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Certain symbols abound in modern Western culture that are instantly recognizable: the cross signifies Christianity, the six-pointed Star of David is revered by Jews, the golden arches frequently means it's time for lunch. Other symbols, however, require a bit of decoding-particularly those found in cemeteries. Cemeteries are virtual encyclopedias of symbolism. Engravings on tombstones, mausoleums and memorials tell us just about everything there is to know about a person- date of birth and death as well as religion, ethnicity, occupation, community interests, and much more. In the fascinating new book Stories in Stone: The Complete Guide to Cemetery Symbolism by noted author Douglas Keister, the secrets of cemetery symbolism are finally revealed. For instance, did you know that it is quite rare to see a sunflower on a tombstone? Did you know that the human foot symbolizes humility and service since it consistently touches the earth? Or the humble sheaf of wheat-while it is often used to denote someone who has lived a long and fruitful life, do you know other meanings it might carry? Stories in Stone provides history along with images of a wide variety of common and not-so-common cemetery symbols, and offers an in-depth examination of stone relics and the personal and intimate details they display-flora and fauna, religious icons, society symbols, and final impressions of how the deceased wished to be remembered. Douglas Keister has created a practical field guide that is compact and portable, perfect for those interested in family histories and genealogical research, and is the only book of its kind that unlocks the language of symbols in a comprehensive and easy-to-understand manner. -- Amazon.com.… (more)
User reviews
Has some amazing photographs and interesting historical tidbits, but isn’t quite as useful as it could be. The descriptions of various motifs are often accompanied by photographs that don’t show all of the elements
Heavily concentrated on U.S. funerary art, with occasional examples drawn from major European cemeteries.
Much more about gravestones and smaller monuments than mausolea and other larger cemetery structures. (For which James Stevens Curl’s A Celebration of Death: Introduction to Some of the Buildings, Monuments and Settings of Funerary Architecture in the Western European Tradition (B.T. Batsford, 1993) is a better resource.)
I was disappointed that
And as someone else mentioned, having an edition that has more gravestones from around the world would be nice, since most of those pictured were from the US.
This isn't the first book I'd recommend for scholarship - but I have spent many hours on airplanes reading or just looking at the photos.