cemetery at Cambridge, Massachusetts.  The statue, sculpted by Martin Milmore, is a massive eight feet tall and fifteen feet long. Carved into the sides … Continue reading →

After the French and British occupations of Egypt, there was a renewed interest in Egyptian architecture and symbolism.  That Egyptian Revival was never more evident than in America’s cemeteries, especially large garden cemeteries.  The Egyptian symbol that is most commonly … Continue reading →

Throughout the South, war memorials were erected to honor the Confederate war dead.  Just as in the North, commemorative statues, often of a soldier perched on a pedestal, give voice to the loss and sorrow felt in the country after … Continue reading →

When I first wrote about Charles Witting’s gravestone, I had not seen his name or inscription on his gravestone.  It is faint and faded and completely slipped by me.  But a reader, Athyna, wrote to me to tell me that … Continue reading →

Through the hazy blue dim light of the interior of a mausoleum the dove carrying an olive sprig appears in the stained-glass window. Many symbols found on gravestones have multiple meanings. The dove is one of those.  Several references in … Continue reading →

The lily, as a funerary symbol, has many meanings including purity, innocence, virginity, heavenly bliss, majestic beauty, and Christ’s resurrection.  Christians believe that the trumpet-shaped blossoms announce the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. As pictured in the stained-glass window above in … Continue reading →

The stained glass window in this Crown Hill Cemetery mausoleum at Indianapolis features a single white calla lily in full blossom surrounded by three stems with buds. The calla lily is a stunner with its long slender stem, brilliant white flowers, and … Continue reading →