If what you’re looking for on a headstone, or in a graveyard, or a cemetery begins with the letter N, you will find it here within the graveyard symbols A to Z.
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Here at Headstone Symbols, we are building a complete reference guide to provide you with a complete A-Z.
Drapery in cemeteries and old churchyards is commonplace. You can see it draping headstones and urns, and it symbolises death, and mourning.
In the Victorian era, the urn became a popular symbol of death. It symbolises the return of the physical body to dust, while the soul is everlasting.
The urn’s history started in Pagan religions that carried out cremation. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that attitudes changed due to increasing populations and unhygienic burial conditions.
The ashes of the deceased where commonly collected and buried in an old, or roughly made cooking pot. As these civilizations grew the containers became more elaborate.
The Victorians love of ancient Greek and Roman style decoration is on show in many of their cemeteries and churchyards.
Below are some other points to consider in regards to deciphering the meaning of drapery in churchyards.
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The Danse Macabre or translated into English, the Dance of Death is a medieval allegory that reminded folk about memento mori.
In Heidelberg’s university library, the world’s oldest woodcut shows it in all its glory. It dates to somewhere between 1455-1458.
It’s message is clear!
No matter our status in life, the dance of death unites us all. It depicts each rank in society, from the pope through to a child, walking with the dead into Hell.
I’ve included an extract of the text, Death to the Child: –
Crawl over here. You must learn to dance here.
Weep or laugh, I hear you just the same.
Even if you had the teats in your mouth
it wouldn’t help you in this hour.Oh my dear mother.
Heidelberg’s Dance of Death 1455-1458
A black man drags me away.
How can you leave me now?
Now I must dance and can’t yet walk.
Sadly, at one time you could see a mural of it on a wall inside a charnel house within the Saints Innocents Cemetery in Paris. Demolition of the wall took place in 1669.
Last but not least, the Danse Macabre popularity grew when played out in the streets of Germany and Spain. Due to the Black Death, it’s message was clear.
Finally, there is a legend of the three living and the three dead that is older than the Danse Macabre. It dates to the 13th century and survives due to its popularity in frescoes and murals.
Three young gentlemen on horses meet three cadavers who warn them of the following: –
What we were, you are;
Legend of the Three Living and the Three Dead
what we are, you will be
Memento Mori reminds us, the living that the best preparation for a good death, is to lead a good life. Only then will this ensure that we reach Heaven.
Memento Mori – Remember that YOU will die
Memento Mori was taken very seriously back in the 16th and 17th centuries. Today however, I believe that the message Memento Mori portrays, is just as significant, except for the Heaven bit.
After doing some research, I discovered that The Puritans of the 16th and 17th century had strong religious views following the Reformation in England.
The Puritan belief was that only a select few could reach Heaven, with the remaining doomed to be born, live, die and then rot.
Back in the day, burial near the altar within a church was the preferred choice for a Puritan as Heaven was within reach. Unfortunately, churches were running out of space, hence the beginning of artistic expression on headstones within the churchyard.
By placing final reminders upon one’s headstone, this would ensure that others would follow in their path.
The skull and crossbones is a common symbol of Memento Mori. Other common symbols include: –
Centuries ago with various plagues and diseases, death was always imminent. Thankfully modern advances in medicine and life expectancy have increased.
I do feel disappointed that the art of Memento Mori and its message isn’t popular. COVID is a reminder that life can be fleeting and that we should live life for today!
Why should we be afraid of death?
As a professional tarot reader, it was only the other day that a lady in her 80’s came to see me for a reading.
Sadly, she was experiencing depression as a result of watching her friends die as well as awaiting her own demise.
Of course, it must be very difficult and I have lots of empathy, but I advised her to LIVE LIFE FOR TODAY!
The message of Memento Mori certainly lives on in me.
Unfortunately, conditioning of our beliefs begins in our childhood and never stops. We are led to believe that most of us won’t live beyond our 70’s, but many of us do.
It was only last year (2021) that there was a report of the oldest lady in the world dying at the age of 135. Ref: The Independent
Sadly, my client was simply waiting for the inevitable. She had full use of all of her senses and she wasn’t in a wheelchair. She did leave me with feelings of positivity.
Death is something that we cannot avoid and therefore we should remember to live our lives, Memento Vivere, as death may arrive within the next hour or day.
Memento Mori Headstones in the 16th century usually displayed the following: –
The vision of the skull and the word ‘body’ summed up the expression that we are born to live, die and rot.
Cadaver stones, a choice of the wealthiest in society in the 14th to 15th centuries, depict a rotting corpse in a funeral shroud. Often they show plenty of creatures eating the flesh. These stones are some of the earliest depictions of Memento Mori.
No matter how much wealth a person had or what their status was in life, we are all equal in death. Latin phrases like Memento Mori (remember that you will die) and Memento Vivere (Remember to live) became popular around the same period of time.
During the 17th century, the Puritans were losing their grip on society and attitudes were changing. People now believed in the possibility that there was life after death, and the possibility that one could reach Heaven.
With this changing attitude, imagery on the headstones began to soften. You can read more about death heads here.
Finally, the gruesome imagery of Memento Mori has now softened thanks to The Victorian’s. Their use of urns and flowers have unfortunately, replaced the art I love to see.
And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
King James Bible
Memento Mori – Remember you will die
Memento Vivere – Remember to live
Vive Memor Leti – Live remembering death
Fugit Hora – Time Flies
If what you’re looking for on a headstone, or in a graveyard, or a cemetery begins with the letter M, you will find it here within the graveyard symbols A to Z.
Marigold in Victorian symbology it represents grief
Masks are the sign of a theatrical person as in the comedy and tragedy masks
Memento Mori is Latin for Remember Death. The phrase is usually accompanied by a skull or a skeleton. It is there to remind passers by that they will eventually die.
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Here at Headstone Symbols, we are building a complete reference guide to provide you with a complete A-Z.
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Firstly, the connection of flowers with death goes back to the dawn of history, and it is quite common these days to find a Lily on a headstone.
In ancient Egypt and during the Roman Era, Lilies were often associated with death and funerals.
Commonly for the Victorian’s, the recently deceased would rest in their home prior to their funeral taking place. The use of flowers surrounding the body served to not only mask the sadness, but also the smell of the body. The lily deserves special prominence as it has a strong fragrance and was a favourite symbol of the Victorians.
Last but not least, their are varying species of lilies, each with their have different symbolic meaning. To decipher the true meaning of a lily on a headstone, you have to look at the other symbols surrounding it.
In Victorian symbology a lily of the valley represents the ‘return of happiness’. This lily has a look of bluebells and is not to be confused with other lilies. It is also known as the Ladder to Heaven.
There’s an old legend about Jove desiring to make the baby Hercules immortal. Whilst Hera, Queen of Heaven was asleep under the influence of a sleeping drug prepared by Somnus, Jove placed the baby to Hera’s breast in order to take the milk that would ensure his immortality. Hercules drew the milk too quickly and some drops fell to Earth, and the white lily was born symbolising purity.
White lilies are also associated with funerals as they represent the soul returning to innocence after death
The white lily also symbolises the Virgin’s purity and is often associated in the Catholic church with the Virgin Mary
Finally, the Easter Lily represents new life and hope.
Their white colour represents purity and trumpet shaped bloom corresponds to Gabriel’s trumpet on the Day of Judgement
Varieties of Lily
Bibliography:
Flora symbolica; or, The language and sentiment of flowers by Ingram, John H., 1869
If what you’re looking for on a headstone, or in a graveyard, or a cemetery begins with the letter L, you will find it here within the graveyard symbols A to Z.
A lamb on a headstone often indicates the grave of an infant due to their innocence and this is especially true if there are no other headstone symbols to be seen. The big giveaway is the age of the deceased marked on the headstone if available.
In many religions, the lamb is also a symbol of sacrifice and therefore in some cases, it could be used for a person who was either innocent in life or that the deceased sacrificed something significant in their life time.
Here at Headstone Symbols, we are building a complete reference guide to provide you with a complete A-Z.
If what you’re looking for on a headstone, or in a graveyard, or a cemetery begins with the letter k, you will find it here within the graveyard symbols A to Z
Here at Headstone Symbols, we are building a complete reference guide to provide you with a complete A-Z.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
If what you’re looking for on a headstone, or in a graveyard, or a cemetery begins with the letter J, you will find it here within the graveyard symbols A to Z
Here at Headstone Symbols, we are building a complete reference guide to provide you with a complete A-Z.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
If what you’re looking for on a headstone, or in a graveyard, or a cemetery begins with the letter I, you will find it here within the graveyard symbols A to Z
Here at Headstone Symbols, we are building a complete reference guide to provide you with a complete A-Z.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z