Oct 17
Walk through an old cemetery, and you may notice a graceful tree carved into the surface of a weathered gravestone. Its long branches bend toward the ground, sometimes surrounding a decorative urn or arching over the name of someone who died centuries ago. The tree is a weeping willow, one of the most recognizable symbols …
Oct 17
Walk through an old New England cemetery, and you may notice something surprising carved into the weathered headstones. Instead of the familiar crosses, flowers, and angels found in many modern cemeteries, some of the oldest stones display grinning skulls, crossed bones, and strange faces with wings extending from either side. These carvings can look unsettling …
Oct 17
Old gravestones are filled with mysterious symbols that can be easy to overlook. A weathered headstone might feature a winged skull, an hourglass, a pair of clasped hands, or a weeping willow tree. Some monuments display broken columns, upside-down torches, or elaborate carvings that seem almost like a secret language. Although many of these images …
Oct 16
A human skull resting beside an hourglass. A candle slowly burning toward its end. A beautiful flower beginning to wilt. These familiar images appear throughout centuries of art, literature, and funerary traditions, carrying a message that earlier generations understood immediately: life is temporary, and death eventually comes for everyone. This idea is known as memento …
Oct 16
Walk through an old cemetery, and you may notice an unusual carving near the top of a weathered gravestone. Two hands reach toward each other, their fingers joined in what looks like a handshake. Sometimes the hands emerge from carefully carved sleeves, while other examples feature a simple gesture accompanied by the word “Farewell.” At …
