~ The Symbology of New England Gravestones ~

~ The Symbology of New England Gravestones ~

Stones which were cut and designed by various stonecutters came in many different styles. The styles were to change rapidly around 1800. Many stones cut before 1800 were portrait stones. They may have been skulls and crossbones, skeletons, winged soul effigies, a body in a casket, idealized cherubims or individual cherubims. They may have been decorated with symbols of mortality, fertility, vegetable symbols, hearts, flowers, vines, sunburst, hourglasses or clocks. From 1800 on this was replaced with the urn and willow design and replaced shortly thereafter with the plain granite "memorials" with no carvings or design. The urn and willow design is rare before 1785 and the old styles rare after 1805.

During this period very few people could read (let alone an epitaph), but almost anyone could view the pictorial representations carved into the stone memorials and interpret their meanings. Much like the use of pictures on store front signs of the period, a person could identify a loved one by finding the right carving.

The imagery used in the early New England gravestones can be divided into three types: symbols, allegories and signs. A symbol is used to represent something that is unknown or greater than itself. The allegory is used to change the unknown into something that is known. A sign is used to represent something that is already known. 'An illustration of an apple in a botany book would be an example of a sign, but an apple in the hand of Eve in a scriptural illustration would be a symbol, the entire picture an allegory' (Graven Images 1966:7-8).

When New Englanders carved images on their grave stones they were projecting their inner feelings about death and the after-life onto the stones in forms of symbols. Most often, the stones were carved with a primary, or central symbol, surrounded by secondary symbols. These secondary symbols were not meant to have specific meaning on their own, but were used to enhance the feeling projected by the central symbol.

Background on Gravestones Gravestone Motifs Gravestone Symbology

The Five Classes of Gravestones Alphabetical Listing of Gravestone Symbols

Light House Clock Stone Concord’s Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

Salem’s Burying Point Cemetery

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