Anchor/Ships — Hope or Seafaring profession
Angel, Flying – Rebirth; Resurrection.
Angel, Trumpeting – Resurrection.
Angel, Weeping – Grief and Mourning.
Arch – Victory in death.
Arrow – Mortality.
Bird – Eternal life.
Bird, Flying– Resurrection.
Book – Representation of a holy book: i.e. the Bible.
A pair of Holy Books on Mormom (LDS) headstones indicates the Bibleand Book of Mormon
Three Holy Books on Mormom headstones indicates the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine & Covenants — all of which are scripture to the LDS Church.
Breasts (Gourds, Pomegranates) – Nourishment of the soul; the church.
Bouquets/Flowers — Condolences, grief, sorrow
Broken Column — Loss of Head of Family
Broken Ring — Family Circle Severed
Buds/Rosebud — Morning of Life or Renewal of Life
Bugles — Resurrection and the Military
Butterfly — Short-lived – Early Death
Candle being Snuffed — Time, mortality
Cherub — Angelic
Coffin, Father Time, Picks/Shovels, Darts — Mortality
Columns and Doors – Heavenly entrance.
Corn — Ripe Old Age
Cross — Emblem of Faith
Crossed Swords — High-ranking military person
Crown – Glory of life after death.
Cup or Chalice – The Sacraments.
Dobe – Purity; Devotion.
Dove, Flying – Resurrection.
Drapes – Mourning; Mortality.
Flame or Light – Life; Resurrection.
Flower – Fragility of life.
Flower, Severed Stem – Shortened life.
Flying Birds — Flight of the Soul
Fruits — Eternal plenty
Full-Blown Rose — Prime of Life
Garland or Wreath – Victory in death.
Grim Reaper – Death personified.
Hand, Pointing Up – Pathway to heaven; Heavenly reward.
Hands, Clapsed – The goodbyes said at death.
Hand of God Chopping — Sudden Death
Handshakes — Farewell
Harp — Praise to the Maker
Heart – Love; Love of God; Abode of the soul; Mortality.
Horns — The Resurrection
Hourglass – Passing of time.
Hourglass, Flying– Time flies.
Imps — Mortality
Ivy — Friendship and Immortality
Lamb – Innocence.
Laurel — Fame or Victory
Lily or Lily of Valley — Emblem of Innocence and Purity
Lion – Courage; The Lion of Judah.
Morning Glory — Beginning of Life
Oak Leaves and Acorn — Maturity, Ripe Old Age
Open Book/ Bible — Deceased Teacher, Minister, etc.
Pall – Mortality.
Palm Branch — Signifies Victory and Rejoicing
Pick – Death; Mortality.
Poppy — Sleep
Portals — Passageway to eternal journey
Rod or Staff– Comfort for the bereaved.
Rooster– Awakening; Resurrection.
Roses — Brevity of earthly existence
Scythe– Death; The divine harvest.
Seashell– Resurrection; Life everlasting; Life’s pilgrimage.
Sheaf of Wheat — Ripe for Harvest, Divine Harvest, Time
Skull– Mortality.
Skull/ Crossed Bones– Death.
Skeleton– Life’s brevity.
Snake (Tail in Mouth)- Everlasting life in heaven.
Spade– Mortality; Death.
Stars and Stripes Around Eagle — Eternal Vigilance, Liberty
Sun Rising– Renewed life.
Sun Shining-Life everlasting.
Sun Setting– Death.
Thistle– Scottish descent.
Thistles — Remembrance
Tombs — Mortality
Torch Inverted — Life Extinct
Tree– Life.
Tree Sprouting– Life everlasting.
Severed Branch– Mortality.
Tree Stump– Life interrupted.
Tree Stump w/Ivy — Head of Family – Immortality
Tree Trunk– Brevity of life.
Tree Trunk Leaning– Short interrupted life.
Trumpeters — Heralds of the Resurrection
Urn– Immortality (ancient Egyptian belief that life would be restored in the future through the vital organs placed in the urn).
Urn with /Wreath or Crepe — Mourning
Urn with Blaze — Undying Friendship
Weeping Willow Tree– Mourning; Grief; Nature’s lament.
Willows — Earthly Sorrow
Winged Face– Effigy of the deceased soul; the soul in flight.
Winged Skull– Flight of the soul from mortal man.
Wreath– Victory.
Wreath on Skull– Victory of death over life.
Wheat Strands or Sheaves– The divine harvest