ANIMALS
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ANT: Christian industry BATS (rare): the underworld BEE: resurrection. risen Christ; chastity BIRDS: souls BIRDS FLYING: flight of the soul back to God BUTTERFLY: resurrection; Christian metamorphosis CHRYSALIS: Christian metamorphosis; resurrection COCK: vigilance; St. Peter DOVE DESCENDING: holy ghost DOVE: peace; innocence; purity (7 doves-holy spirit); messenger of God carrying soul to heaven EAGLE: fierceness; ascension: the heavenly conveyor, national emblem of the United States: the military professional, Civil War casualties EAGLE WINGED: St. John, the Evangelist EGG: regeneration FISH: Christ; plentifulness FOX: cruelty; cunning FROG: resurrection HART (deer): the faithful thirsting for God LAMB: Christ; Redeemer; meekness: sacrifice; child; innocence; most common 19th century child's marker LAMB WITH BANNER: resurrection LION: strength; courage; royalty; power; guardian; fallen hero LION WINGED: St. Mark the Evangelist OX WINGED: St. Luke the Evangelist PEACOCK: immortality; eternity; resurrection; incorruptibility of the flesh PELICAN: feeds young with own blood; redemption through Christ PHOENIX: immortality; baptism RAM: sacrifice ROOSTER: the awakening from the fall from grace; repentance SHEEP & GOATS: Christians and non-believers SERPENT: symbol of death SNAKE: sin; Satan; fall of man SNAKE HOOPED: eternity SNAKE WITH TAIL IN MOUTH: eternity; unity SPHINX: lion represents strength and protection; used to guard entrances SQUIRREL: Christian forethought; spiritual striving STAG: same as hart |
FIGURES
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ANGEL: messenger between God & man; guide ANGEL FLYING: rebirth; guardian angel ANGEL TRUMPETING: call to the resurrection ANGEL WEEPING: grief BREASTS: the Divine, nourishing fluid of the soul (17th century); the church; the ministry; the nourishment of the soul CHILD SLEEPING: Victorian death motif DEATH'S HEAD WINGED: mortality EFFIGES: the soul EFFIGES CROWNED: personal reward of righteousness EFFIGES WINGED: the flight of the soul FATHER TIME: mortality, the grim reaper FOUR EVANGELISTS: Matthew, winged man; Mark, winged lion; Luke, winged ox; John, winged eagle HAND OF GOD: pointing downward-mortality, sudden death HAND OF GOD: pointing upward-the reward of the righteous; confirmation of life after death HANDS: devotion, prayer HANDSHAKES: farewell to earthly existence HANDS CLASPED: in death as in life, the devotion of these two is not destroyed IMPS: figures, some winged, some not, doing funeral related tasks; mortality MAN, WINGED: St. Matthew the Evangelist TRUMPETERS: heralds of the resurrection WOMAN WEEPING: mourning; recalls myth of Niobe, whom the gods turned to stone as she wept for her slain children |
LATIN PHRASES
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FUGIT HORA: "hours are fleeting", "time flies" IHS: monogram or symbol representing the Greek contraction of "Jesus": sometimes regarded as an abbreviation of the Latin phrase meaning "Jesus, Savior of Men" INRI: often seen on a banner of latin cross: "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum". Latin for Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews (John 12:19-22) MEMENTO MORI: "remember death" TEMPUS ERAT: "time is gone"; "time has run out" XP: Chi Rho-first two Greek letters of the word "Christ" |
OBJECTS
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ALPHA & OMEGA: first and last letters of the Greek alphabet symbolizing
the beginning & end of all things, see Revelation 22:13 ANCHOR: hope, life eternal; may signify seafaring profession ANVIL: martyrdom ARCH: triumph, victory in death ARK: church; salvation ARK OF NOAH (rare): refuge, salvation ARMOR: protection from evil ARROW: martyrdom, mortality ARROW QUIVER: warlike BANNER: victory; triumph BATTLE AXE: martyrdom BELLS: call to worship BIBLES: resurrection through the scripture; the clergy BOOK: Bible; wisdom BOOKS STACKED: knowledge BRANCH SEVERED: mortality BUGLES: resurrection; the military profession CANDLE BEING SNUFFED: time, mortality CANDLE FLAME: life CANDLESTICK: Christ; devotion CELTIC CROSS: circle on it symbolizes eternity CIRCLE: eternity; or earth CLOCK (rare): passage of time, mortality CLOUDS: the divine abode COATS OF ARMS AND CRESTS: lineage, status COFFINS: mortality COLUMN BROKEN: sorrow; broken life COLUMNS WITH DOORS: heavenly entrance CRESCENT MOON: Virgin CROSS: salvation CROSS WITH RAYS OF RISING SUN: glory CROSS WITH WINDING SHEET: descent from cross CROWN: reward of faithful, victory, triumph, glory; righteousness; resurrection CROWN ON CROSS: sovereignty of Christ CROZIER: bishop CUP: Eucharist DARTS: mortality, dart of death DRAPERY OVER ANYTHING: sorrow; mourning FIELD ARTILLERY (rare): the military profession FINGER: pointing to heaven FLAME: eternity FLEUR-DE-LIS: Virgin; Trinity FLYFOT: swastika GARLAND: victory PORTALS: passageways to the eternal journey PORTRAITS: stylized likenesses of the deceased PYRAMID: symbolic of death ROCK: steadfastness of Christ; stability ROSARY: devotion to Mary SCALES: weighing of souls; justice SCROLL: the law; Scriptures SCYTHE: time, the divine harvest SHELL: pilgrimage: baptism of Christ SHELL, SCALLOP: pilgrim; pilgrim's journey; resurrection SHIP: the Church SHIPS' PROFILES: the seafaring profession SHRINE: wisdom; knowledge SKELETONS: mortality, Death SKULL: death; sin SKULL, WINGED: flight of the soul from mortal man SKULLS AND CROSSBONES: mortality STAR: birth-life; Christ STAR, FIVE POINTED: Star of Bethlehem; star of Jacob; divine guidance and protection STAR, SIX POINTER: the Father, Creation, heavenly wisdom SUN: God or Son SUN, SETTING: death SUN, RISING: resurrection; renewed life SUNS, MOONS AND STARS: the reward of the resurrection SWORD: martyrdom; courage; warfare SWORDS, CROSSED: high ranking military person THREE: three points, three leaves, three of any thing-Trinity TOMBS: mortality TORCH: zeal; enlightenment TORCH, INVERTED: extinction of life; death; mourning TORCH, UPRIGHT: immortality, liberty, upright life, the scholastic world, the betrayal of Christ TRUMPET: day of judgment; resurrection URN: soul; mortality URN, DRAPED: death, sorrow WINGED WHEEL: holy spirit YOKE: burden-bearing; service; patience |
TREES AND PLANTS
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ALMOND: favor from God; Virgin birth APPLE: sin; Eve BELLFLOWER: gratitude BOUQUETS: condolences, grief BUDS: renewal of life CEDAR: strong faith; length of days; success CYPRUS: sorrow; death; eternal life, Roman symbol for mourning EASTER LILY: modern flower symbolic of resurrection EVERGREENS: immortality FLOWER: brevity of earthly existence, sorrow; certain flowers may symbolize emotions, particular aspirations, attitudes, both religious and secular FLOWER, BROKEN: premature death FRUIT: eternal plenty FRUIT AND VINE: Jesus Christ; the Christian church GOURDS: the coming to be and passing away of all earthly matters IVY: abiding memory, friendship, fidelity LAUREL: victory, triumph, glory LILY, LILIES: resurrection, purity LOTUS: Egyptian water lily and ornament OAK: supernatural power and strength; eternity OLIVE: peace; healing faith PALM: spiritual victory over death; martyrdom; reward of the righteous; peace; a plant whose leaves resemble a hand PINEAPPLE: hospitality POMEGRANATE: immortality; resurrection; unity; nourishment of the soul POPPY: symbolic of sleep, therefore, death ROSES: condolonce, sorrow; the brevity of earthly existence; of English descent-the Tudor rose SHEAVES OF WHEAT: time, the divine harvest STRAWBERRY: righteousness; humility THISTLE: of Scottish descent; the inevitability of death, remembrance TREE: faith; life; the Tree of Life TREE, FELLED: mortality TREE TRUNK, BROKEN: premature death VINE: Christian church; Christ; wine, the symbolic blood of Jesus; the sacraments WHEAT SHEAVES: the divine harvest WILLOW, WEEPING: grief; death (carried at Masonic funerals); earthly sorrow, the symbolic tree of human sadness, Nature's lament WREATH: victory in death, indestructible crown worn by triumphant Christian; eternity WREATH WORN BY SKULL: victory of death over life YEW: immortality |
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©Copyright ~ Barbara Koska Timm
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