GRAVEN IMAGES AND ICONS Cemeteries and grave markers are big business. The stonemason and the sculptor have had plenty of work over the centuries because of the dead. In some cases, two or more generations of a single family carried on the business. They developed their own stone shapes and carving styles, but the use of graven images became something of a standard. As you roam through a cemetery, you are likely to see the same image again and again. The survivors erected markers to commemorate the dead and used icons to communicate something about the deceased. Do you know what some of these icons represent? Let's examine some common ones. A weeping willow tree indicates mourning or natural grief. Clasped hands signify farewells said at death, while a hand pointing upward indicates the pathway to heavenly reward. An urn represents immortality, just as the Egyptians believed that removing and enclosing the viscera in canopic jars preserved the deceased's vitality for eternity. An angel blowing a trumpet indicates resurrection, as does a flying dove. Wheat sheaves represent the divine harvest, and a wreath signifies victory over death. Statuary in cemetery is common. The Victorians adored their children, and the death of a child was considered a catastrophic tragedy. While a status of an urn draped with a drape or shawl indicates deep mourning or sadness for an adult, there are examples of children's statuary. Some of these include: the lamb, a figure signifying purity; a small chair or cradle, representing the emptiness caused by young loss; a doll, a rattle or other toy, indicating the premature end of childhood; a sleeping baby, picturing the eternal rest for an infant; praying hands, signifying the hope that the child is now in God's care. While some of these images may seem self-explanatory, others may be more cryptic. Flowers represent the fragility of life and plucked flowers indicate the early severance of a life in bloom. A lion is indicative of courage and an arrow represents mortality. A snake with its tail in its mouth indicates everlasting life in heaven, while a coiled snake indicates sin. Roosters are common in some cemeteries, representing resurrection. The pelican represents redemption through Christ, while ants indicate Christian industriousness. Scales are indicative of the weighing of justice for the judgment of the dead. Sometimes there will be Latin phrases carved on stones. "Memento mori" means "remember death." "Tempus erat" means "time is gone." There are many other such phrases that can be interpreted with a simple Latin dictionary. USING ICONOGRAPHY IN RESEARCH Remember that the icons were used for a reason. They were sometimes selected in advance of death by the person whose grave the stone was to adorn. Usually, however, they were chosen by the surviving family. These carved icons or statuary, taken with epitaphs, scripture, and other carvings, can often provide another insight into the nature of the person and/or his family. There are some excellent Web sites you may use for your reference. The Olive Tree's "Graven Image" site can be found at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/grave.htm There is also a site there called "Grave Symbols" at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/grave_initials.htm which contains abbreviations found on gravestones indicating membership in an organization. Another site that contains symbols of various beliefs can be found at: http://www.cem.va.gov/hmemb.htm The Association for Gravestone Studies has a Web site at http://apocalypse.berkshire.net/ags/ The site contains a good collection of links to cemetery-related materials, but their publications in their online book store and gift shop are excellent. These include some kit collections of very informative leaflets at a good price and the best selection of cemetery reference books in one place on the Internet. Think about the graven images on the tombs and gravestones the next time you visit an old cemetery. Understanding the graphics and icons can help you read between the lines and perhaps learn more about the natures of the people interred there. It adds another dimension to your research and enjoyment there in the cemetery.