Snake and Owl Tattoo Art Emperor 1 Maple Leaf

Need Help? Give The states a Call!

i.800.511.5199

Back to Info Center

Headstone Symbolism

Symbols on Headstones Demystified

When choosing headstones or grave markers, we often pick design elements with little cognition about the symbolism behind it. This glossary of cemetery symbolism will help you to understand the significant of the many blueprint elements. For those who would similar to learn more virtually the dissimilar symbols seen in the form of emblems, the Keepsake commodity is very useful.

ACANTHUS LEAF	Acanthus is associated with the rocky ground were most Greek cemeteries were placed. Symbol of peace in the Garden of Eden.
A.E.F.	American Expeditionary Forces
Alpha OMEGA	Very old sign used in second century, first and last letter of alphabet (Greek), starting time and end of life.
Ballast	Early Christians used the anchor as a bearded cantankerous, and as a marker to guide the way to secret meeting places. A Christian symbol of hope, it is plant as funeral symbolism in the fine art of the catacombs.  It is also an occupational symbol in bounding main-faring areas or the aspect of Saint Nicholas, patron saint of the seamen, it symbolized hope and steadfastness.  An anchor with a cleaved chain stands for the cessation of life.
Angel	The agent of God, oft pointing towards sky; guardians of the expressionless, symbolizing spirituality.  Angels are shown in all types of poses with different symbolism. Two angels can be named, and are identified past the objects they carry:  Michael, who bears a sword and Gabriel, who is depicted with a horn. Bravado a trumpet (or mayhap ii trumpets) – representing the day of judgment, and Phone call to Resurrection. Carrying the departed soul- equally a child in their artillery, or equally a Guardian embracing the dead.  The "messengers of God" are oftentimes shown escorting the deceased to Sky. Flying- Rebirth. Many Angels gathered together in the clouds- represents Heaven. Weeping- grief, or mourning an untimely death.
ARCH	Victory of life; or victory of expiry.
Artillery OUTSTRETCHED	The plea for mercy.
Arrow	Denotes mortality.
Baby'South CHAIR	Small, empty furniture symbolized unfulfilled lives of children; represented the child now gone; with pocket-sized shoes on chair-connection to babyhood, symbolized inability to achieve machismo.
BAMBOO	The emblem of Buddha.  The seven-knotted bamboo denotes the seven degrees of initiation and invocation in Buddhism.  On Japanese memorials, symbolic of devotion and truthfulness.
BIBLE	Connotes a religious lay person or cleric.
BIRD IN FLIGHT	Flight of the soul.  The representation of the soul by a bird goes back to ancient Arab republic of egypt.  Eternal life.
Volume	Faith, learning to read and write, a scholar.  A prayer, or noesis or fifty-fifty memory (where information technology has a dog-eared folio).  It may stand for the Book of Life and is frequently shown as a Bible. A popular class is the book as a double page spread.  Standard arabic characters identify the book as the Koran.
BUGLES	Resurrection; also war machine.
BUTTERCUP	Cheerfulness.
BUTTERFLY	The soul.  It is symbolic of the resurrection of Christ.  The meaning is derived from the three stages of the life of a butterfly—the caterpillar, the chrysalis, and the butterfly.  The iii stages are symbols of life, death and resurrection. Short-life.
CALLA LILY	Symbolizes union.
CANDLE	Candles symbolize the spirit or the soul.  In Christian contexts, candles tin symbolize Jesus Christ.  Catholics practice of leaving burning candles on the grave, signify prayers have been said for the deceased.
CANDLE, WITH FLAME	Eternal life.
Bondage	Medieval thinkers sometimes held that a golden chain jump the soul to the body.  Broken links on a headstone can mean the severance and subsequent release of the spirit from the body.  Chains are too the insignia of the International Social club of Odd Fellows, so called because of their dedication to giving the poor respectable burials.
CHALICE	Sacraments; The chalice often appears in association with a white circumvolve representing the consecrated Eucharist.  The two items combine to signify the Catholic rite of Holy Communion.  The headstones of priests often deport these symbols.
CHERUBS	Celestial; the graves of children. Divine wisdom or justice.
CHRISMA	A cross like shape formed by a combination of two Greek letters, chi (X) and rho (P) corresponding to the CH and R of the word, Christi, hence a symbol for Jesus Christ.
CIRCLE	The circle is pre-Christian and its original symbolic pregnant has been adopted by Christianity.  It is universally known as the symbol of eternity and never-ending existence.  Extremely common on gravesites, its usual representation is a cross surrounded past a circumvolve.  Two circles, 1 above the other, represent earth and heaven.  3 interconnected circles represent the Holy Trinity.
CINQUEFOIL	Maternal affection, love daughter
CLOUDS	Veil which conceals God from His worshippers
CLOVER	The trinity, symbol of the Irish.
Bury, SARCOPHAGUS, CEMETERY MONUMENT	Mortality
COLUMNS	Noble Life. Cleaved- Early on Expiry Complete- signifies that life has been completed Urn on height- a symbol of death Shroud on urn- a funerary sign meaning burial With Archway- Heavenly Entrance
CONCH Trounce	Wisdom
CHRIST, VIRGIN MARY, A SAINT, AN ANGEL OR THE Like	Devotion to that holy figure; desire for their aid to accomplish heaven.
CROCUS	Youthful gladness.
Cross	The ties between all religious beliefs and symbolism have always been strong.  To the Christians the greatest symbolic message is in the crucifix.  The crucifix or cross can generate many sumbolic messages ranging from love, organized religion and goodness to terror and fear. (i.due east. the Ku-Klux-Klan'due south use of the called-for cross).  There are many unlike types of Christian crosses worldwide, but just a handful are common in North America. Botonee Cross- And then named because of its modified trefoil (three-lobed) ends, represents the trinity. Calvary Cross- A Latin cross standing on three steps or blocks, it signifies faith, hope and love.  Honey is sometimes replaced past charity. Celtic Cross- The circumvolve around the crosspiece symbolizes eternity.  Its' origin tin be traced to the Celtic cultures of the British Isles.  There is a legend of how St. Patrick when preaching to some before long to be converted heathens was shown a sacred standing stone that was marked with a circle that was symbolic of the moon goddess.  Patrick fabricated the mark of a Latin cantankerous through the circle and blessed the stone making the first Celtic Cross. Information technology is said to serve as a double symbol of eternity and unity, both that of the Son with the Father and the Holy Spirit and that of the believer with the Trinity.  That was a mutual theme of St. Patrick's preaching. Eastern Cantankerous- Used in Orthodox (Russian/ Greek) Christian Religions, this cantankerous' upper horizontal shoulder representing the inscription over the caput of Jesus.  The lower slanting shoulder represents the footrest of the crucified Jesus. Flueree Cantankerous/Gothic Cross-  This flowered cross symbolizes the adult Christian by its more opened flared out ends. Ionic Cross-  Similar to the Celtic Cantankerous, its' ends flare outward.  The ionic cross signifies everlasting conservancy, beloved and celebrity.  The circle around the crosspiece symbolizes eternity. Latin Cross-  One of the oldest symbols of Christianity and the virtually commonly used form, information technology is likewise the simplest in blueprint.  In early times, information technology was chosen God'southward mark.
CROSS AND CROWN	Victory with Christ over death
Cantankerous AND ANCHOR	Some other early Christian symbol referring to Christ as "hope nosotros have every bit an ballast of the soul, both sincere and steadfast" (Hebrews 6:19).
CROSSED SWORDS	High-ranking military person.
CROWN	Reward and glory.  Honors glorified souls and angels, or points to the triumph of death, when it caps a winged skull.  Sometimes juxtaposed with cross; indicates that earthly life includes suffering, and the afterlife, victory.
CYPRESS TREE	Designates hope.
DAFFODIL	Death of youth, desire, art, grace, beauty, deep regard.
DAISY	Innocence of child, Jesus the Infant, youth, the Son of righteousness, gentleness, purity of idea.
D.A.R./S.A.R.	Daughters/Sons of the American Revolution
DOG	Signifying the loyalty and that the chief was worth loving.
DOGWOOD	Christianity, divine sacrifice, triumph of eternal life, resurrection.
DOLPHIN	Salvation, bearer of souls to Heaven.  Portrays the idea of resurrection.
Pigeon	An important symbolic brute in Christianity representing the Holy Spirit.  The white dove is referred to in the story of baptism of Christi.  "And John bore record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from Sky like a pigeon, and it habitation upon him." (Bible John one:32) The descending pigeon is a common motif on grave memorials.  Judaism recognizes the pigeon as a symbol of peace.
DOORS & GATES	Passage into the afterlife; Heavenly archway.
DRAGON	In Christianity, depicts sin and worldly pleasures, or may represent resurrection.  For the Chinese, the dragon is an keepsake of Imperial Power, which brought the universe into its thrall.  It also stands for the Universe itself, a chaotic force which none of usa can truly main. If being depicted by St. George, depicts triumph over sin.
DRAPERIES/CURTAINS	In the days when the body lay in state in the parlor, information technology was the custom to cover everything in black.  Draperies, with their fancy frills and tassels, are more elaborate than a uncomplicated shroud.  They allow the expression of mourning to linger long later on the torso has been taken out the front door and the accoutrements have been stowed for the next death in the family unit.  Curtains tin too set the phase.  Parted, they reveal a telling excerpt.  What is important in such displays is the main actor or central object of the stone.
DRAPERY OVER ANYTHING	Sorrow, mourning.
EAGLE	Suggests courage and maybe a military career, symbol for St. John
Centre IN THE TRIANGLE	Eye of God in the Trinity, all seeing, all knowing. During the Renaissance period in Europe it was common to illustrate the Eye of God surrounded by a triangle (the Holy Trinity).  The eye inside the triangle, surrounded past a circumvolve and radiating rays of lite is used to symbolize the holiness of the truthful God.
FERN	Sincerity, sorrow.
FIGS, PINEAPPLE	Prosperity, eternal life.
FISH	Indicates Faith
FLAME	Eternity
FLEUR DE LIS	Flame, passion, ardor, female parent.
F.L.T. (in three links of a chain) I.O.O.F.	Friendship, Honey, and Truth.  It is the symbol of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a fraternal organisation also known as "The Three Link Fraternity".  This benevolent and social gild originated in England in the 1700'due south.This organisation takes cares of widows and orphans, and in full general does proficient works.
FROG	Depicts in and worldly pleasures, or may represent resurrection.
FRUITS	Eternal plenty.
1000.A.R.	Grand Regular army of the Democracy; the Union Ground forces during the War Between united states of america.
GARLAND or WREATH	The use of garlands, wreaths and festoons dates back to ancient Greek times and information technology was adopted into the Christian faith as a symbol of the victory of the redemption. Ancient symbol of victory, retentiveness, passed to eternal life. Ivy Wreath- symbolic of gaiety, joviality. The wreath and festoon together symbolize memory. Laurel wreath- normally associated with someone who has attained distinction in the arts, literature, athletics or the armed forces. Maiden'southward garland- A garland of white paper or linen, embellished streamers and a unmarried white glove, which was carried at he funerals of unmarried women of blameless reputation.  The garlands were hung in the church building afterward the funeral and allowed to disuse.  Then the pieces would be buried in the graveyard.
GEOMETRY COMPASS	In open position, often shown over open book, with letter "Thou" inside angle of compass; Masonic affiliation (Freemasons; Free and Accepted Masons).
GRAPES	Represents Christ, claret of Christ, God'due south care or Last Supper.
GRAPES W/LEAVES	Christian faith.
GRIM REAPER	Expiry Personified
HANDS	One mitt- the hand of God Two easily (clasped) - holy matrimony; the person who died first holds the other's paw, guiding the spouse to Heaven. Two hands (praying - connote devotion. 2 hands (palms facing the viewer, with the four fingers on each hand positioned as two sets of two fingers) – a Jewish symbol indicating the deceased was a Cohen, a Temple Priest.  This is the hand gesture made by Cohen at the cease of services in Orthodox synagogues, its' benediction, and had come to universally represent Cohens.
HARP	Associated with David in the Former Testament; symbol of St. Cecilia, patron saint of musicians. Symbolic of worship in Heaven, hope. Praise to God.
HART (Male DEER)	Represented either faithfulness, thirsting for God, or Christ slaying Satan.
HEART	Love, mortality, dearest of God, courage and intelligence. Bleeding- Christ'southward suffering for our sins. Encircled with thorns- the suffering of Christ. Flaming- signifies extreme religious fervor. Pierced by a sword- the Virgin Mary, harkening to Simeon'due south prophecy to Mary at the birth of Christ, "Yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul."  It can also be used to represent charity.
HOLLY	Foresight
HORSE	Courage or generosity.  An attribute of St. George, St. Martin, St. Maurice, and St. Victor, all of whom represented in Christian art on horseback.
HORSESHOE	Protection against evil
HOURGLASS	Swiftness of time; short life.  Its use associated with personified figures of Death and Father Time comes out of a long tradition of mortuary symbolism. Rarely used alone; usually appeared forth with hearts, stars, leaves, and sacred flowering vines. On its side- that time has stopped for the deceased. Winged- time and its swift flying.
IHS (occasionally seen as IXC)	Signifies devotion to Jesus Christ; variously interpreted every bit an abbreviation for His name as spelled in ancient languages, or of the Latin phrase Iesu Hominum Salvator (Jesus, flesh'due south Savior)
IVY	Considering information technology stays green forever, it has long been symbolic of immortality; eternal life.  Also may signify friendship.
KEYS	Keys stand for spiritual knowledge or, if held in the hands of an angel or saint, the means to enter heaven.
KNOT	The interlaced Celtic knot represents resurrection and life everlasting.
LABRYNTH	The passage of life.
LAMB	This is the most mutual animate being symbol found on a child's grave.  The utilise of the lamb in religious art pre-dates Christianity and appears to have been used first by the Egyptians.  It signifies purity and innocence. Considering the lamb is a symbol of Christ: "Behold the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the globe." (Bible, John one:29) it appears throughout the ages with great regularity in Christian art.
LADDER	Scale of perfection
LAMP	Cognition, a love of learning, and the immortality of the spirit.
LILY	Innocence, purity, and resurrection.  Often associated with the Virgin Mary and resurrection and used on women's graves.  The use of lilies at funerals symbolizes the restored innocence of the soul at death.
LILY OF THE VALLEY	Render to happiness, purity, humility
Panthera leo	Symbolizes the power of God and guards the tomb against evil spirits.  Like other guardians, the panthera leo'south watch is as eternal as the stone of which it is depicted.  The king of beasts also recalls the courage and determination of the souls which they baby-sit, they manifest the spirit of the departed. Resurrection.

Role II

MENORAH	7-branched candlestick that is a Jewish symbol for divine presence of God.  The vii branches of the candlestick represent the seven channels of the spiritual self-expression.
MERMAID	Dualism of Christ – half God, half human being
MOSS	Merit.
MORNING Glory	Resurrection, mourning, youth, farewell, brevity of life, departure, mortality; beginning of life.
MULBERRY	I will not survive y'all.
OAK	Force.  It is believed to have been the tree from which Jesus Christ's cross was fabricated.  In smaller pioneer cemeteries, it is common to place children's graves about oak trees.  The oak tree was the tree of life in pre-Christian times.  The Druids worshipped the oak.
OLIVE Co-operative	Peace; symbol of safety which the dove brought to Noah later the flood
Mantle, PICK, SPADE	Mortality
PALM	Spiritual victory, success, eternal peace, a symbol of Christ'south victory over death as associated with Easter.
PANSY	Symbolizes remembrance and humility.
PASSION FLOWER	The elements of the passion of Christ: the lacy crown-the crown of thorns; the five stamens-the five wounds; the x petals- the ten true-blue apostles.
PEACOCK	Symbolized the incorruptibility of flesh, resurrection, beauty of soul, immortality.
PENTAGRAM	This is a five-pointed, star-shaped figure made by extending the sides of a regular pentagon until they meet.  This effigy pre-dates Christianity and was first known to be used by Pythagoras, the Greek philosopher. Later, in the Middle Ages, the pentagram was used past magicians and sorcerers.  Information technology was believed that the pentagram offered protection against evil.  Christianity adopted the effigy and the symbolism to suggest the v wounds suffered by Christ on the cross.  Information technology is interesting to note that the pentagram is used by both Christianity and Wicca (witchcraft).
P. of H.	Patrons of Husbandry/ a grange amalgamation.
Pine	Fertility, regeneration, allegiance.
PINEAPPLE	Hospitality, skillful host.
PITCHER OR EWER	Traditional Jewish symbol found on a man's gravestone, signifying a Levite, who was responsible for cleaning the hands of the Temple Priest before he performed his priestly duties.
POPPY	Peace, rest, sleep, eternal sleep, alleviation.
PORTALS	Passageway to eternal journeying.
PYRAMID	Eternity.  It was supposed that a pyramid-shaped tombstone prevented the devil from reclining on a grave.
RELICT	Widow
R.I.P.	Short form for Requiescat In Footstep (Residuum In Peace)
ROD or STAFF	Comfort
ROOSTER	Awakening, courage, vigilance.
ROSE	Love, beauty, hope, unfailing love, associated with the Virgin Mary, the "rose without thorns."  A cherry rose symbolizes martyrdom and a white rose symbolizes purity and virginity. The different stages of a rose's bloom, is indicative of the person's age at time of death. Merely a bud- generally a child 12 years or nether Partial bloom- mostly a teenager Full flower- usually in early/mid-twenties. The deceased died in the prime number of life. Rosebud, broken- life cut short commonly institute with a young person's grave. Rosebuds, joining- strong bond betwixt two people (eastward.k. female parent and kid who died at the same time) Rosebuds, several on aforementioned co-operative- secrecy Rosette- The Lord, messianic hope, hope, dearest. Wreath of rose- Beauty and virtue rewarded.
Curl	Symbol of life and time.  Both ends rolled up bespeak a life that is unfolding like a scroll of uncertain length and the by and hereafter hidden.  Often held by a hand representing life being recorded by angels.  The scroll tin can likewise propose award and commemoration.
SCYTHE	Death, the divine harvest.
Serpent	Shown swallowing its own tail, information technology represents spiritual striving.
SHAMROCK	Ireland as land of origin.
SHELL	The use of shell in burials is pre-Christian in practice and pre-dates even Egyptian burying practices.  Crush is symbolic of fertility, resurrection and pilgrimage.  Beat, pocket-sized stones, and coins are the traditional objects left at grave sites.  In that location are several meanings given to this act.  It may be a symbolic referral to the aboriginal custom of burying the dead nether a cenotaph of rocks to protect the trunk from scavenging animals, or a reminder that the individual is not forgotten. Scallop- symbol of the Crusades, pilgrim, pilgrim'southward journeying, resurrection, life everlasting, connotes one'southward life journey. A symbol of birth and resurrection, a traditional symbol of the Puritans.
SHIP	The grave of a seafarer.
SICKLE	Decease as the "last harvest".
SKULL/SKELETON	Mortality; death.
Snake in a Circle	Everlasting life in Heaven.
SOLDIER on HORSEBACK	While some sources state that the following meanings are not uniformly intended past the monument craftsman, other sources state that if the horse has both forepart hoofs in the air, the person died in boxing.  If one hoof is raised, the person died every bit a result of wounds; if the horse has all iv hoofs on the basis, the person died of natural causes.
Square	It represents the earth and earthly existence.  Some monuments have a cube or square inverted to point the corners downward and upward. This illustrates earthly beingness and the directions of earth and heaven.
SQUIRREL westward/ NUT	Religious meditation or spiritual striving.
STAR	Five-pointed star- Symbolic of the life of Christ and may also stand for the five wounds of Christ. Five-pointed pentagram star-This star is drawn with one stroke of the pen. Its exact origin is unknown, and its meaning has changed throughout the ages.  The pre-Christian Celtic priests called it the witch's foot. It is also called Solomon's Seal and was known in the Heart Ages equally the goblin's cross.  Today the symbol is a favorite among graffiti artists and so-called demonology practitioners.  Similar the pentagon, it is believed to accept protective powers against evil.  In Wicca beliefs, it represents protection confronting demons and a symbol of safety.  The ancient Babylonians used the symbol as a magic amuse.  The five-pointed pentagram star represents the 5 senses. In Judaism, it represents the five mosaic books.  This symbol has as well been adopted by Masonic organizations. The Star of David- half-dozen-pointed star or Magen David (Hebrew for shield of David), it is typically used equally a symbol of Judaism.  The star is actually comprised of ii triangles.  It signifies divine protection as epitomized by the alchemistic signs for fire and water which are an upwards and down apexed triangle.  The star tin can be traced back to ancient times, used by several Asia Minor cultures, every bit well as some Greek metropolis states.  For Judaism, the Star of David came into widespread use at the starting time of the 20th century.  Theodore Hertzel, a Jewish activist, adopted the symbol in his writings promoting Palestine as a Jewish homeland.
SUN SETTING	Expiry.
SUN RISING/SHINING or due west/RAYS	Renewed life; resurrection
SWASTIKA	Exact origin is unknown but it is considered one of the oldest and widespread symbols used.  Commonly found on Buddhist memorials, it represents the sea of the Buddha's heart; the doctrine of the Buddha; the round of existence.  To the Chinese, the swastika had two forms symbolizing the male and female; clock-wise and counter-clockwise.  Likewise used by the Romans and later by the Nazi political party in Frg during the Second Earth State of war.
SWORD	A military career. Cleaved sword- life cutting brusque. Crossed swords- life lost in battle.
THISTLE	Earthly sorrow, Christ's crown of thorns, Scotland every bit land of origin, remembrance.
TREE	The all-covering love of Christ.  Life, The Tree of Life.
TORCH	Lit or upright the torch represents life.
TORCH INVERTED	Life extinguished.
TRIANGLE/TREFOIL/ TRIQUETRA	In Christianity, the equilateral triangle is the symbol of the Trinity.  Other geometric shapes representing the Holy Trinity are the trefoil, the triquetra, the circle within the triangle, the triangle in the circumvolve and the triquetra and circle.  To the aboriginal Egyptians, the triangle was an emblem of Godhead; to the Pythagoreans, it symbolized wisdom.  Some other employ of the triangle is in the symbol of the centre (Eye of God) surrounded by a triangle.
TRUMPETS	Victory and resurrection.
TRUMPETERS	Heralds of the resurrection.
URN	Greek symbol of mourning, the body as a vessel of the soul, originating as repository for the ashes of the expressionless in ancient times – a popular symbol of mourning.
URN w/BLAZE	Undying friendship.
VESSEL w/FLAME	The eternal flame or the eternal spirit of man.
VINE	The sacraments, God's claret, God
WEEPING WILLOW	Mourning, grief. Nature's lament, a symbol of sorrow.
WHEAT	Resurrection, bread and wine (Christian), fertility. Convent bakers apply wheat flour to make communion wafers, making it a holy plant, of sorts, fit to grace the tombstone of a priest.
WINGED FACE	Figure of the soul of the deceased.
WINGED Earth	A symbol of the first Egyptian lord's day god, Re.  On Victorian monuments it is symbolic of the power that can recreate and, with the wings, means, "God, Lord over all, creator."
WINGED SKULL	Flight of the soul from mortal human being.
WINGED Bicycle	Symbolized the Holy Spirit.
WOMAN HANGING ONTO Cross	Religion. Original drawing accompanied Rev. Toplady'due south hymn "Rock of Ages."  Also seen as woman clinging to pillar or ballast.  Common motif on white bronze monuments and Masonic grave memorials.
YEW TREE	Sadness, eternal life.

Encounter all your Headstones choices

kirkhopefinece.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.memorials.com/Headstones-Symbolism-information.php

Share this post