One of the most interesting facets to examine in a cemetery is the diverse use of funerary symbolism. Sometimes, through the use of symbols, we can understand more about the person than may be written about them on the stone face. Symbolism can reveal heavenly aspirations, occupations, familial and fraternal associations, family lineage and so on. Learning to interpret funerary symbolism may seem daunting at first, but becomes much easier when one realizes that most symbolism simply constitutes variations of general themes. Sometimes the iconography becomes so personal, however, that more research on the family or individual may give additional clues as to the true meaning of a particular symbol.

It is also important to remember that a symbol can have more than one meaning. Take the image of an anchor, for example. The traditional interpretation of an anchor is "hope", but if the person was involved with the sea in some way, the anchor may indicate his or her profession. The anchor may also signify someone who was considered the patriarch or matriarch of a family that "anchored" the family together. I recently observed the symbol of a single rose on a headstone and first assumed it indicated the traditional meaning of love, purity or victory. However, further research revealed that the family owned a large, family owned nursery known worldwide for their propagation of hybrid roses. Here, a commonly seen symbol could easily be misinterpreted, if not for additional knowledge of the family business.

Today, families are looking to the past for meaningful symbols to use to personalize the gravestones and monuments of their loved ones. However, many of the old symbols have lost their significance because they haven't been used for decades. Markers in memorial parks allow little space for symbolism except for the occasional rose, praying hands, crucifix or Jewish star. It may also be that more people chose stock patterns for headstones, believing they could not afford something custom designed and more personal. The wide use of pre-selected designs has made many of the old symbols seem archaic; the meanings of which forgotten over time. Instead, some families create their own symbolic "language", using designs that are significant only to them.

Baby-Boomers are now increasingly responsible for selecting family memorials, and true to the generational tendency to leave their mark wherever they can, include new symbols that will no doubt baffle future generations. Can you imagine a leisurely walk in an "old" cemetery of the late 20^th century in, say, 2075? Scratching their heads, great-great-grandchildren reading an epitaph below an image of a Star Trek communications device carved in stone will ask, "Just what do you suppose 'Beam Me Up, Scotty' means? Will they know that a monument in the shape of a gaping, tooth rimmed shark mouth was erected for someone's love of the movie "Jaws", and not because he was eaten by a shark? Today's symbolism is much less universal than that used over a hundred years ago because it more closely reflects the fleeting commercial symbols with which we are inundated.

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