GLOSSARY OF VICTORIAN CEMETERY SYMBOLISM
ANIMALS
BODY PARTS
GEOMETRIC SYMBOLISM
OBJECTS
PLANTS
ANIMALS
Many grave memorials display incised or three-dimensional animals and these have strong symbolic meanings. The following are some of the most commonly encountered symbolic animal designs:
Birds in flight - These are symbolic of the "winged soul." The representation of the soul by a bird goes back to ancient Egypt. Some older burial art features only wings to convey the symbol of divine mission. Often denote the graves of children, eternal life.
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Dove - An important symbolic animal in Christianity representing the Holy Spirit. The white dove is referred to in the story of baptism of Christ. "And John bore record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him" (Bible, John 1:32). The descending dove is a very common motif on grave memorials. Seven doves are representative of the seven spirits of God or the Holy Spirit in its sevenfold gifts of grace. Purity, devotion, Divine Spirit. When shown with an Olive Sprig it means Hope or Promise.
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Eagle - suggests courage and possibly a military career, symbol for Saint John.
Owl - suggests wisdom
Rooster - Awakening, the Resurrection
Swallow - indicates a child or motherhoodButterfly - The soul, Although quite rare, it is occasionally seen on graves (most often of children). It is symbolic of the resurrection of Christ. The meaning is derived from the three stages of the life of the butterfly—the caterpillar, the chrysalis, and the butterfly. The three stages are symbols of life, death and resurrection. Short-life.
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Dog - Signifying the loyalty and that the master was worth loving.
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Dolphin - portrays the idea of resurrection
Dragon - being defeated by St. George depicts triumph over sin
Fish - indicates faith
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Frog - depicts sin and worldly pleasures, or may represent resurrection.
Hart (male deer) - represented either faithfulness, thirsting for God, or Christ slaying Satan.
Horse - Courage or generosity. An attribute of St. George, St. Martin, St. Maurice and St. Victor, all of whom are represented in Christian art on horseback.
Lamb - This is the most common animal symbol found on a child's grave. The lamb appears throughout the ages with great regularity in Christian art and because it is a symbol of Christ: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!" (Bible, John 1:29). The use of the lamb in religious art pre-dates Christianity and appears to have been used first by the Egyptians. It signifies purity and innocence. Christ in his sacrificial role and personifies: innocence, meekness, gentleness and humility.
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Lion - Symbolizes the power of God and guards the tomb against evil spirits. Like other guardians, the lion's watch is as eternal as the stone of which it is depicted. The lion also recalls the courage and determination of the souls which they guard, they manifest the spirit of the departed. Resurrection
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Peacock - symbolized the incorruptibility of flesh, resurrection, beauty of soul, immortality
Phoenix - symbolized the incorruptibility of flesh, resurrection, beauty of soul, immortality
Serpent- shown swallowing its own tail it represents Eternity.
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Squirrel with a nut - religious meditation or spiritual striving.
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BODY PARTS
Arms outstretched - the plea for mercy
Eye of God/All-Seeing Eye - The Eye of God or the All-Seeing Eye symbolizes the all-knowing and ever-present God. During the Renaissance period in Europe, it was common to illustrate the Eye of God surrounded by a triangle (the Holy Trinity). The eye within the triangle, surrounded by a circle and radiating rays of light is used to symbolize the holiness of the true God.
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Hands - The use of hands in some form is very common on grave memorials. Symbol of leaving.
.Hands, clasped - At first glance, these hands all seem to be in the same fashion but a number of interesting characteristics stand out. First, most of the hands illustrate the right hand in a grasp with fingers overlapping the other hand while the left hand is open. This could be the depiction of a man holding a woman's hand and indicate marriage or a close bond between individuals, unity and affection even after death. Clasped hands are also symbolic of a farewell or last good-bye. Look at the cuff to distinguish between a man's or woman's hand (woman would have a frilly cuff.) The person who died first holds the other's hand, guiding the spouse to heaven.
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Hand of God plucking a link of a chain represents God bringing a soul unto himself.
Hands holding:A chain with a broken link symbolizes the death of a family member.
A heart - symbolic of charity and is common on 19th century memorials. It is typically seen on memorials of members of the Independent Order of Odd fellows. Charity
An open book - the embodiment of FaithHand pointing:Downward - mortality or sudden death. (Possibly a depiction of a secret Masonic handshake.)
Upward - the reward of the righteous, confirmation of life after death. Heavenly reward, ascension to heaven.
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.Hands praying connote devotion
Two hands touching at thumbs - The hands are making the "Live long and
prosper" gesture that Mr. Spock used on Star Trek (Leonard Nimoy is
Jewish, and that's where he got it).
The Cohen was the priestly caste. They perform a few specific functions in Orthodox Judaism, and have a few unique restrictions: they are not supposed to remarry or touch a dead body, for example. People who are Cohen often have Cohen as their last name, This is the hand gesture made by Cohen
at the end of services in Orthodox synagogues, it's a benediction, and had come to universally represent Cohens.
.Heart - Love, mortality, love of God, courage and intelligence.
..Bleeding - Christ's suffering for our sins.
Encircled with thorns - the suffering of Christ.
Flaming - signifies extreme religious fervor
Pierced by a sword - the Virgin Mary, harkening to Simeon's prophecy to Mary at the birth of Christ, "Yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul." It can also be used to represent charity. ` .
GEOMETRIC SYMBOLISM
Geometric forms are commonly found on grave memorials:
Circle - The circle is pre-Christian and its original symbolic meaning has been adopted by Christianity. It is universally known as the symbol of eternity and never-ending existence. Extremely common on grave sites, its usual representation is a cross surrounded by circle. Two circles, one above the other, represent earth and sky. Three interconnected circles represent the Holy Trinity.
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Latin Cross surrounded by circle or oval - representing eternity or never-ending existence.Cross - The ties between all religious beliefs and symbolism have always been strong. To the Christians the greatest symbolic message is in the crucifix. The crucifix or cross can generate many symbolic messages ranging from love, faith and goodness to terror and fear (e.g. the Ku-Klux-Klan’s use of the burning cross). There are many different types of Christian crosses worldwide, but only a handful are common in North America.Botonee Cross - So named because of its modified trefoil (three-lobed) ends, represents the trinity.
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Calvary Cross - A latin cross standing on three steps or blocks, it signifies faith, hope and love. Love is sometimes replaced by charity.
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Celtic Cross - The circle around the crosspiece symbolizes eternity. It's origin can be traced to the Celtic cultures of the British Isles. There is a legend of how St. Patrick when preaching to some soon to be converted heathens was shown a sacred standing stone that was marked with a circle that was symbolic of the moon goddess. Patrick made the mark of a Latin cross through the circle and blessed the stone making the first Celtic Cross.
Eastern Cross - Used in Orthodox (Russian/Greek) Christian Religions, this cross upper horizontal shoulder representing the inscription over the head of Jesus. The lower slanting shoulder represents the footrest of the crucified Jesus.
Fleuree Cross/Gothic Cross - This flowered cross symbolizes the adult Christian by its more opened flaired out ends
Greek Cross - It has four arms equal in length and is the traditional symbol of Christian faith. The equal length drawings of the cross is pre-Christian, and in paganism, represented the four elements—earth, air, fire and water.
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Ionic Cross - Similar to the Celtic Cross, it's ends flair outward. The ionic cross signifies everlasting salvation, love and glory. The circle around the crosspiece symbolizes eternity.
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Latin Cross - One of the oldest symbols of Christianity and the most commonly used form, it is also the simplest in design. In early times, it was called god's mark
Triangle/Trefoil/Triquetra - In Christianity, the equilateral triangle is the symbol of the Trinity. Other geometric shapes representing the Holy Trinity are the trefoil, the triquetra, the circle within the triangle, the triangle in circle and the triquetra and circle. To the ancient Egyptians, the triangle was an emblem of Godhead; to the Pythagoreans, it symbolized wisdom. Another use of the triangle is in the symbol of the eye (eye of God) surrounded by a triangle.
Square - It represents the earth and earthly existence. Some monuments have a cube or square inverted to point the corners downward and upward. This illustrates earthly existence and the directions of earth and heaven.
The Eye of God surrounded by a triangle and a circle - symbolic of the eternity of the Holy Trinity.
Pentagram - This is a five-pointed, star-shaped figure made by extending the sides of a regular pentagon until they meet. This figure pre-dates Christianity and was first known to be used by Pythagoras, the Greek philosopher. Later in the Middle Ages, the pentagram was used by magicians and sorcerers. It was believed that the pentagram offered protection against evil. Christianity adopted the figure and the symbolism to suggest the five wounds suffered by Christ on the cross. It is interesting to note that the pentagram is used by both Christianity and Wicca (witchcraft).
Pyramid - Eternity. It was supposed that a pyramid-shaped tombstone prevented the devil from reclining on a grave.
StarA five-pointed star is symbolic of the life of Christ and may also represent the five wounds of Christ.
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Five-pointed pentagram star - This star is drawn with one stroke of the pen. Its exact origin is unknown, and its meaning has changed throughout the ages. The pre-Christian Celtic priests called it the witch's foot. It is also called Solomon's Seal and was known in the Middle Ages as the goblin's cross. Today the symbol is a favorite among graffiti artists and so-called demonology practitioners. Like the pentagon, it is believed to have protective powers against evil. In Wicca beliefs, it represents protection against demons and a symbol of safety. The ancient Babylonians used the symbol as a magic charm. The five-pointed pentagram star represents the five senses. To the Jews, it represents the five mosaic books. This symbol has also been adopted by Masonic organizations (e.g., the Eastern Star).
The Star of David - Six-pointed star or Star of David, also known as Magen David (Hebrew for shield of David), it is typically used as a
symbol of Judaism. The star is actually made of two triangles. It signifies divine protection as epitomized by the alchemistic signs for fire and water which are an upward and downward apexed triangle. The star is a very ancient symbol, used by several Asia Minor cultures, as well as some Greek city states. For Judaism, the Star of David came into widespread use at the beginning of the 20th century. Theodore Hertzel, a Jewish activist, adopted the symbol in his writings promoting Palestine as a Jewish homeland.Menorah or seven-branched candlestick - Jewish symbol for divine presence of God. The seven branches of the candlestick represents the seven days for the creation of the world by God.
Swastika - Exact origin is unknown but it is considered one of the oldest and widespread symbols used. Commonly found on Buddhist memorials, it represents the seal of the Buddha’s heart; the doctrine of Buddha; the round of existence. To the Chinese, the swastika had two forms symbolizing the male and female; clockwise and anti-clockwise. Also used by the Romans and later by the Nazi party in Germany during the Second World War.
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OBJECTS
Anchor - Early Christians used the anchor as a disguised cross, and as a marker to guide the way to secret meeting places. A Christian symbol of hope, it is found as funerary symbolism in the art of the catacombs. Often set amongst rocks. It can also be an occupational symbol in sea-faring areas or the attribute of Saint Nicholas, patron saint of seamen, symbolized hope and steadfastness. An anchor with a broken chain stands for the cessation of life.
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Arch - Victory of life; or victory in death.
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Arrow - denotes mortality
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Angels - the agent of God, often pointing towards heaven; guardians of the dead, symbolizing spirituality. Angels are shown in all types of poses with different symbolism.
Two angels can be named, and are identified by the objects they carry: Michael, who bears a sword and Gabriel,who is depicted with a horn.
.Blowing a trumpet (or even two trumpets) representing the day of judgment, and Call to the Resurrection
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Carrying the departed soul as a child in their arms, or as a Guardian embracing the dead. The "messengers of god" are often shown escorting the deceased to heaven.
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Flying - Rebirth
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Many angels gathered together in the clouds - represents heaven.
Weeping - Grief, or mourning an untimely death.
..Baby's chair - small, empty furniture symbolized unfulfilled lives of children; represented the child now gone; with small shoes on chair - connection to childhood, symbolized inability to achieve adulthood
Bible - connotes a religious lay person or a cleric
Book - faith, learning to read and write, a scholar. A prayer, or knowledge or even memory (where it has a dog-eared page). It may represent the Book of Life and is often shown as a bible. A popular form is the book as a double page spread.
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Candle, with a flame - Life
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Chalice – sacraments
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Cherubs - the graves of children
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.Cherub's Head - the soul.Children - usually represent the untimely death of the innocent. They may be shown mourning a parent, but if holding a skull that means they are dead themselves.
.Sleeping - sleep is the tie between life and death; children are purity, artlessness, innocence
...Chrisma - a cross like shape formed by a combination of two Greek letters, chi (X) and rho (P) corresponding to CH and R of the word, Christ, hence a symbol for Jesus Christ.
Circle - perfection or eternity in the after world, life everlasting
Coffin, Sarcophagus, Cemetery monument - mortality.
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Column, broken - an early grief, end of life, sorrow. Life cut short too soon. May be girded with flowers. This image represents the decay. It usually represents the loss of the family head.
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Columns, with archway - Heavenly entrance
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Cross and Anchor - another early Christian symbol referring to Christ as "hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sincere and steadfast" (Hebrews 6:19).
Crown - immortality, righteousness, victory, triumph, resurrection, symbolic of honor or glory, glory of life after death. May be shown being offered to those on Earth by Angels.Crown on a cross - sovereignty of the Lord.
.....Doors and gates - passage into the afterlife. Heavenly entrance
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Drapery over anything - sorrow, mourning
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Flame - eternity.
Grim Reaper - Death personified.
Harp - Associated with David in the Old Testament; symbol of St. Cecilia, patron saint of musicians. Symbolic of worship in heaven, hope.
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Hourglass - Time's inevitable passing, attribute of death and Father Time, represents the passage of time and the shortness of life.On its side - that time has stopped for the deceased.
Winged - time's swift flight.
..Keys - Keys stand for spiritual knowledge or, if held in the hands of an angel or saint, the means to enter heaven.
Knot - The interlaced celtic knot represents reserection and life everlasting.
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Labyrinth - The passage of life
Lamp - Knowledge, a love of learning, and the immortality of the Spirit.
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Pall, Pick, Spade - Mortality
Pitcher – Jewish symbol - Traditional symbolism for Levites would have been the
pitcher or ewer, representative of washing the hands of the High Priests.
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Rod or staff - comfort
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Scroll - Symbol of life and time. Both ends rolled up indicates a life that is unfolding like a scroll of uncertain length and the past and future hidden. Often held by a hand representing life being recorded by angels. Can also suggest honor and commemoration.
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Scythe - Death, the divine harvest
Shell - The use of shell in burials is pre-Christian in practice and pre-dates even Egyptian burial practices. Shell is symbolic of fertility, resurrection and pilgrimage. Shells, coins and small stones are the traditional objects left at grave sites. There are several meanings given to this act. It may be a symbolic referral to the ancient custom of burying the dead under a cairn of rocks to protect the body from scavenging animals, or a reminder that the individual is not forgotten.Scallop - symbol of the Crusades, pilgrim, pilgrim's journey, resurrection, life everlasting, connotes one's life journey. A symbol of birth and resurrection, a traditional symbol of the Puritans.
..Ship - the grave of a seafarer
Sickle - death as the "last harvest"
Skull, skeleton - Mortality, death
Star - Stars stand for the spirit, piercing the darkness as an expression of their triumph against the overwhelming odds of oblivion. Five pointed stars represent the spirit rising to heaven.
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Sun setting - Death
Sun shining/rising - Renewed life
Sword - a military career
.Swords, crossed - indicates death in battleTorch - lit or upright torch represents life, the inverted or extinguished - death.
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Trumpets - Victory and Resurrection
Urn - Greek symbol of mourning, the body as a vessel of the soul, originating as a repository for the ashes of the dead in ancient times - a popular symbol of mourning. Most represent an ossuary. In several examples an Angel is looking inside it as if to inspect the contents. A flame is sometimes shown coming from the Urn. They are often draped with a cloth or festooned with a wreath or garland. This fashion of Urn's persisted well into the 1850's at least.
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Urn, draped connotes death, often of an older person.
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Vessel with flame - the eternal flame or the eternal spirit of man.
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Winged face - Effigy of the soul of the deceased.
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Winged globe - a symbol of the Egyptian sun god, Re; on Victorian monuments it is symbolic of the power that can recreate and, with the wings, means, "God, Lord over all, creator."
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Winged skull - Flight of the soul from mortal man
Winged wheel - symbolized the holy spirit.
Woman with or without Bible pointing upward - faith
Woman hanging onto Cross - faith. Original drawing accompanied Rev. Toplady’s hymn "Rock of Ages." Also seen as woman clinging to pillar or anchor. Common motif on white bronze monuments and Masonic grave memorials.
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PLANTS
Flowers convey love, grief, happiness and other emotions. These symbolic connections of flowers with emotion are cross-cultural and their origins are unknown. During the 1800s, the use of floral symbolism became so popular that almost every flower known had a symbolic gesture attached to it. The following are some symbolic references to common plants and flowers:
Acacia - immortality of soul
Acanthus - heavenly garden. One of the oldest cemetery motifs, acanthus is associated with the rocky ground where most ancient Greek cemeteries were placed. It is the most common motif found on memorials.
Bamboo - the emblem of Buddha. The seven-knotted bamboo denotes the seven degrees of initiation and invocation in Buddhism. On Japanese memorials, symbolic of devotion and truthfulness.
Buttercup - cheerfulness.
Calla lily - symbolizes marriage.
Cinquefoil - maternal affection, beloved daughter
Corn (Garbe) - it was a country custom to send a sheaf to relatives on the death of a farmer. It may be used as an occupational symbol.
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Crocus - youthful gladness
Cypress tree - designates hope
Daffodil - death of youth, desire, art, grace, beauty, deep regard.
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Daisy - innocence of child, Jesus the Infant, youth, the Son of righteousness, gentleness, purity of thought.
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Dead leaves - sadness, melancholy
Dogwood - Christianity, divine sacrifice, triumph of eternal life, resurrection.
Fern - sincerity, sorrow
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Figs, Pineapples - Prosperity, eternal life
Fleur-de-lis - flame, passion, ardor, mother
Flower - Frailty of life.
Broken flower - a life terminated, mortality.Forget-me-not - remembrance
Ivy - memory, immortality, friendship, fidelity, faithfulness, undying affection, eternal life.
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Grapes - represent Christ
Grapes and Leaves - Christian faith.
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Hawthorn - hope, merriness, springtime
Holly - foresight
Honeysuckle - bonds of love, generosity and devoted affection
Lalla - beauty, marriage
Laurel Leaves - Special achievement, distinction, success, triumph
Lily - majesty, innocence, purity, and resurrection. Often associated with the Virgin Mary and resurrection. Often used on women's graves. The use of lilies at funerals symbolizes the restored innocence of the soul at death.
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Lily of the valley - return of happiness, purity, humility.
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Morning glory - resurrection, mourning, youth, farewell, brevity of life, departure, mortality
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Mystic rose - Mother
Moss - merit
Mulberry - I will not survive you
Oak tree - hospitality, stability, strength, honor, eternity, endurance, liberty. It is believed to have been the tree from which Jesus Christ's cross was made. In smaller pioneer cemeteries, it is common to place children's graves near oak trees. The oak tree was the tree of life in pre-Christian times. The Druids worshipped the oak. The oak, oak leaves and acorn can stand for power, authority or victory. Often seen on military tombs.
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Passion flower - the elements of the passion of Christ: the lacy crown—the crown of thorns; the five stamens—the five wounds; the 10 petals—the 10 faithful Apostles
Pineapple - hospitality, good host
Palm - spiritual victory, success, eternal peace, a symbol of Christ's victory of death as associated with Easter.
Pansy - symbolizes remembrance and humility.
Pine - fertility, regeneration, fidelity
Poppy - peace, rest, sleep, eternal sleep, consolation
Rose - love, beauty, hope, unfailing love, associated with the Virgin Mary, the "rose without thorns." A red rose symbolizes martyrdom and a white rose symbolizes purity and virginity.
Whether the rose is a bud, flower or somewhere in between indicates how old the person was at the time of death:Just a bud - normally a child 12 or under
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Partial bloom - normally a teenager
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Full bloom - normally in early/mid twenties. The deceased died in the prime of life
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Rosebud, broken - life cut short, usually found with a young person's grave
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Rosebuds, joining - strong bond between two people (e.g., mother and child who died at the same time
Rosebuds, several on same branch - secrecy
Rosette - the Lord, messianic hope, promise, love.
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Wreath of Rose - Beauty and virtue rewardedShamrock - Ireland as country of origin
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Thistle - earthly sorrow, Christ's crown of thorns, Scotland as country of origin.
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Tree - The all-covering love of Christ. Life, The Tree of Life.Severed branch - Mortality
Sprouting - Life everlasting.
..Vine - The sacraments, God's blood, God
Weeping Willow - Nature's lament, a symbol of sorrow and mourning.
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Wheat - resurrection, bread and wine (Christian), fertilityBushel - body of Christ
sheaves - The divine harvest, Often represents the aged.
...Wreath or Garland - The use of garlands, wreaths and festoons dates back to ancient Greek times and it was adopted into the Christian religion as a symbol of the victory of the redemption.
The laurel wreath is usually associated with someone who has attained distinction in the arts, literature, athletics or the military. The ivy wreath is symbolic of conviviality (gaiety or joviality). The wreath and festoon together symbolize memory.
Ancient symbol of victory. memory, passed to eternal life.
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....Bridal - may signify the grave of a young bride or groom.
Maiden's Garland - A garland of white paper or linen, embellished with streamers and a single white glove, which was carried at the funerals of unmarried women of blameless reputation. The garlands were hung in the church after the funeral and allowed to decay. Then the pieces would be buried in the graveyard.Yew tree - sadness, eternal life