Gravestone Symbolism

"Ah, are you digging on my grave,
My loved one? -- planting rue?"
-- "No: yesterday he went to wed
One of the brightest wealth has bred.
'It cannot hurt her now,' he said,
'That I should not be true.'"

"Then who is digging on my grave,
My nearest dearest kin?"
-- "Ah, no: they sit and think, 'What use!
What good will planting flowers produce?
No tendance of her mound can loose
Her spirit from Death's gin.'"

"But someone digs upon my grave?
My enemy? -- prodding sly?"
-- "Nay: when she heard you had passed the Gate
That shuts on all flesh soon or late,
She thought you no more worth her hate,
And cares not where you lie.

"Then, who is digging on my grave?
Say -- since I have not guessed!"
-- "O it is I, my mistress dear,
Your little dog, who still lives near,
And much I hope my movements here
Have not disturbed your rest?"

"Ah yes! You dig upon my grave...
Why flashed it not to me
That one true heart was left behind!
What feeling do we ever find
To equal among human kind
A dog's fidelity!"

"Mistress, I dug upon your grave
To bury a bone, in case
I should be hungry near this spot
When passing on my daily trot.
I am sorry, but I quite forgot
It was your resting place."

~~ Thomas Hardy, 1840-1928

Gravestone Symbolism

This excellent piece on gravestone symbolism was created by Beth Santore of the paranormal group Grave Addiction, based in Ohio.

	SYMBOL	MEANING
	Agnus Dei	Represents the Lamb of God.
	Alpha and Omega	First and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Symbolizes the beginning and the end.
	American Legion	Found on graves of people who were American Legion members, an organization for veterans.
	Anchor	Hope or eternal life. Often on sailors' graves. Anchors are also a Masonic symbol for well-grounded hope, therefore they are often found on Masons' graves.
	Angel	A guide to heaven. Saint Matthew, one of the four evangelists, was often represented as a winged man.
	Ankh	An Egyptian symbol of eternal life.
	Anvil	Symbolizes the creation or forging of the universe. Also found on blacksmiths' graves.
	A.O.U.W.	Ancient Order of United Workmen, a fraternal benefit society. Click here for more information (offsite link).
	Apple	Apples represent salvation, sometimes sin.
	Arch	The passage to heaven.
	Arrow	Arrows symbolize mortality and martyrdom.
	Artillery	Artillery, such as cannons, on a gravestone usually represents military service.
	Baha'i	Symbol of the Baha'i Faith, a monotheistic religion. For more information, please visit their official website.
	Beehive	Often used by the Freemasons. It symbolizes faith, education, and domestic virtues.
	Bell	Often symbolizes a church bell, and therefore religion.
	Bible or Book	Often used on the gravestones of ministers or clergymen. However, it is sometimes found on gravestones of very devoted religious people also. Books may also represent a person's good deeds and accomplishments being recorded in the book of life.
	Bird	Peace, messenger of God. The most common birds found on gravestones are doves.
	Bones	Death, decay.
	Boat	A voyage; crossing over to the other side.
	B.P.O.E. with Elk	B.P.O.E. stands for Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, a fraternal organization.
	Broken Bud or Branch	Someone who died an untimely or premature death. Usually seen on a younger person's gravestone.
	Broken Chain Link	Symbolizes a loss in the family.
	Broken Wheel	Symbolizes the end of life; a break in the circle or wheel of life.
	BRT with a Train	Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. A fraternal organization for men who worked as trainmen.
	Butterfly	Symbolizes resurrection, and also the soul leaving the body/flesh.
	Calla Lily	Flower that represents beauty.
	The Canadian Legion of British Empire Service League	A Canadian organization formed in the 1920's for war veterans and their dependants. Usually seen with a maple leaf.
	Century Plant	Represents immortality; everlasting life.
	Circle	Eternal life - no beginning, no end.
	Clasped Hands	Farewell to earthly existence. Also unity. Deborah, a website visitor, told me that in the Native American culture clasped hands represent a Delaware grave.
	Clock	Mortality, death; the passage of time.
	Coffin	Symbolizes mortality and death.
	Cohanim Hands	Hands with thumbs (and sometimes forefingers) joined. This is a Jewish symbol that represents members of the priestly tribe of Aaron.
	Colonial Daughters of the 17th Century	An organization for women who descended from an ancestor who rendered service in the Colonial wars from 1607 to 1699.
	Column	Mortality. A draped or broken column represents the break in earthly to heavenly life. The draped arch also symbolizes mourning.
	Corn	Rebirth, fertility.
	Cornucopia	Also known as the "Horn of Plenty." Symbolizes an abundant, fruitful life. Also a symbol of the harvest, which in turn symbolizes the end of life.
	Crooks	Shepherds crooks, usually found on graves of Independent Order of Odd Fellows members (a fraternal organization). Symbolizes the opening of earth to the heavens.
	Cross	A cross represents Christianity.
	Crown	Victory or triumph over death.
	Crown and Cross	Symbolizes both victory and Christianity. Also, this symbol sometimes denotes a member of the York Rite Masons.
	Daisy	Symbolizes innocence; usually found on graves of young children.
	D.A.R.	Daughters of the American Revolution, a non-profit women's organization for the descendants of American Revolutionary War veterans.
	Dog	Loyalty, fidelity, watchfulness, and vigilance.
	Drapery	Mourning.
	Eagle	Eagles are often seen on gravestones of Civil War veterans. Saint John, one of the four evangelists, was often represented as an eagle.
	Eagle, Double-headed	A Masonic symbol, part of the Scottish Rite. It symbolizes the 32nd degree in this Rite.
	Eagle with FFC	Symbol of the Improved Order of Red Men, a patriotic society. Their motto is Freedom, Friendship, and Charity.
	Eagle with FOE	Symbol of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, a fraternal organization.
	Eagle with TOTE	Symbol of the Improved Order of Red Men, a patriotic society. TOTE = Totem of the Eagle.
	Easter Lily	Purity, Chastity.
	Eucharist	The body and blood of Christ. Usually found on graves of priests and nuns.
	Eye	Usually found in a triangle or within a sunburst. This is a masonic symbol.
	F of A	Foresters of America, a fraternal society founded in 1895 that provided life and disability insurance to its members. Usually contains an eagle, crossed flags, and a deer. Their motto was Liberty, Unity, Benevolence, and Concord.
	Fallen Tree	Mortality, Death.
	F.A.T.A.L. (with five-pointed star)	Motto of the Order of the Eastern Star; stands for "Fairest Among Thousands, Altogether Lovely."
	Father Time and the Weeping Virgin	Masonic carving. The carving consists of a weeping virgin holding a sprig of acacia in one hand, and an urn in the other hand. A broken column is in front of her. Father Time is behind her, attempting to untangle the ringlets of her hair. It symbolizes that time, patience, and perseverance will accomplish all things.
	FCB with Shield and Suit of Armor	Symbol of the Knights of Pythias, a fraternal organization. FCB stands for Friendship, Charity, and Benevolence.
	F.C.L.	Motto of the Women's Relief Corp. Stands for "Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty."
	Fern	Humility and sincerity.
	Fish	Symbolizes Christianity.
	Flag	Usually found on veterans' graves.
	Flame or Torch	Eternity. An upside down torch represents the end of life.
	FLT in Chain Links	A symbol of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a fraternal organization. Stands for Friendship, Love, and Truth.
	GAR	Grand Army of the Republic. A fraternal organization for men who fought and were honorably discharged from the Union Army during the Civil War.
	Garland	Victory in death.
	Gate	Passage from earth to heaven.
	Grapes	Blood of Christ.
	Greek Catholic Cross	Also Russian Orthodox and Greek Orthodox. They have three bars that symbolize the cross Christ was crucified on: Top Bar - Title Board Middle Bar - Board on which the Lord's hands were nailed *Bottom Bar - The footrest For more information, please click here (offsite link, will open in new window). Derek R., a website visitor, sent me the following information about this symbol: In Russia, the slanted bottom section represents St Andrew's cross. Often there are crosses with another straight cross above the slanted cross (total of three straight and one slanted) that represents St Peter's cross.
	Hammer	A hammer symbolizes the power of creation. It can also represent the person's profession.
	Hand Holding Heart	The hand holding a heart is a symbol used by the I.O.O.F (Independent Order of Odd Fellows) and Masons, both fraternal organizations. It symbolizes charity.
	Hand Pointing Up	Hand pointing up to heaven.
	Hand Pointing Down	The hand of God descending from heaven.
	Hand writing	Writing names in the book of life. Can also be found on writers' graves.
	Hands Praying	Pious devotion.
	Hands Reaching	Usually the hand of God reaching down from the heavens, and the hand of the deceased reaching up to grab it in greeting.
	Harp	A harp symbolizes praise to God. They are often carved with a broken string, representing a break in mortal life.
	Heart	Person's spirit or soul. Sometimes the sacred heart of Christ.
	Hebrew Words	Hebrew words for "Here Lies."
	Horse	Death. White horses represent good, while black horses represent evil.
	Hourglass	Passage of time.
	Hummingbird	Often found on infants' gravestones. Usually just decorative.
	IHS	Sometimes looks like a dollar sign. IHS stands for the first three letters of Jesus' name in the Greek alphabet. Here's another meaning for IHS, contributed by Jim Miller: This symbol also stands for "in hoc signo", Latin for "by this sign we conquer", referring to the cross. It is actually more involved than that, and apparently also has some fraternal applications. Here is the Wikipedia entry for this phrase: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_hoc_signo_vinces
	I.O.M.	Independent Order of Mechanics. Fraternal organization formed in 1868. Their symbols include Jacob's Ladder and an ark.
	Ivy	Friendship.
	Jr. OUAM	The Junior Order of United American Mechanics. It is the oldest fraternal order that is still active in the United States. It was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1853. For more information about this organization please see the official website.
	Keystone with letters HTWSSTKS	The Masonic Keystone, which is the Masonic mark of an Ancient Grand Master. HTWSSTKS stands for "Hiram The Widow's Son Sent To King Solomon."
	Knot	A tied knot symbolizes marriage and unity.
	K of C	Knights of Columbus, a fraternal organization for Catholic men.
	KOTM	Symbol of the Knights of the Maccabees, a fraternal organization.
	L.A. to B.R.T.	Symbol of the Ladies Auxiliary to the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen.
	Lamb	Lambs are often seen on children's gravestones. A lamb represents innocence.
	Lamp	Wisdom, faithfulness.
	Laurel	Laurel represents the "evergreen" memory of the deceased.
	Lily of the Valley	Purity, innocence, virginity.
	Lion	Strength.
	Lotus	Symbolizes creation and rebirth. Often seen on gravestones and mausoleums with an Egyptian architecture style.
	Lyre	Often have a broken string, symbolizing the end of life. Lyres are usually found on the graves of musicians.
	Man with Hourglass and Sickle	Father Time. An old man with a beard, holding a hourglass and/or sickle.
	Menorah	A menorah, which is a candelabra with seven branches, is a Jewish symbol. It usually marks the grave of a righteous woman.
	Moon	Rebirth. A crescent moon and star symbol like the one pictured here is also a symbol of Islam.
	Moon with Seven Stars, the letter "R", and a dove	Symbolizes a member of the Daughters of Rebekah, the female auxiliary of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
	Morning Glory	Symbolizes the Resurrection; also beauty, youth, and love.
	Mortar and Pestle	Usually found on the gravestones of pharmacists, and sometimes doctors.
	Music	Usually found on the graves of musicians. The music can be from a song the musician wrote, or it could be the deceased person's favorite hymn.
	MWA	MWA stands for Modern Woodmen of America. This was the original name for the Woodmen of the World organization.
	Oak Leaf	Longevity (long life). Deborah, a website visitor, told me that in the Native American culture an oak leaf represents an Algonquian grave.
	OES, 5-Pointed Star	Order of the Eastern Star, a fraternal organization for women.
	O.S.C.	Order of Scottish Clans. A fraternal and benevolent society that was founded in 1878. They provided life and disability insurance to Scottish immigrants and their descendants. They became a part of the Independent Order of Foresters in 1971.
	Owl	Wisdom, watchfulness.
	Ox	Patience, strength.
	P of H	Patrons of Husbandry, also known as the National Grange. An agricultural organization.
	Palette and Brushes	Usally found on artists' gravestones.
	Palm Tree or Frond	Victory over death.
	P.A.P. with Moose	Loyal Order of Moose (LOOM), a fraternal organization. P.A.P. stands for their motto: Purity, Aid, and Progress.
	Passion Flower	Symbolizes Christ's passion.
	Piano	Most likely symbolizes someone who was fond of playing the piano.
	Pitcher	Often found on graves of prohibitionists. Represents virtue and control. If it is found on a Jewish grave, it symbolizes a Levite, a person who was responsible for cleaning the hands of the Temple Priest.
	PLEF, sometimes with crown and shield	Symbol of the Pythian Sisters, a fraternal organization for women. The letters PLEF stand for their motto: Purity, Love, Equality, and Fidelity.
	Plow	A plow symbolizes the harvest; the reaping of life.
	Poppy	Poppies symbolize eternal sleep.
	Portrait	Usually a portrait of the deceased.
	Rabbit	Humility, gentleness, self-sacrifice.
	Rifle	Usually found on the graves of military members and hunters.
	Rooster	Symbolizes an awakening, or calling attention to the person's death. It also symbolizes vigilance.
	Rosary	Almost always found on Catholic gravestones. Symbolizes devotion to Mary and constant prayer for the deceased person.
	Rose	Symbolizes beauty.
	Saint Aldemar Commandery	A Knights Templar organization. Masonic.
	S.A.R.	Sons of the American Revolution, a fraternal society that was organized in 1899 for male descendants of American Revolutionary War veterans.
	Scales	Often marks the grave of someone who was in the legal profession. Sometimes seen with a statue of Saint Michael, which symbolizes his duty of weighing the souls of the departed.
	Scarab	An Egyptian symbol of spontaneous creation. Also symbolizes the renewal of life.
	Scroll	Symbolizes the scriptures.
	Seal of Ohio	Ohio's state seal.
	Shell	Baptism or rebirth.
	Shih Tzu of Fo	Guardians of Buddah.
	Ship	Ships are usually found on the graves of sailors. Many times they are found on graves of people who died at sea. They sometimes symbolize Noah's Ark, the ship that weathered the storm against all overwhelming odds.
	Shoes	Empty shoes symbolize the loss of a child. Usually one shoe is overturned.
	Sickle	Reaping of life.
	Skull	Death and mortality. A winged skull symbolizes the ascension into heaven.
	Skull and Crossbones	Mortality, Death.
	Sleeping Child	A sleeping child is a Victorian symbol for death.
	Snake, hooped	Symbolizes eternal life - no beginning, no end.
	Staff entwined by two snakes	A caduceus, which is a short herald's staff entwined by two snakes (serpents) in the form of a double helix. Symbolizes someone who worked in the medical profession.
	Snake wrapped on a cross with "In Hoc Signo Vinces"	The Masonic brazen serpent, a symbol of the 25th Degree Masons.
	Soldier on Horse	A soldier's grave. If the horse has both front legs in the air, the person probably died in battle. If only one leg is raised, the person probably died as a result of wounds. And if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person probably died of natural causes. Stacey, a website visitor, contributed additional information regarding this symbol: Traditionally, in statuary, when a figure is seen atop a horse in memorial, there are the three meanings: two or more feet raised - death in battle. One leg raised fully off the ground - death from wounds suffered in battle. Standing square or at rest - death of natural causes. This is typically the accepted formula for any equine statue/carving offered in memory of a deceased.
	Sphinx	Guardian; represents strength and protection.
	Square and Compass	Usually have the letter "G" in the middle. Found on gravestones belonging to members of the Freemasons (Masons).
	Star	A five-pointed star represents the Star of Bethlehem. A six-pointed star represents creation.
	Star, Cross, and Shepherd's Crook	Symbol of the White Shrine of Jerusalem. Often seen with the phrase "In Hoc Signo Spes Mea," which translates to "In this Sign (the Cross) is my hope." A society for women who are related to (through birth, marriage, or legal adoption) to a Master Mason in good standing. Founded in 1894.
	Star of David	Divine Protection.
	Sun	A sun symbolizes the soul rising to heaven.
	Sunburst with star and cross, Monstrat Viam.	Symbol of the First Corps of Cadets, now the 211th Military Police Battalion. "Monstrat Viam" is Latin for "It Points the Way."
	Sunflower	Devotion to God.
	SV	Sons of Veterans of the United States of America, a group formed in 1881. They changed their name to the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War in 1925.
	Sword	Swords represent martyrdom. Crossed swords are often seen on the gravestones of veterans, especially officers.
	Sword, Crescent, and Sphinx	Symbol of the Shriners (The Imperial Council of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine). The group was founded in 1872, and can be joined once the member has become a Master Mason.
	Tablets	Usually two tablets joined. This symbolizes the Ten Commandments.
	Tent	A symbol used by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The tent symbolizes their encampments, which are the three highest degrees attainable before reaching the highest branch.
	Thistle	Thistles represent earthly sorrow. Also, the thorns on a thistle symbolize the crown of thorns and the Passion of Christ. In addition, it is found on many Scottish gravestones.
	Tree Trunk/Stump	Usually marks the graves of Woodmen of the World members. Also, they usually contain other symbols such as anchors, lilies, vines, etc. Broken braches on the tree symbolize a life cut short.
	Triangle with square, spade, and keys	Symbolizes the York Rite of Masonry.
	Triangle with a star in the center	Symbol of the Order of the Sons of Temperance, a fraternal organization that promoted the temperance movement (abstinence and prohibition of alcohol). Usually seen with their motto: Love, Purity, Fidelity.
	Triangle with three T's joined at base	Symbol of the Royal Arch Masons (RAM). Click here for more information about this fraternal organization.
	Tulip	Symbolizes love and passion.
	U.O.A. Druids	United Order of Ancient Druids, a fraternal organization.
	Urn	The soul.
	UVL	Union Veterans League, an organization for Union Civil War veterans.
	Vacant Chair	Usually symbolizes the death of a child.
	Veteran of the Cross	A veteran member of the Methodist Church.
	WBA	Woman's Benefit Association, a club for women that provided life insurance. Part of the Order of the Maccabees.
	WC	Woodmen Circle, the female auxiliary to the Woodmen of the World.
	Weeping Woman	Mourning, sorrow.
	Wheat	A sheaf of wheat represents harvest, usually found on older peoples' gravestones.
	Willow Tree	Sadness or mourning. Deborah, a website visitor, told me that in the Native American culture a willow tree represents an Iroquois grave. In May 2008, Peggy Wang sent me some additional information regarding the weeping willow symbol: The first half of the 19th century was quite interested in the Greeks and Romans because they were republics and we were a new democracy. There was a great interest in Greek architecture during that time as well, up till around middle of that century. So naturally, gravestones reflected this. The urn and willow, as you probably know, was very popular. The urn was used by Greeks to keep the ashes of the cremated, but why the willow? Well, it was a symbol of the Underworld goddesses, mostly notably Persephone. Also, Orpheus, when he went to the Underworld, brought along a willow branch. This apparently helped him get his gift of speech because, as you might know, Orpheus was a famous poet.
	Winged Lion	Represents Saint Mark, one of the four evangelists.
	Winged Ox	Represents Saint Luke, one of the four evangelists.
	Winged Solar Disk	An Egyptian symbol that represents the journey of the sun and the spiritual attributes of the heavens. Derek R., a website visitor, sent me the following information about this symbol: This is a Zoroastrian symbol symbolizing many things. As a whole, it symbolizes the soul without physical form. It is also a symbol of divine power. If there is a human figure rising out of the disk, it represents either god or the person who died. The human figure is usually aged indicating wisdom. The three rows of feathers represent good words, good thoughts, and good deeds. If there is a tail, it will have three rows representing bad deeds, bad thoughts and bad words positioned underneath symbolizing rising above these things. If there are two streamers, feet, or snakes, they represent the spirit of good and the spirit of evil with the human soul in the middle constantly having to choose between the two.
	Woman Clinging to Cross	Usually found with the verse "Rock of Ages cleft for me" or "Simply to the cross I cling." Symbolizes faith; A person or soul who is lost in the sea of sin, whose only hope is to cling to Christ's cross (the Rock of Ages).
	Woman Holding Anchor	Represents hope.
	Woman Holding Cross	Represents faith.
	Woodmen of the World	Seen on the gravestones of Woodmen of the World members, a fraternal organization.
	W.R.C.	Women's Relief Corp. It is the female auxiliary for the Grand Army of the Republic.
	Wreath	Victory in death.
	XP, overlapped	The Chi-Rho, one of the oldest Christian symbols. XP are the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ.

back to Decoding Graveyard Symbolism

About Grave Addiction:
Visit this excellent site at www.graveaddiction.com

Beth writes: "This is a list of symbols I have seen on gravestones while cemetery exploring. More symbols and explanations will be added over time. **Please note - all the photos below were taken by me. If you'd like to know which cemetery they were taken at, please e-mail me."

Part 1: Decoding Graveyard Symbolism

Home | About the PRO Team | Contact | ReciPROcal Links | Site Map