SYMBOL
| SIGNIFICANCE
|
| Altar | Symbol of sacrifice, worship, thanksgiving and remembrance |
| Anchor | Marine symbol signifying hope and an object to cling to for safety. Usually has an elaborate rope or chain. Sometimes combined with a cross or an angel |
| Animals | Lambs depict the innocence of children or the sacrificial lamb of God. Serpents are trampled in triumph over sin and death, or eat their tails in the old Celtic symbol of eternity. Doves are for the Holy Spirit, love, peace, or renewed life |
| Arch | Ceremonial, triumphant significance. Triumph over death. Arch of sky and heaven |
| Angel | Signify divine communication and spiritual aspirations. Usually have right hand and right finger raised to heaven. Other hand often holds a scroll, the anchor of faith, trumpet of resurrection or palm fronds of peace. Sometimes shown clinging to a cross |
| Axe | Signifies martial themes |
| Book | Symbol of the book of life and often can be surmounted by a crown and quill or held in the right hand of God or an angel. Can also depict learning, scholarship, prayer or trade of a writer or bookseller. Books and scrolls also represent the Evangelists |
| Broken Chains | Usually situated around the top of a headstone to symbolise the links of love with a family broken in death |
| Cenotaph | Symbolic monument of mourning |
| Circle | The perfect shape - endless - signifying eternity |
| Circle (broken) | Indicates that life has ended. The same applies to a flower with a broken stem |
| Cloud | Associated with a hand from heaven. Sometimes with a broken chain |
| Column | Free standing column symbolizes the sky, God and deity in general |
| Column (broken) | Not always an indication of vandalism but quite often deliberate symbols of a life left unfinished when cut off by death. Often decorated with laurel wreaths. Other forms are a tree without branches, a tree stump, and a tree trunk with an embedded axe |
| Compass / Dividers | Masonic symbol together with set-square. Also indicative of architects and surveyors. In ecclesiastic art indicates divine measuring and dividing of the world |
| Cross | Symbol of Christ's redemption of humanity from sin. Faith and belief in God |
| Crown | Symbol of sovereignty, honour, glory, victory (eg. over death) and the crown of Christ's righteousness. The symbolism could come from Paul's comment about winning the crown of life |
| Dawn (Sunrise) | Dawn of resurrection. Hope for reunion in heaven with associates |
| Death | Often represented with a scythe, or as an archer, or as a skeleton or skull with crossbones |
| Dove | Symbol of the Holy Ghost, innocence and gentleness, conjugal affection and constancy |
| Dove with Olive Branch | Signifies peace and security. The dove returning to the ark with an olive branch indicated that the land had reappeared after the flood |
| Dove with Eagle | Represents the renewal of life |
| Dragon | A Western symbol of evil and the serpent |
| Eggs with Darts | Quite a common design for the edges of tombstones or as a frieze, symbolising resurrection after death. The egg symbolised life and birth while the dart (arrow) depicted death |
| Eye of God | All-seeing |
| Flame (Fire) | Light, life and eternity. Also signifies creation and destruction |
| Flowers | Roses (without thorns) signify innocence and paradise; lilies (white and pure) are the Victorian flower for death and mourning; ivy (evergreen) signify loyalty, patience, immortality and bonding; and ferns (grow in shade) depict humility |
| Fruit | Apples are the forbidden fruit but are also the fruit of salvation and sweetness in love; pomegranates are for fertility and were traditionally worm free; and grapes represented Christ's miracles and abundance |
| Griffon | Body of a lion with the head and wings of an eagle. Signifies power, a guardian of treasure, and watchfulness |
| Hand | Right hand emerging from a heavenly cloud symbolises a blessing from God (Moses saw right hand of God but not his face). It often holds a broken chain, a scroll, or points to a cross or heaven. A heart in the palm means charity. Left hand is the Devil's |
| Hands (pair) | Ttwo hands presumably signify prayer and/or supplication |
| Hands (clasped) | A female hand (with lace at the wrist) is usually on the left side and a male (with cuffs and links) is on the right signifying union, friendship and affection. Used as a sign of farewell, love and friendship not severed by death. A ribbon may join them |
| Heart | A symbol of charity or the Sacred Heart of Christ, or with flames as the Divine Heart. It can be pierced, held in hands, crowned or appear with a cross. Two together can symbolise love in marriage |
| Hour Glass | Symbolic of time and life running out, quickly reaching its end and this can be emphasised by giving the hourglass wings. Time can also be represented by a scythe, clock or sundial |
| Letters (IHS or $) | IHS looks like dollar sign if letters are superimposed. Iota, epsilon and sigma were first three letters of `Jesus' in Greek. `In hoc signo' was Latin for `in this sign you will conquer'. Today it means `Jesus Hominum Salvator' (Jesus Saviour of Men) |
| Letters (XP or PX) | The letters XP, or Chi-Rho, are the first two Greek letters in the name `Christos' and refer to being buried under Christ. Today the letters may be reversed as PX to represent `pax' or `peace' |
| Letters (AO) | AO or Alpha and Omega refer to the beginning and the end and are often shown with the book of life |
| Letters (T) | The Greek T, or tau, is the initial of Theos (God), and is also the Egyptian hieroglyphic for life |
| Letters (TNZBH) | Hebrew symbol for `may their soul be bound up in the bond of eternal life' |
| Light House | A beacon indicative of a safe haven |
| Lych Gate | Churchyard gate below which the deceased can rest awhile before burial. Sometimes shown in miniature surmounting crosses |
| National Symbols | The Celtic harp (bards sang history) and the shamrock; the Scottish thistle; and the Jewish menorah candlestick, oil lamp, and star with six points for God's universality or seven for completeness |
| Numbers | Three - the Trinity; beginning, middle and end; the three graces and the three fates. Seven (perfection) - the world was created in seven days; the seven ages of man; and the seven pillars of wisdom. Three-leafed shamrock and seven-petalled flowers |
| Obelisk | Symbol of eternal life, fertility, regeneration and resurrection |
| Obelisk (broken) | Symbolises life being cut short |
| Plant (Acanthus) | Greek and Roman architectural decoration widely used to decorate slabs |
| Plant (Anemone) | Symbol of brief blossoming and early death |
| Plant (Chrysanthemum) | Japanese national flower |
| Plant (Daisy) | Simple decorative design used widely |
| Plant (Fern) | Symbol of New Zealand |
| Plant (Fleur de Lis) | Symbolic of life. It may represent conventionalised three white lilies or white irises. It is sometimes incorporated into geometric designs |
| Plant (Garland) | Commonly made up of roses, lillies or several flowers. Used as decoration or hung over crosses or surrounding urns |
| Plant (Iris) | Possibly the origin of the Fleur de Lis |
| Plant (Ivy) | A clinging, climbing plant, symbolising adherence to a religious faith |
| Plant (Laurel) | Signifies victory and achievement in arts. Usually presented in form of laurel wreaths |
| Plant (Lily) | The white Madonna lily signifies purity, chastity and virginity |
| Plant (Mistletoe) | Ancient Druid symbol of life and protection, veneration and healing power |
| Plant (Pansy) | Symbol of thought. (French = 'pensee') |
| Plant (Passion Flower) | Symbol of Christ's passion, sacrifice, suffering and redemption |
| Plant (Primrose) | Does appear but significance unknown. May only be decorative |
| Plant (Shamrock) | Symbol of Ireland (Eire). Commonly used on Irish Catholic monuments and incorporated into the design of some crosses |
| Plant (Sunflower) | Symbolic of gratitude and affectionate remembrance. The flower turns towards the sun, indicating brightness |
| Plant (Thistle) | Symbolic of Scotland. Often appears with the cross of St Andrew |
| Plant (Trumpet Flower) | Possibly a stylised Petunia. May only be decorative |
| Plant (Tulip) | May only be decorative or could represent the Netherlands |
| Plant (Vine) | Symbolic of Christian faith. Highly decorative in most cases |
| Plant (Wheat) | Represents bread, or the Body of Christ. Bread was also said to be the Staff of Life |
| Plant (wreath) | Common symbol of mourning and respect. Also represents martyrdom |
| Pyramid | Indicates the mountain where the Gods dwelt |
| Ring | Similar to a circle indicating completeness and perfection |
| 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 honour and commemoration |
| Scythe (Sickle) | Signifies time and death. Indicates life cut off |
| Serpent | May be trampled as a triumph over sin and death or may be depicted with its tail in its mouth as the old Celtic symbol for eternity |
| Shell | Shells are symbols of life and resurrection, hence the depiction of Aphrodite rising from the sea within an open shell. The scallop is a symbol of pilgrimage |
| Sheep (Lamb) | Symbol of Christ's care for his followers, the innocence of children or the lamb of God. Often features on children's graves. Also appears as a lamb kneeling on a rustic bench |
| Spiral | Symbol of movement and progressive development. Often appears as an ascending spiral around a column |
| Spire | Religious aspiration |
| Sunrise (Dawn) | Dawn of resurrection. Hope for reunion in heaven with associates |
| Torch | The torch of triumphant life symbolises immortality and life versus death. It can be passed from hand to hand as in a relay race and can be shown upside down to represent life being snuffed out by death |
| Tree | The most commonly depicted trees are willows for mourning, oaks for life and steadfastness, and palms for peace. It represents death if it is cut down |
| Tree (Oak) | The oak signifies strength, glory and honour, durability and steadfastness. It can also be represented as fronds of oak leaves and acorns |
| Tree (Olive) | Associated with the return of the dove to Noah's ark representing peace and security |
| Tree (Willow) | The weeping willow signifies sadness, mourning and death |
| Tree-Bole | Bole cut off signifies life's end |
| Triangle | Symbol of the Trinity |
| Urn | Signifies death and mourning. Popular in late Victorian period in a vase form and earlier in a gravy-boat form. Symbolic of Roman cremation urns depicting remembrance. Often draped with Christ's shroud or put on an alter draped with a lace-fringed cloth |
| Vase | Widely used in ancient burial and memorial art. Signifies death and mourning |
