Christian graves also tend to face east, but the geography of the cemetery can be more influential. Sometimes a hilly site will have stones facing all four directions. The north side of the cemetery was considered less desirable and is often the last part of the burying ground to be used, or you may find the north side set aside for slaves, servants, suicides, "unknowns," etc. With patience and perseverance you will develop a good background and understanding of this fascinating subject. In many burial grounds graves face all four points on the compass. The history of government headstones has an identity of its own apart from development of the National Cemetery Administration. At the same time, the feet are to the east. This east/west orientation is the most common orientation in other parts of the country and world as well. And most important, study the stones themselves. The north side of the cemetery was considered less desirable and is often the last part of the burying ground to be used, or you may find the north side set aside for slaves, servants, suicides, "unknowns," etc. Graves face north south east or west why? The symbol may be inspired by nature or more frequently by the person the stone commemorates. Familiarize yourself with varying scholarly opinions. The ideal of winding roads and irregular terrain dictated the orientation of the monuments to a large degree. What materials were used? Unfortunately, not all designs on gravestones can be interpreted in such a neat, uncomplicated way, and attempts to do so are fraught with the likelihood of error. Headstone engravers faced their own "year 2000 problem" when still-living people, as many as 500,000 in the United States alone, pre-purchased headstones with pre-carved death years beginning with 19–.Bas-relief carvings of a religious nature or of a profile of the deceased can be seen on some headstones, especially up to the 19th century. Woodmen advertised themselves as an organization for the "Jew and Gentile, Catholic and Protestant, the agnostic and atheist." What are common sizes and shapes of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century gravestones? What can be done to lengthen the life of these artifacts? If the body was positioned between the headstone and the footstone, with the inscriptions facing outward, the footstone might actually be facing east and the decorated face of the headstone facing west. A Government-furnished medallion may be provided for e… The head of the grave is to the west with the foot of the grave being the at the east. Posted 06/01/15 in The Headstone Guide. What can be done to lengthen the life of these artifacts? As the name implies, headstones are usually placed at the head of a gravesite. Freemasonry, while part of the overall cultural influence, was not responsible for the prevalence of obelisks. Alpha (A), the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and Omega (Ω), the last letter, are often found combined into a single symbol representing Christ.. The idea of crossing over a body of water to the promised land or crossing the River of Styx to the afterlife, the final journey to the "other side" is also part of the symbolism of the shell. Home > Articles & Guides > Cemetery Headstones: Rules & Regulations Cemetery Headstones: Rules & Regulations. In many burial grounds graves face all four points on the compass. The Odd Fellows, first organized in the US in 1819, is a popular fraternal/benefit organization. And yes they faced to the rising sun (faced the light of god). The whole thing was then hung on the wall in tribute to them. A Government-furnished headstone or marker may be provided for eligible Veterans who died on or after Nov. 1, 1990 and whose grave is marked with a privately purchased headstone. In most Christian cemeteries, the person is oriented so that the body faces east. There the body would then be laid on its side, head to the north and facing east. The north side of the cemetery was considered less desirable and is often the last part of the burying ground to be used, or you may find the north side set aside for slaves, servants, suicides, "unknowns," etc. Generally most mourning cards are black with gold lettering. This time, the funeral casket was … Obelisks were considered to be tasteful, with pure uplifting lines, associated with ancient greatness, patriotic, able to be used in relatively small spaces, and, perhaps most importantly, obelisks were less costly than large and elaborate sculpted monuments. Mailing AddressThe Association for Gravestone Studies278 Main Street, Suite 209Greenfield, MA 01301info@gravestonestudies.org413.772.0836, Andrea Carlin - Administrator and Publications CoordinatorSusan Pynchon - Office Manager. FLT stands for Friendship, Love, Truth, three degrees associated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Why Do Headstones Fall Over? There were many cultural reasons for the revival styles of the nineteenth century. What is the current condition of the early stones? Since the invention of … If it is permissible, do so with great care and avoid doing it on any headstones that appear fragile, very old, and in disrepair. Another reason might be the general rule that tombstones should not be designed to be larger than the other tombstones in the same section. led to a resurgence of interest in the ancient Egyptian culture. Alternatively, if it was not possible to bury someone in this orientation, the body may have been buried in a north south orientation with the head turned in such a way to face east. Muslims bury their dead facing north-east because they believe that they look over their right shoulder towards Mecca in the south-east, 3,000 miles away. These would be the equivalent of a limousine today, but they certainly had features that separated them from an everyday coach. Napoleon's 1798-99 Egyptian campaigns, the discoveries at the tombs of the Pharaohs, and our new Republic's need to borrow the best of the ancient cultures (Greek revival, classic revival, the prominence of classical studies and dress, etc.) We and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through the use of cookies and similar technologies, to display personalised ads and content, for ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Generally speaking, headstones mark where the head of the deceased is situated. Flat markers, sometimes called “grass markers,” which lie flat on the ground at the head of the grave, flush with the grass 2. It is composed of two Royal Bengal Tiger Claws united in a gold setting by a Keystone. How many early American gravestones are there? In the middle ages, Christians wore the scallop shell to indicate that they had made a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James of Compostella in Spain. Bevel markers, usually about 8 inches thick, which lie flat on the ground at the head of the grave and rise above the grass 3. Strictly speaking, a headstone is a marker at the head of a grave, and a footstone is a marker at the foot of a grave. With the coming of the Rural Cemetery Movement in the 1830s and 40s, an entirely new style of burial became popular. The headstone usually states a person’s name, their date of birth and death; occasionally some personal information, a prayer or a photograph. These emblems tell a narrative beyond the name and rank on the headstone. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. What is the current condition of the early stones? Inside the Keystone - on the keystone's face - is the head of a Sphinx. The body was placed face up. Not all burials followed the tradition nor did all cemeteries. In many burial grounds graves face all four points on the compass. How many early American gravestones are there? What are common sizes and shapes of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century gravestones? Most cemeteries regulate the headstones placed on graves within their grounds. But Churches in the middle ages and up the 1800 did face east, so the graveyards in those churches faced also east. Originally behind the Crescent were a pyramid, urn, and star. The body would be placed face up. And yes they faced to the rising sun (faced the light of god). Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. FCL stands for Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty. There the body would then be laid on its side, head to the north and facing east. The hand of God pointing upward signifies the reward of the righteous, confirmation of life after death. This question is often asked by both the interested layman and the serious student of gravestone art. Strictly speaking, a headstone is a marker at the head of a grave, and a footstone is a marker at the foot of a grave. In the 19th century some larger urban areas had pallbearer or mourners' coaches. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) furnishes upon request, at no charge to the applicant, a Government headstone or marker for the unmarkedgrave of any deceased eligible Veteran in any cemetery around the world, regardless of their date of death. Fraternal scholar William Whalen describes it as an insurance society with some fraternal lodge features. Which Way Do Headstones Face? In this guide, we take a look at historical traditions and practices to discover why we continue to install headstones … If you would like to read more about some of these styles, see The Egyptian Revival:  Its Sources, Monuments and Meaning, 1808-1859, by Richard Carrott. The symbol may be inspired by nature or more frequently by the person the stone commemorates. If the headstone inscription faces east, the body would most commonly be buried to the east of it. In many burial grounds graves face all four points on the compass. When admiring a monument or memorial, it’s helpful to know some key facts about symbolism. The Woodmen of the World emblem is a sawed-off tree stump, often with a mallet or beetle, an ax, and a wedge:  the motto "Dum, Tacet Clamat" ("Though Silent He Speaks") usually appears somewhere on the border. The headstones don`t always face East. First, be aware this can damage old headstones and that it is illegal in some States in the USA and possibly in other places. I think that headstones are a great way to show love for someone, and I think that as we prepare to bury my grandmother, a headstone is a … The original standard grave marker precedes the establishment of national cemeteries in 1862 and actually has its origin in the frontier days of this country prior to the Civil War. Why do most of the headstones in the cemetery face north-south? In earlier cemeteries, headstones all faced to the east. Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. Kimberly Powell. Symbols do not need to be carved in relief, they … Besides occasionally being push over, the vast majority of headstones found on the ground in Newfoundland fell over very slowly due to lack of a stable foundation. Headstones come in a number of styles, including: 1. The tradition has been that the body is buried in such a way that the feet are oriented to the east and the head being oriented to the west. The reason most of the headstones are facing north-south is that is the way the gravesites are laid out. Some companies produced large lithographs with various mourning iconography, angels, doves, flowers, biblical verses, and there was a spot to place the mourning card within the lithograph. The body was placed face up. Clam shells, scallop shells, and other types of shells are a symbol of a person's Christian pilgrimage or journey through life and of baptism in the church. For thousands of years, human beings have used rocks and stones of varying sizes in their burial rituals and traditions, whether to cover a deceased body, mark the burial site in order to locate it later, or to memorialize the individual who died (e.g., the headstones and gravemarkers found in modern cemeteries and memorial parks). The north side of the cemetery was considered less desirable and is often the last part of the burying ground to be used, or you may find the north side set aside for slaves, servants, suicides, "unknowns," etc. The north side of the cemetery was considered less desirable and is often the last part of the burying ground to be used, or you may find the north side set aside for slaves, servants, suicides, "unknowns," etc. What materials were used? The tradition has been that the body is buried in such a way that the feet are oriented to the east and the head being oriented to the west. The head of the grave is to the west with the foot of the grave being the at the east. Alternatively, if it was not possible to bury someone in this orientation, the body may have been buried in a north south orientation with the head turned in such a way to face east. I know most of them face east correct me if I’m wrong because the dead would be ready to rise up and face the “new day” but why do some face west, north and south? Because there are few simple answers, you should, if you are interested in the symbolism on old gravestones, approach the subject with an open, inquiring attitude laced with a healthy skepticism. Slant markers, sometimes called “pillow stones,” usually about 18 inches tall, which sit flat on the ground with the front of the stone angle… What is the meaning of the designs carved on old gravestones? In many, but by no means all, early New England burying grounds the graves are positioned east/west. Sometimes a hilly site will have stones facing all four directions. These Woodmen emblems are found throughout the United States, but the largest concentration is in the South and Midwest. In many burial grounds graves face all four points on the compass. See Clasped Hands: Symbolism in New Orleans Cemeteries, by Leonard V. Huber, published 1982 by the Center for Louisiana Studies, University of Southwestern Louisiana. Cerasoli tombstone, Hope Cemetery, Barre, Vermont. These same letters were also used by the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War and a similar hereditary group called the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic. Headstones were faced east, to meet him. I have seen mourning cards in photographs taken of the flower arrangements from the funeral. Early graves were seldom in the neat rows that we are used to seeing. The winged hourglass, for example, tells us that time flies; the hourglass on its side, that time has stopped for the deceased; the broken flower or tree, that life has been cut short. Hands are found on many gravestones. Who carved the stones? The earliest settlers had their feet pointing toward the east and the head of the coffin toward the west, ready to rise up and face the "new day" (the sun) when "the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised"  or when Christ would appear and they would be reborn. In present day, most headstones face to the closest road. Here are several sources and interpretations for some frequently used symbols on gravestones. However, there could be several reasons that graves face the same direction in each section of the cemetery. Symbols do not need to be carved in relief, they can be a simple line carving if you prefer. Handshakes may be farewells to earthly existence or may be clasped hands of a couple to be reunited in death as they were in life, their devotion to each other not destroyed by death. Even though they can’t guarantee issue-free products at all times, they can ensure quick fixes if problems arise. Why do the early stones face west? To enable Verizon Media and our partners to process your personal data select 'I agree', or select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. Sometimes a hilly site will have stones facing all four directions. Headstone engravers faced their own "year 2000 problem" when still-living people, as many as 500,000 in the United States alone, pre-purchased headstones with pre-carved death years beginning with 19–.Bas-relief carvings of a religious nature or of a profile of the deceased can be seen on some headstones, especially up to the 19th century. Two things that influence the stability of the foundation are: quality of the foundation materials, stability of the soil that supports the foundation. The obelisk is, to quote McDowell and Meyer in The Revival Styles in American Memorial Art, one of the "most pervasive of all the revival forms" of cemetery art. Yahoo is part of Verizon Media. When Jesus returns to Earth, it was believed to be from the east with the rising sun. The headstone usually states a person’s name, their date of birth and death; occasionally some personal information, a prayer or a photograph. Sometimes a hilly site will have stones facing all four directions. According to Northumberland County Council, the tradition began when Pagans buried the dead so they would face the rising sun. Almost all of my gravestones incorporate a small carving of a symbol. In many burial grounds graves face all four points on the compass. Hundreds of other designs invite this kind of easy, simplistic interpretation, and a number of lists have been prepared which suggest to the reader what the symbol probably means. Christian graves also tend to face east, but the geography of the cemetery can be more influential. Sometimes a hilly site will have stones facing all four directions. The emblem of the Odd Fellows is usually shown as three links of a chain. The reason most of the headstones are facing north-south is that is the way the gravesites are laid out. When choosing a headstone or grave marker, we often pick design elements with little knowledge about the symbolism behind it.This glossary of cemetery symbolism will help you to understand the meaning of the many design elements. Why do most headstones face east? Much depends on the layout of the graveyard -- if there was a church or other building in the center of the burial site, where the high ground was located, the location of access roads, etc. Headstones in … Revelation 22:13 in the King James version of the Bible says "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." But Churches in the middle ages and up the 1800 did face east, so the graveyards in those churches faced also east. There is also a national mourning collectors group. In previous posts, we’ve explored significant symbols and their meaning as well as religious symbols.. Everything on a monument has some degree of significance to the family or their heritage. Speculative interpretations of some of the more obvious designs can safely be made by the insightful observer. I am doing a project that has to do with gravestones. Most churches are built with the altar at the east end, expecting the Second Coming of Christ to be from the East: New International Version of Matthew 24:27 - "For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." Tuesday, May 29, 2018 10:05:21 AM America/New_York Burial customs have changed considerably over the last few centuries, but we still follow many of the same traditions that have been in practice since the time of early Christianity. It may be the hand of God pointing downward signifying mortality or sudden death. According to this tradition, this means they will be facing the right direction when the […] A great deal of casual speculation and considerable scholarly research have been devoted to finding answers. A number on the stone is the local lodge number. The best of these is included in a handsome book of gravestone photographs by Francis Duval and Ivan Rigby, Early American Gravestone Art in Photographs. After centuries of burial traditions, you may wonder why headstones are placed at the head of the grave. Professional scholars disagree sharply about the meaning of particular designs; they even debate the extent to which it is possible to determine their meaning and significance. Headstone Symbolism Symbols on Headstones Demystified. James A. Marples, VII°, describes the emblem of the Mystic Shrine: "The official emblem of the Mystic Shrine is the Crescent. Most people have heard the word “headstone” before. When it was not practical to use the west-east position for the grave, a north-south positioning was the next best option. Most churches are built with the altar at the east end, expecting the Second Coming of Christ to be from the East: New International Version of Matthew 24:27 - "For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." It is fully illustrated and deals only with gravestones and tombs. Placing a shell on a gravestone when visiting the site is an ancient custom and may in fact have several different meanings depending on the cultural background of the people placing the shells. Sometimes a hilly site will have stones facing all four directions. Cemetery Rules and Regulations, as they are known, stipulate such attributes as material, size, and type of headstone. I have seen these cards used in shadowbox frames with other artifacts from the person and their wake. When it was not practical to use the west-east position for the grave, a north-south positioning was the next best option. Burials were more haphazard, more medieval in their irregularity; families didn't own plots and burial spaces were often reused. The tradition continued in Judeo-Christian societies. Praying hands signify devotion. There is hardly a cemetery founded in the 1840s and 50s without some form of Egyptian influence in the public buildings, gates, tomb art, etc. Woodmen of the World derived from the Modern Woodmen of America, a fraternal group which was founded in 1883. See "Fraternal Organizations" by Alvin J. Schmidt from The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Institutions, published by Greenwood Press, 1980, or see The International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies & Fraternal Orders by Alan Axelrod, published by Facts on File, 1997 or see Markers XI, "Ritual Regalia, and Remembrance:  Fraternal Symbolism" by Laurel K. Gabel. You may want to look up www.hearse.com on the Internet. Not all burials followed the tradition nor did all cemeteries. Practically, it saves space. Tombstones in traditional Western cemeteries usually face east. Why do the early stones face west? They have photographs of funeral coaches of every size and may have a pallbearer's coach. The whole thing was then hung on the wall. Funeral homes do provide models of many of the quality headstones and grave markers found in the catalogues they provide. Posted 06/01/15 in The Headstone Guide. People who order online have to call a toll-free number to get the situation resolved. Read literature about the work of inpidual carvers and about the life of the period. The other key factor, Delp notes, is that headstones can face east or … This healthy persity of opinion stimulates interest and further study. Almost all of my gravestones incorporate a small carving of a symbol. They were used as family mementos and may have been incorporated into a large piece. Why do most of the headstones in the cemetery face north-south? There is more than one interpretation for some symbols so interpretations must be used as possibilities, not certainties. Most cemeteries bury husbands on the south side of a burial plot, with their wives on the north. The photographer propped the cards up near the flowers. Some have generic images, like a dove, flowers, etc. The north side of the cemetery was considered less desirable and is often the last part of the burying ground to be used, or you may find the north side set aside for slaves, servants, suicides, "unknowns," etc. Who carved the stones? In all fairness, it’s not very practical to utilize the west-east placement all the time, which is why the north-south placement turned out to be a great alternative. I think that having a headstone is an important part of remembering a loved one, and I love that you said that funeral homes are happy to help. The headstones don`t always face East.