Gravely Speaking

Carved atop a gravestone in the Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena, rests a cat basking in the California sun, a tribute, no doubt, to the deceased’s love of the cuddly feline. Though dogs have long been considered man’s best friend, homeowners in America claim over 74,000,000 cats as part of their household—an average of 2.1 per household, while dog lovers only claim an average of 1.6 per household. 

Although cats were revered in Ancient Egypt as deities, Western civilizations attributed more sinister characteristics to the furry creatures.  In the Middle Ages cats were often associated with the dark arts—witchcraft and even the Devil—and were nearly completely exterminated during the Black Death because they were thought to be evil.

Today, though, their reputation has been rehabilitated and they have become a part of millions of homes across America—much loved as part of the family and often spotted being memorialized in cemeteries!

Erected by
TERENCE NUGENT
In Memory of
his Esteemed Friend
CORNELIUS CREMIN,
A native of Cork,
IRELAND,
Who departed this life
September 1st, 1854,
Aged 26 years,
May he rest in peace.

Afflictions sore he bore,
Physicians were in vain,
Till God did please that death should come [?]
And cease him of his pain

In the top third of the white marble segmented-top tablet in the Catholic Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia, is a Latin cross in the center of a weeping willow tree.  The cross is nestled into the letter “H” and flanked by twin obelisks.

The initials “IHS” which have been used for centuries by Christians as a monogram, often referred to as a Christogram, for Jesus. The three letters are a Latinized version of the Greek letters ΙΗΣ (iota-eta-sigma), the first three letters of the name “Jesus” in Greek. 

The obelisk is a stone shape that is ubiquitous in American cemeteries and part of the Egyptian Revival Period which was inspired by the French and then the British presence in Egypt in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries. The obelisk is said to represent a single ray of sunlight, petrified from sunlight into stone.  It was thought that the Egyptian sun god Ra lived within the obelisks.  These towering monuments were often placed flanking the entrance to temples. Here the obelisks are combined with the willow, which is a traditional symbol of morning and grief.  

However, the Egyptian and Christian symbolism share an uncomfortable coexistence in this design.  The obelisk is an easily recognized Egyptian symbol, yet, the tablet also displays the Latin cross.  Because many Christians objected to Egyptian motifs and their non-Christian origins, designers softened the impact, by including Christian symbolism, as is the case here.  Eventually the obelisk became a common site in American cemeteries large and small, urban and rural.

An iron fence surrounds the John Rourke Family Mausoleum in the Catholic Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia.  The iron gates and fencing around a cemetery were common and imbued with a power—the power to keep the malevolent spirits such as ghosts, fairies, and witches at bay. 

It was thought that iron had a supernatural power.  That belief manifested itself in many Victorian practices.  Hence a horseshoe nailed to a door was thought to be a talisman protecting those inside and repelling evil spirits.  Burying an iron knife in front of the threshold to your home was believed to ward off witches from coming in.  And the iron fencing around a cemetery was believed to contain the souls of the dead. 

The magical powers of the gate and fencing are also found surrounding family plots.  It was thought that once the gate was closed the spirits could not follow you home! 

The Rourke gate, in addition to keeping spirits enclosed, displays other symbols with meaning.   In the top corners above the angel in the center of the gate are poppies embedded in the design.  In the cemetery, this motif represents eternal sleep.  Just as it was portrayed in the movie, The Wizard of Oz, the main characters lie down in a field of poppies where they fall into a deep sleep.  That same imagery is used here.

Also, at the center of the gate, an angel is holding an inverted torch; and that same symbol flanks the angel in the gate.  The flame is symbolic of the soul.  Here the inverted torch represents a life that has been extinguished.

Lastly, the angel holding the inverted torch covers his face.  This act is mentioned in the Bible—Isaiah 6:2. According to theologians, the angels covered their faces as an act of respect and humility as they were not worthy of looking directly at God.  It is also thought that God’s holiness is so bright, that the light was blinding. 

In a mausoleum in the Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena, California, a stained glass window represents a potent symbol throughout the world—ancient and modern.  In funerary symbolism it is depicted in many ways: as a yellow sphere; as spreading rays of light; as a geometric pattern shaped like a many-pointed star; as lines emanating from a single point outward in a fan pattern.  The ancient Egyptians depicted a single ray of the sun as an obelisk in honor of their sun god Ra.

Like many symbols, there is a duality to the sunburst.  For instance, when looking at the symbol, it is difficult to discern if it is a rising sun or a setting sun—which leads to its dual meaning.  The rising sun represents the resurrection, rebirth, and eternal life.  In fact, many Western cemeteries were oriented to bury the deceased facing the rising sun in anticipation of the return of the Savior God Jesus.  The setting sun, however, represented death and the end of the mortal life.

SACRED

To the memory of

MARY RAFFIAL

Who was born in

St. Augustine, Fla.

in the year of our Lord A.D. 1816

and died in Savannah

June 27^th 1859

Aged 43 years

One of the most ubiquitous symbols found in American cemeteries is the weeping willow.  According to James Deetz and Edwin S. Dethlefsen, in their groundbreaking article, “Death’s Head, Cherub, Urn and Willow” the willow first made its appearance in cemeteries in the early 18th century. 

The motif represented a break from the stark and cold reminders that death would bring that the Puritans carved into their gravestones—flying death’s heads, skulls and crossbones, and gravedigger’s equipment. In addition to the grim reminders of the inevitability of death Puritan gravestones often accompanied the haunting imagery with blunt words such as, “Here lies the body.” Nothing subtle there.

The willow, however, represented a more sentimental view of death.  The willow as a symbol is sentimental and hints at the human emotions felt during grief.  The willow motif represents what one might expect; sorrow and grief, it is after all a “weeping” willow. This symbol is found on many gravestones and can be found carved in a variety of styles.  In this example, found in the Catholic Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia, the willow tree is shading the gravestone and footstone presumably of the deceased—the object of the grief.

IN MEMORY OF

TWO CHILDREN OF

Andrew & Catherine

HUGHES:

JOSEPH

DIED MARCH 7, 1853

AGED 3 MO. & 7 DAYS

THOMAS N.

WAS KILLED BY A HORSE

OCT. 13, 1853

AGED 3 YRS & 14 DAYS

I take these little lambs said Christ

And lay them on my breast

Protection they shall find in me

In me be ever blest

The white marble tablet of Joseph and Thomas Hughes is found in the Catholic Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia.  The pointed arch gives the gravestone a slightly gothic look. 

The winged cherub displayed in the arch of the gravestone was a symbol that became popular in the 18^th Century.  Winged cherubs replaced the stark and morbid flying death’s heads from our Puritan forefathers.  The cherubs have a childlike countenance of innocence.  The iconography represents the flight of the soul from the body upward to Heaven and the hope of the resurrection. Surely, the cherub also represents the Hughes boys—one an infant and the other only 3 years old.

SACRED TO THE MEMORY
OF MY SON
ALBERT HUBBELL WRIGHT
BORN JUNE 28, 1856
DIED AUG. 11, 1875

NEARER MY GOD TO THEE

The white marble monument for Albert Wright in the Green-Wood Cemetery in New York depicts a seated mourning figure. The inscription on the scroll on the front of the gravestone gives a glimpse into the devastating loss of a mother for her son.

The epitaph, “Nearer My God To Thee”, is the title for a Christian hymn written by Sarah Flowers Adams (February 22, 1805-August 14, 1848) in 1841. The old favorite is about death and about Jacob’s stairway to Heaven. The hymn is about greeting one’s maker on the other side and is based on Genesis 28: 11—12: KJV “11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.”

1 Nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
still all my song shall be,
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

2 Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
darkness be over me, my rest a stone;
yet in my dreams I’d be
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

3 There let the way appear, steps unto heaven;
all that thou sendest me, in mercy given;
angels to beckon me
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

4 Then, with my waking thoughts bright with thy praise,
out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise;
so by my woes to be
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

5 Or if, on joyful wing cleaving the sky,
sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I fly,
still all my song shall be,
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

The reference to the hymn seems to be a plea presumably for the grieving mother to be reunited with her son once she climbs the ladder—a poignant wish.

The figure atop the stone is depicted gazing to the Heavens with a bouquet of flowers in her lap, possibly as an offering for the grave. The act of placing flowers is a recurring funerary motif which is designed to remind the viewer that life is short. Mourning figures are a common motif in Victorian cemeteries and found throughout the United States and Europe. This monument is a memorial to a lost son, perhaps this particular figure is not a generic mourning figure but represents the mother of the son.

JOHN HARRY STEDMAN
DIED OCTOBER 29, 1922
ALICE SHERWOOD WELLS STEDMAN
DIED OCTOBER 7, 1906

There are many objects found in our homes that we take for granted. Each one was created by an inventor. Some of these objects were created by inventors who became famous, such as Ben Franklin, who invented bifocals, swim fins, the lightning rod, and “ouch” the urinary catheter! Or Thomas Edison who held an astonishing 1,093 patents which included what has been described as his favorite invention—the phonograph. His was the first recorded voice signing “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

But less iconic items but no less useful are items like the lowly safety pin invented in 1849 by Walter Hunt. Or Gideon Sundback’s invention in 1914 of “Hookless No. 2”, which we now refer to as the zipper.

One item that has become ubiquitous in elementary classroom art projects is the pipe cleaner also known as the chenille stem or furry wire as the name suggests, to clean out the residue and yuck in smoking pipes. The pipe cleaner was invented by John Harry Stedman and Charles Angel in Rochester, New York in the early 1900s. This simple and mundane invention made Stedman rich. He later sold his rights to the BJ Long Company which still holds the rights to the invention.

Stedman and his wife, Alice, are buried in the Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, New York. Their gray granite rectangular four-sided hip tomb is embellished with pectoral crosses which flank the inscription.

According to the experts at the Phillipsburg Memorial Company in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, there are several modern techniques for carving letters and designs on tombstones, including the following techniques which are both machine made:

“Sandblasting … involves using compressed air to forcefully propel sand or other abrasive materials onto the surface of the stone. The impact of the particles erodes the stone, creating a deep and lasting engraving. Sandblasting offers a wide range of design options, allowing for intricate details and beautiful texturing. This technique is versatile and can be used on various types of stones….

“Laser Engraving … has become increasingly popular due to its precision and efficiency. This technique utilizes a concentrated laser beam to etch designs onto the surface of the tombstone. The laser removes a tiny layer of the stone, resulting in a precise and clean engraving. Laser engraving allows for intricate and complex designs, including photographs and intricate patterns. … This technique offers a high level of customization and is perfect for those seeking a more contemporary and personalized memorial.”

Many of the gravestones that are found in ancient cemeteries and gravestones, are however, hand carved. “Hand-carving is one of the oldest engraving techniques, dating back centuries. Skilled artisans use chisels, hammers, and other hand tools to create intricate designs and lettering on tombstones. This technique allows for incredible attention to detail and customization. Each stroke of the chisel is deliberate and precise, resulting in a truly one-of-a-kind memorial. Hand-carved tombstones exude a sense of craftsmanship and authenticity, making them a popular choice for those who value tradition and want a timeless tribute.”

However, fewer and fewer artisans are employed in this type of work. Fergus Wessel, who has a shop in Oxfordshire, England, is one of them. Fergus is an old-world artisan toiling away in his workshop, creating one-of-a-kind gravestones for those who want unique hand-crafted memorials. The shop is a small one—Hannah, Fergus’s wife takes care of paperwork and Tom Wiggins is a master letter carver. Together the three of them work with their clients to create one-of-a-kind memorials.

Fergus and his team know that after a loved one passes, “it is easy to feel under pressure to commission a headstone swiftly – a pressure that can sometimes be inadvertently compounded by family members. And this pressure can grow into guilt that the grave still has no marker, that you are somehow ‘letting down’ or failing the deceased.”

“However,” the team cautions, “it is really important not to impose an arbitrary time scale on yourself … taking your time is not only completely understandable but vital.”

Fergus has written a book filled with timely advice about commissioning a headstone titled HEADSTONES: Advice & Inspiration. The book—filled with samples of epitaphs, pictures of gravestones carved at their shop, and descriptions of stone types—is a primer with caring advice on how to make decisions about commissioning a monument. HEADSTONES: Advice & Inspiration reflects how important it can be to simply wait, think and consider.

The book is a wonderful resource for anyone seeking advice on choosing a headstone, the idea for this book came about after Hannah’s mother died from cancer two years ago. Offering advice and inspiration on choosing a headstone, with over 150 photographs, client stories, and ideas for epitaphs, the book is an invaluable resource for anyone wanting to create a perfect memorial for their loved one. If you are interested, hard or PDF copies can be ordered at stoneletters.com/book .

While this may seem like naked commercialism to suggest a book on my blog, I want you to know that with every book purchased, all profits from the book sales are donated to Maggies. Built in the grounds of NHS cancer hospitals, Maggie’s Centres are uplifting places with professional staff on hand to offer the support people need: practical advice about benefits and eating well; emotional support from qualified experts; a friendly place to meet other people; a calming space simply to sit quietly with a cup of tea. 100% of profits from the sale of this book will be donated to Maggie’s. For more information about Maggie’s visit maggiescentres.org. The idea for this book came about after the death of Hannah’s mother from cancer and it is being sold to raise funds for Maggie’s, Oxford.