Wednesday, March 11, 2009

The Symbol of the Dove


Seen in both Christian and Jewish cemeteries, the dove is a symbol of resurrection, innocence and peace.

Have you ever wandered through a cemetery and wondered about the meanings of the designs carved on old gravestones? Thousands of different religious and secular symbols and emblems have adorned tombstones through the ages, indicating attitudes towards death and the hereafter, membership in a fraternal or social organization, or an individual's trade, occupation or even ethnic identity. While many of these tombstone symbols have fairly simple interpretations, it is not always easy to determine their meaning and significance. We were not present when these symbols were carved into the stone and can't claim to know our ancestors' intentions. They may have included a particular symbol for no other reason than because they thought it was pretty.

1 comment:

janis said...

I want to find a book about more info on this. Any suggestions?