𝐀𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬

These symbols often represent the soul's journey, fidelity, or the deceased's personality.

𝐃𝐨𝐠𝐬 (𝐅𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲)

Dogs have l+ong been known as man’s best friend and have been a symbol of fidelity, loyalty, watchfulness, and vigilance. When a dog appears at the feet of medieval women on a gravesite, this signifies the loyalty and inferior place of each in the chivalric order. A dog by itself on a grave symbolizes loyalty, companionship, and guardians of the deceased. A dog by itself may also be an homage to a beloved pet of the deceased.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐥𝐲 (𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧)

This symbol goes back to ancient Greece, where the word for butterfly was also “psyche,” which translates to “soul.” Because the butterfly begins life as a caterpillar before its metamorphosis, it has long been symbolized as resurrection and the soul leaving the body for a grander and more beautiful life to come. When found on the graves of children, the butterfly often represents a life cut short.

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚

Symbols drawn from the plant kingdom often denote eternal life, faith, and memory.

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐯𝐲 (𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲)

Grapes on a gravestone are reflective of the Christian faith and symbolize the blood of Christ, God’s care, or Jesus’ Last Supper. Bunches of grapes, sometimes combined with ears of wheat, represent Holy Communion. Ivy, frequently found clinging to dead trees, is eternally green even in harsh conditions, making it a powerful symbol of immortality and the eternal soul. It also represents attachment, friendship, and undying affection.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 (𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲, 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐠𝐞)

The rose has become the queen of flowers because of its fragrance, longevity, and beauty. It has inspired lovers, dreamers, and poets. In Christian symbolism, the red rose became a symbol of martyrdom, while the white rose symbolized purity. The rose shows condolence, sorrow, and the brevity of earthly existence. On a tombstone, just a bud normally represents a child 12 and under, a partial bloom represents a teenager, and a full bloom signifies that the deceased died during the prime of their life.

𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐬

These figures represent mourning, protection, and the spiritual journey.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥 (𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧)

The weeping angel, also called the “angel of grief,” symbolizes profound sorrow over an untimely death. Some statues show them holding a wreath, garland, or festoon, which were ancient symbols adopted by Christianity to represent the victory of redemption or memory. This emotional figure was made famous by sculptor William Wetmore Story's "Angel of Grief" for his wife’s tomb in Rome in 1894, and its emotional realism has made it a widely copied funeral monument model across the world.

𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧

These icons speak to life's end, familial bonds, and spiritual greeting.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐞 (𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲)

This symbol dates to the Victorian era and represents a farewell to earthly existence and God's welcome into heaven. The hands are almost always right hands. Frequently, one of the cuffs would be frillier (suggesting a woman’s hand) and the other adorned with cufflinks (suggesting a man’s hand), symbolizing holy matrimony and the eternal unity of a husband or wife. It can also express fraternity, such as for members of societies like the Masons, or the connection between siblings or other family members. The hands can symbolize one leading the other, or simply a last greeting until they meet again.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤 (𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭)

Like much of the funerary art, the broken link of a chain represents a life that was ended. It can specifically represent the death of a beloved family member and that the family is broken. This symbol dates to Medieval times when people believed that the soul could be held to the body by a golden chain; once the chain was broken, the soul took flight and rose to Heaven. A hand with a broken chain link can symbolize the chain of life or the bonds of marriage broken by death, or sudden death with God hand-selecting a soul.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞 (𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭)

A broken candle simply symbolizes a life that ended too soon. In funerary art, the candle itself represents the spirit of the soul. In a Christian context, candles can symbolize Jesus Christ, the "Light of the World." A candle with a flame represents life, but a candle snuffer or a candle being snuffed out represents putting out life’s light, symbolizing mortality.