THE MEANING OF GRAVESTONE ENGRAVINGS
Anchor/Ships.................Hope or a Mariner
Arches...........................Victory in Death
Arrows...........................Mortality
Bird................................Eternal Life
Bird
flying.......................Resurrection
Book
open.....................Teacher
Bible open.....................Minister
Bouquets flowers..........Condolences, grief, sorrow
Broken
column...............Loss of Head of family
Bugles...........................Resurrection,or Military
Butterfly........................Short lived, Early death
Candle being
snuffed.............Time, Mortality
Cherub..........................Angelic
Corn..............................Ripe old age
Cross............................Emblem of faith
Crossed
swords...................High ranking military person
Darts or
Coffin..................Father time Gentleness, Affection, Purity
Flying
birds ....................Flight of the soul
Fruit............................Eternal plent
Garlands.........................Victory in death
Hands
shaking....................Farewell
Harp.............................Praise
to the Maker
Hearts...........................Soul in bliss or love of
Christ
Horns............................The Resurrection
Hourglass........................Swiftness of time
Hand of God Chopping.............Sudden Death
Hourglass with
wings.............Time flying, short life
Imps.............................Mortality
Ivy..............................Friendship and Immortality
Lamb.............................Innocence
Laurel...........................Fame or Victory
Lily or lily of Valley...........Emblem of Innocence and purity
Morning
glory....................Beginning of life
Oak leaves &
acorn...............Maturity, and ripe old age
Palm
branches....................Signifies Victory and rejoicing
Picks &
Shovels..................Mortality
Poppy............................Sleep
Portals..........................Passageway to eternal life
Rings
broken.....................family circle severed
Rose bud.........................Morning of life, renewal of life
Rose
fully opened................Prime of life
Roses............................Brevity of earthly life
Shells...........................Pilgrimage of life
Stars & stripes
on eagle.........Eternal vigilance liberty
Thistles.........................Rememberance
Tombs............................Mortality
Torch
Inverted...................Life extinct
Tree Stump with
ivy..............Head of family Immortality
Trees............................Life
Trumpeters.......................Heralds of the resurrection
Urn with
Blaze...................Undying friendship
Urn with
wreath/crepe............Mourning
Weeping willow...................Emblem of
sorrow
Wheat sheaf......................Ripe for harvest, divine harvest,
time
Willows..........................Earthly sorrow
Winged
Effigies..................Flight of the soul