Final Post

In my final post I will revisit and answer my initial question, “What are the meanings behind the carvings on the New England gravestones and in what time era were they used?” 

I have covered many symbols and their meanings throughout my blog, but I will come back to a few of the main symbols that were used during the New England colonial era. First, the winged skull, also known as death's head, is found at the top of many New England gravestones. It is one of the oldest gravestone symbols found in New England since it was used mainly in the 17th century. The skull is believed to symbolize physical death, while the wings symbolize spiritual regeneration.

The next most commonly used New England gravestone symbol is the winged cherub. It is a modification of death's head and it represents the soul's flight to heaven. However, the winged cherub did not replace the death's head symbol. Both the cherub and death's head continued to be used after the Great Awakening.

Lastly, I want to talk about the Willow and Urn symbol that was used towards the end of the 1700s and into the early 1800s. The willow symbol signifies mourning and the urn became a popular symbol because of the Great Awakening. During the Great Awakening, Americans were influenced by Greek and Roman architecture. The urn was a Roman invention used to contain ashes of the deceased. The popularity of these two symbols represents higher sentimentality towards death.

The chart below gives a timeline of when these symbols were popular in New England.

The colonial New England era lasted during the 1700s and into the early 1800s. Many of the symbols found on the gravestones were actually ideas that stonecutters brought from their home countries. I love that the gravestones from this era have lasted so long and that we can learn so much from them. By studying these gravestones we can tell that many people back then were illiterate, so they used symbols to communicate. Using symbols on gravestones told the story of that person's life or death and sometimes the personality of that person. I hope that someday I have the opportunity to visit some of the cemeteries in New England and see the beauty and rich history these gravestones have to offer.