Angels, pointing hands, weeping willows, and urns. We’ve all seen them when walking through a cemetery, but what do they mean? This week, Clara takes Sabrina on a guided tour through the graveyard to decode the symbols carved into tombstones, and what they were meant to say about death, grief, and the afterlife. From religious iconography to Victorian symbolism and Secret Societies, Clara explains how headstones functioned as messages from the living to the dead (and to anyone who wandered by centuries later). It turns out that cemeteries are never as silent as they seem. Grab a flashlight and watch your footing, we’re wandering through the graves to see what the headstones have to tell us!

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SOURCES

Gravestone studies.org - Symbolism of Gravestones

Wolfe Memorial - GRAVESTONE SYMBOLS and THEIR MEANINGS

Catholic-cemeteries.org - Gravestone Symbols and Their Meanings

ThoughtCo. - Photo Gallery of Cemetery Symbols and Icons

Forest Home Cemetery Overview - Gravestone Symbols

Flickr - Unusual Headstones or Grave Markers

Burials and Beyond - The Grave of Clasped Hands: Love Conquering Death

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