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Symbols add significantly to the beauty and meaning in the design of a monument. The
floral designs and ornamental emblems shown here are but a few of the many symbols used
to enrich a memorial. The skill and creativity of the designer, the artistry of the master
craftsman, along with input from family and friends combine to create a personalized and
meaningful memorial.
floral designs and ornamental emblems shown here are but a few of the many symbols used
to enrich a memorial. The skill and creativity of the designer, the artistry of the master
craftsman, along with input from family and friends combine to create a personalized and
meaningful memorial.
Commemorative Motifs, Mourning Images, and Memento Mori
It is also important to remember that a symbol can have more than one meaning. Take
the image of an anchor, for example. The traditional interpretation of an anchor is "hope",
but if the person was involved with the sea in some way, the anchor may indicate his or her
profession. The anchor may also signify someone who was considered the patriarch or
matriarch of a family that "anchored" the family together. I recently observed the symbol of
a single rose on a headstone and first assumed it indicated the traditional meaning of love,
purity or victory. However, further research revealed that the family owned a large, family
owned nursery known worldwide for their propagation of hybrid roses. Here, a commonly
seen symbol could easily be misinterpreted, if not for additional knowledge of the family
business.
Today, families are looking to the past for meaningful symbols to use to personalize the
gravestones and monuments of their loved ones. However, many of the old symbols have
lost their significance because they haven't been used for decades. Markers in memorial
parks allow little space for symbolism except for the occasional rose, praying hands, crucifix
or Jewish star. It may also be that more people chose stock patterns for headstones,
believing they could not afford something custom designed and more personal. The wide
use of pre-selected designs has made many of the old symbols seem archaic; the meanings
of which forgotten over time. Instead, some families create their own symbolic "language",
using designs that are significant only to them.
Baby-Boomers are now increasingly responsible for selecting family memorials, and true
to the generational tendency to leave their mark wherever they can, include new symbols
that will no doubt baffle future generations. Can you imagine a leisurely walk in an "old"
cemetery of the late 20th century in, say, 2075? Scratching their heads,
great-great-grandchildren reading an epitaph below an image of a Star Trek communications
device carved in stone will ask, "Just what do you suppose 'Beam Me Up, Scotty' means?
Will they know that a monument in the shape of a gaping, tooth rimmed shark mouth was
erected for someone's love of the movie "Jaws", and not because he was eaten by a shark?
Today's symbolism is much less universal than that used over a hundred years ago because
it more closely reflects the fleeting commercial symbols with which we are inundated.
Until we need to begin deciphering modern symbolism, have a look at some of the most
common "old-fashioned" iconography. If you have any to add, please let me know.
It is also important to remember that a symbol can have more than one meaning. Take
the image of an anchor, for example. The traditional interpretation of an anchor is "hope",
but if the person was involved with the sea in some way, the anchor may indicate his or her
profession. The anchor may also signify someone who was considered the patriarch or
matriarch of a family that "anchored" the family together. I recently observed the symbol of
a single rose on a headstone and first assumed it indicated the traditional meaning of love,
purity or victory. However, further research revealed that the family owned a large, family
owned nursery known worldwide for their propagation of hybrid roses. Here, a commonly
seen symbol could easily be misinterpreted, if not for additional knowledge of the family
business.
Today, families are looking to the past for meaningful symbols to use to personalize the
gravestones and monuments of their loved ones. However, many of the old symbols have
lost their significance because they haven't been used for decades. Markers in memorial
parks allow little space for symbolism except for the occasional rose, praying hands, crucifix
or Jewish star. It may also be that more people chose stock patterns for headstones,
believing they could not afford something custom designed and more personal. The wide
use of pre-selected designs has made many of the old symbols seem archaic; the meanings
of which forgotten over time. Instead, some families create their own symbolic "language",
using designs that are significant only to them.
Baby-Boomers are now increasingly responsible for selecting family memorials, and true
to the generational tendency to leave their mark wherever they can, include new symbols
that will no doubt baffle future generations. Can you imagine a leisurely walk in an "old"
cemetery of the late 20th century in, say, 2075? Scratching their heads,
great-great-grandchildren reading an epitaph below an image of a Star Trek communications
device carved in stone will ask, "Just what do you suppose 'Beam Me Up, Scotty' means?
Will they know that a monument in the shape of a gaping, tooth rimmed shark mouth was
erected for someone's love of the movie "Jaws", and not because he was eaten by a shark?
Today's symbolism is much less universal than that used over a hundred years ago because
it more closely reflects the fleeting commercial symbols with which we are inundated.
Until we need to begin deciphering modern symbolism, have a look at some of the most
common "old-fashioned" iconography. If you have any to add, please let me know.
|
Anchor
Hope, seaman.
Angels
Rebirth, resurrection, protection, judgment, wisdom, mercy, Divine love.
Ankh
Eternal life, peace, truth.
Arch
Victory in death, being rejoined with partner in heaven.
Arrow
Mortality.
Beehive
Domestic virtues, education, faith, abundance in the Promised Land, piety.
Bell
Mourning.
Bird
Eternal life, winged soul, spirituality.
Book
The Divine word or one's accomplishments.
Broken or Draped column
Early death, grief.
Burning Flame
Life or resurrection.
Butterfly
Resurrection.
Caterpillar
Life, metamorphosis.
Celtic Cross
Faith and eternity.
Chain With Three Links
Trinity, faith, Odd Fellows.
Column
Noble life.
Conch Shell
Wisdom, reincarnation.
Cross
Faith, resurrection.
Crown
Glory of life after death.
Crown upon Skull
Triumph of death.
Cup or Chalice
The Sacrament.
Cypress
Hope.
Dolphin
Resurrection, salvation, bearer of souls across water to heaven.
Door
Entrance to heaven.
Dove
Love, purity, resurrection, the Holy Spirit.
Drapery or Pall
Mourning or mortality.
Eagle
Courage, faith, generosity, contemplation, military.
Eye
Humility.
Eye of Ra/Horus
Sun/Moon, Life/Death, protection against evil.
Female Figure
Sorrow, grief.
Finger Pointing Downward
Calling the earth to witness.
Finger Pointing Upward
Pathway to heaven, heavenly reward.
Fish
Faith, life, spiritual nourishment.
Flag
Military, patriotism.
Fleur de lys
Perfection, light, life, royalty.
Flower (general)
Life's frailty, immortality.
Flying Bird
Rebirth.
Frog
Worldly pleasure, sin.
Garland
Victory over death.
Grim Reaper
Inevitability of Death.
Gun
Military service.
Hair, Flowing
Penitence.
Hands Clasped
Farewell, hope of meeting in eternity.
Harp
Hope.
Heart, Pierced by Sword
Virgin Mary, Christ, repentance.
Heart, Flaming
Religious fervor.
Heart
Love, devotion, sorrow, joy, mortality.
Helmet
Military service, strength, protection.
Horseshoe
Protection against evil.
Hourglass
Swift passage of time, temperance.
IHS
Eternity (Christian symbol: "In His Service" or "In this sign conquer") Commonly used in
Celtic crosses.
Isis
Rebirth, the Virgin Mary.
Ivy
Fidelity, attachment, undying affection, eternal life.
Lamb
Innocence (specially on a child's grave), Resurrection.
Laurel Leaves
Triumph.
Lily
Purity, sometimes chastity.
Lily of the Valley
Rebirth, Virgin Mary.
Lion
Courage, bravery, strength.
Lotus
Purity, resurrection, perfect beauty, spiritual revelation.
Masonic Compass and Set Square
Freemasons, uprightness, judgment.
Memento mori
Symbol of death and reminder of mortality.
Menorah
Divine wisdom.
Mistletoe
Immortality.
Moon
Death, rebirth, victory, sorrow of the crucifixion.
Mother and Child
Charity, love.
Myrtle
Undying love, peace.
Naked Figure
Truth, purity, innocence.
Oak
Strength of faith and virtue, endurance.
Obelisk
Rebirth, connection between earth and heaven.
Olive Branch
Peace, forgiveness, humanity.
Open Gates
Afterlife, the soul entering heaven.
Orb
Faith.
Owl
Wisdom, solitude, a warning of impending death.
Pall
Mortality, mourning.
Pansy
Remembrance, meditation.
Pick
Death, mortality.
Poppies
Eternal sleep.
Pyramid
Resurrection, eternal life, enlightenment, spiritual attainment.
Rainbow
Union, fulfillment of the promise of resurrection.
Ripened Fruit
Nourishment of the soul.
Rod or Staff
Comfort to the bereaved.
Rooster
Awakening, resurrection, courage, vigilance.
Rope Circle
Eternity.
Rose
Victory, pride, triumphant love, purity.
Scallop Shell
Birth, baptism, resurrection, life everlasting, pilgrimage of life.
Scarab
Resurrection, transcendence.
Scepter
Fortitude.
Scythe
Death, cutting life short, the final harvest.
Severed Branch
Mortality.
Shamrock
Irish descent, Holy Trinity.
Shattered Urn
Old age.
Sheaf of Wheat
Old age, fruitful life.
Shepherd's Crook
Charity.
Skeleton
Death, life's brevity.
Skull & Crossed Bones
Death, crucifixion.
Skull
Transitory nature of earthly life, penitence, mortality.
Sleeping Cherub
Innocence (usually on child's grave).
Smoke
Vanity, futility of seeking earthly glory.
Snail
Laziness, sin.
Snake, Encircled
Everlasting life in heaven. (Also called oroboros)
Spade
Mortality, Death.
Spider Web
Human frailty.
Star
Divine guidance.
Star of David
Unity, transformation.
Steps, 3 Tiered
Faith, Hope and Charity.
Sun Disc, Winged
Spirituality, everlasting life.
Sun Rising
Renewed life, resurrection.
Sun Setting
Death.
Sun Shining
Everlasting life.
Swallow
Motherhood, spirit of children, consolation.
Sword, Broken
Life cut short.
Sword, Inverted
Relinquishment of power, victory.
Sword, Sheathed
Temperance.
Sword
Military.
Swords, Crossed
Life lost in battle.
Tablets of the Decalogue
Containing the text from Exodus and Deuteronomy given to Moses on Mount Sinai as a
symbol of the Old Covenant.
Tetragrammaton
Four Hebrew letters Y, H, W, H spelling the true name of God, reminder of God's
omnipresence.
Thistle
Scottish descent, earthly sorrow, defiance.
Torch, Inverted
Life extinguished.
Torch
Immortality, purification, truth, wisdom.
Tree
Life, knowledge, the fall of man through sin, human fruition or frailty.
Tree Sprouting
Life everlasting.
Tree Stump
Life interrupted.
Tree Trunk
Brevity of life, number of broken branches can indicate deceased family members buried at
that site.
Tree Trunk, Leaning
Short interrupted life, mourning.
Triangle
Holy Trinity.
Triqueta (3 interlocking circles or triangles)
Eternity, Trinity, popular motif on Celtic crosses.
Trumpet
Announcement of the resurrection or the soul's entrance into heaven.
Urn
Immortality, penitence, death of the body and its return to dust in the final resting-place.
Violet
Humility.
Weeping Willow
Mourning, grief, lamentation, sorrow.
Wheat
Body of Christ.
Wheel
Cycle of life, enlightenment, spiritual power.
Winged Face
Effigy of the deceased soul, the soul in flight.
Winged Hourglass
Fleetness of life, mortality.
Winged Skull
Flight of the soul from mortal man.
Wreath
Victory.
Wreath, of Roses
Heavenly joy and bliss.
Wreath on Skull
Victory of death over life.
Yin Yang Circle
Harmony, balance, birth and death
Hope, seaman.
Angels
Rebirth, resurrection, protection, judgment, wisdom, mercy, Divine love.
Ankh
Eternal life, peace, truth.
Arch
Victory in death, being rejoined with partner in heaven.
Arrow
Mortality.
Beehive
Domestic virtues, education, faith, abundance in the Promised Land, piety.
Bell
Mourning.
Bird
Eternal life, winged soul, spirituality.
Book
The Divine word or one's accomplishments.
Broken or Draped column
Early death, grief.
Burning Flame
Life or resurrection.
Butterfly
Resurrection.
Caterpillar
Life, metamorphosis.
Celtic Cross
Faith and eternity.
Chain With Three Links
Trinity, faith, Odd Fellows.
Column
Noble life.
Conch Shell
Wisdom, reincarnation.
Cross
Faith, resurrection.
Crown
Glory of life after death.
Crown upon Skull
Triumph of death.
Cup or Chalice
The Sacrament.
Cypress
Hope.
Dolphin
Resurrection, salvation, bearer of souls across water to heaven.
Door
Entrance to heaven.
Dove
Love, purity, resurrection, the Holy Spirit.
Drapery or Pall
Mourning or mortality.
Eagle
Courage, faith, generosity, contemplation, military.
Eye
Humility.
Eye of Ra/Horus
Sun/Moon, Life/Death, protection against evil.
Female Figure
Sorrow, grief.
Finger Pointing Downward
Calling the earth to witness.
Finger Pointing Upward
Pathway to heaven, heavenly reward.
Fish
Faith, life, spiritual nourishment.
Flag
Military, patriotism.
Fleur de lys
Perfection, light, life, royalty.
Flower (general)
Life's frailty, immortality.
Flying Bird
Rebirth.
Frog
Worldly pleasure, sin.
Garland
Victory over death.
Grim Reaper
Inevitability of Death.
Gun
Military service.
Hair, Flowing
Penitence.
Hands Clasped
Farewell, hope of meeting in eternity.
Harp
Hope.
Heart, Pierced by Sword
Virgin Mary, Christ, repentance.
Heart, Flaming
Religious fervor.
Heart
Love, devotion, sorrow, joy, mortality.
Helmet
Military service, strength, protection.
Horseshoe
Protection against evil.
Hourglass
Swift passage of time, temperance.
IHS
Eternity (Christian symbol: "In His Service" or "In this sign conquer") Commonly used in
Celtic crosses.
Isis
Rebirth, the Virgin Mary.
Ivy
Fidelity, attachment, undying affection, eternal life.
Lamb
Innocence (specially on a child's grave), Resurrection.
Laurel Leaves
Triumph.
Lily
Purity, sometimes chastity.
Lily of the Valley
Rebirth, Virgin Mary.
Lion
Courage, bravery, strength.
Lotus
Purity, resurrection, perfect beauty, spiritual revelation.
Masonic Compass and Set Square
Freemasons, uprightness, judgment.
Memento mori
Symbol of death and reminder of mortality.
Menorah
Divine wisdom.
Mistletoe
Immortality.
Moon
Death, rebirth, victory, sorrow of the crucifixion.
Mother and Child
Charity, love.
Myrtle
Undying love, peace.
Naked Figure
Truth, purity, innocence.
Oak
Strength of faith and virtue, endurance.
Obelisk
Rebirth, connection between earth and heaven.
Olive Branch
Peace, forgiveness, humanity.
Open Gates
Afterlife, the soul entering heaven.
Orb
Faith.
Owl
Wisdom, solitude, a warning of impending death.
Pall
Mortality, mourning.
Pansy
Remembrance, meditation.
Pick
Death, mortality.
Poppies
Eternal sleep.
Pyramid
Resurrection, eternal life, enlightenment, spiritual attainment.
Rainbow
Union, fulfillment of the promise of resurrection.
Ripened Fruit
Nourishment of the soul.
Rod or Staff
Comfort to the bereaved.
Rooster
Awakening, resurrection, courage, vigilance.
Rope Circle
Eternity.
Rose
Victory, pride, triumphant love, purity.
Scallop Shell
Birth, baptism, resurrection, life everlasting, pilgrimage of life.
Scarab
Resurrection, transcendence.
Scepter
Fortitude.
Scythe
Death, cutting life short, the final harvest.
Severed Branch
Mortality.
Shamrock
Irish descent, Holy Trinity.
Shattered Urn
Old age.
Sheaf of Wheat
Old age, fruitful life.
Shepherd's Crook
Charity.
Skeleton
Death, life's brevity.
Skull & Crossed Bones
Death, crucifixion.
Skull
Transitory nature of earthly life, penitence, mortality.
Sleeping Cherub
Innocence (usually on child's grave).
Smoke
Vanity, futility of seeking earthly glory.
Snail
Laziness, sin.
Snake, Encircled
Everlasting life in heaven. (Also called oroboros)
Spade
Mortality, Death.
Spider Web
Human frailty.
Star
Divine guidance.
Star of David
Unity, transformation.
Steps, 3 Tiered
Faith, Hope and Charity.
Sun Disc, Winged
Spirituality, everlasting life.
Sun Rising
Renewed life, resurrection.
Sun Setting
Death.
Sun Shining
Everlasting life.
Swallow
Motherhood, spirit of children, consolation.
Sword, Broken
Life cut short.
Sword, Inverted
Relinquishment of power, victory.
Sword, Sheathed
Temperance.
Sword
Military.
Swords, Crossed
Life lost in battle.
Tablets of the Decalogue
Containing the text from Exodus and Deuteronomy given to Moses on Mount Sinai as a
symbol of the Old Covenant.
Tetragrammaton
Four Hebrew letters Y, H, W, H spelling the true name of God, reminder of God's
omnipresence.
Thistle
Scottish descent, earthly sorrow, defiance.
Torch, Inverted
Life extinguished.
Torch
Immortality, purification, truth, wisdom.
Tree
Life, knowledge, the fall of man through sin, human fruition or frailty.
Tree Sprouting
Life everlasting.
Tree Stump
Life interrupted.
Tree Trunk
Brevity of life, number of broken branches can indicate deceased family members buried at
that site.
Tree Trunk, Leaning
Short interrupted life, mourning.
Triangle
Holy Trinity.
Triqueta (3 interlocking circles or triangles)
Eternity, Trinity, popular motif on Celtic crosses.
Trumpet
Announcement of the resurrection or the soul's entrance into heaven.
Urn
Immortality, penitence, death of the body and its return to dust in the final resting-place.
Violet
Humility.
Weeping Willow
Mourning, grief, lamentation, sorrow.
Wheat
Body of Christ.
Wheel
Cycle of life, enlightenment, spiritual power.
Winged Face
Effigy of the deceased soul, the soul in flight.
Winged Hourglass
Fleetness of life, mortality.
Winged Skull
Flight of the soul from mortal man.
Wreath
Victory.
Wreath, of Roses
Heavenly joy and bliss.
Wreath on Skull
Victory of death over life.
Yin Yang Circle
Harmony, balance, birth and death
PG 56
Symbols, Designs And Their Meanings