Sometimes other’s “do it better” than I ever could–in this case writing about the symbols found on tombstones.
Terry Thornton over at Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi has written a great article about the meaning behind those hands found on tombstones, whether they are pointing up, down or sideways.
The photograph above is a New Hampshire tombstone of Ephraim S. Emerson that is located in Merrill Cemetery, at the junction of Huse Road and South Willow Street in Manchester New Hampshire. A hand is clearly visible with a finger pointing upward. Want to know what is means? Read Terry’s article.
Has this made you more curious about what you’ve found on your ancestor’s tombstone? Well, Joe over at the blog, Cemeteries and Cemetery Symbols, has researched not only the angels and flowers, but also the symbols that are connected with lesser known “secret societies” and such.
Learn a little more about these hidden messages, and your visit to a cemetery will never be the same.
Janice
P.S.: Also read this fascinating article, Death and Dying in the 18th and 19th Century.
