Life Visions for the Future: Converging Ideas and Images from Sepulchral Visuals

Many historical and traditional symbols are recorded in cemeteries. The symbols and motifs on tombstones profile individual lives, but they also convey information regarding a society's order, values, religious practices, and realities at the time of the individual's death. The primary goa...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors Cochenour, John J, Rezabek, Landra L
Format Report
LanguageEnglish
Published 1995
Subjects
Cemeteries
Cultural Background
Cultural Images
Cultural Relevance
Data Collection
Death
Field Studies
Folk Culture
Iconic Representation
Religious Art
Religious Factors
Semiotics
Symbology
Values
Visual Learning
Visual Literacy
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Summary:Many historical and traditional symbols are recorded in cemeteries. The symbols and motifs on tombstones profile individual lives, but they also convey information regarding a society's order, values, religious practices, and realities at the time of the individual's death. The primary goals of this research effort were to identify a variety of visuals found on tombstones, to look for patterns and categories of use, and to attempt to ascertain societal meanings of the these icons. Data collection entailed visiting 26 cemeteries in England, Scotland, and within the United States: Colorado, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. Symbols were grouped into several major classifications: (1) shapes and symbols, like various types of crosses; (2) fauna, such as doves; (3) humanoid forms, like representations of hands; (4) flora, like roses; (5) tools and implements, or anything that depicts life interests of the deceased, from golf clubs and automobiles to the cartoon dinosaur Barney; (6) scenes and landscapes; and (7) organizational insignias. Photographs of 24 headstones are included, with accompanying details about the location and date of the headstone, description of symbols and their history, and assessment of the symbols' cultural significance. (Contains 14 references.) (BEW)