--- Carol Johnson <carolj(a)myhome.net> wrote:
Joe and Laura,
Where please are your Schmidt's from? This is one
of the main names
that I am researching. Mine are from PA.
Carol
Joe & Laura Schmidt wrote:
> Got this from
Ancestry.com a long while back
>
=======================================================
> Cemeteries have always held a certain fascination
for me. They are
> restful,
> reflective places filled with a sense of
timelessness. They also are
> the
> site of much genealogical research. Roaming
through older cemeteries,
> I am
> often struck by the carvings on gravestones or the
statuary there.
> Perhaps
> you, too, have asked yourself the meaning of a
particular carving. In
> "Along Those Lines . . ." this week, I want to
discuss cemetery
> iconography--the meanings of some of the images
found in the
> graveyard.
>
> A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF DEATH CUSTOMS AND IMAGES
>
> Humans have long marked graves and commemorated
their dead. At some
> point,
> prehistoric man began the custom of burying the
dead. Stones were used
> to
> prevent wild animals despoiling the gravesite.
Later, seashells,
> tools,beads, clothing and other items were piled
atop the grave or
> buried
> with the dead and funereal rites began.
>
> The ancient societies of Egypt, China, and others
are particularly
> noteworthy for their funeral customs, the building
of elaborate tombs,
> and
> the development of unique types of funerary art
and sculpture. When
> you
> think of Egypt, the images of mummies, elaborate
pyramid tombs,
> hieroglyphic paintings, and other death-related
objects immediately
> come to
> mind. The ancient Romans interred their dead in
niches beneath the
> city in
> what are known as the Catacombs. In fact, studies
of all human
> civilizations reveal that, to some degree or
other, they have
> developed
> some ritual customs for dealing with death and
with the remains of
> their
> dead. These include mound building, cremation,
launching the dead out
> to
> sea in boats, sacrifices (human and otherwise),
body painting, hair
> cutting, keening and wailing, erecting huts or
tomb buildings, placing
>
> simple or elaborate markers at the death and/or
burial site, and a
> wide
> variety of other customs.
>
> European cultures developed in similar fashion.
Pictorial images have
> been
> used to commemorate death, with a wide variety of
images used.
> Religious
> symbols and icons were used and perpetuated by the
various sects.
> Other
> images came into use during less than cheerful
circumstances. The
> death's
> head and the dancing skeleton, for instance,
became common
> representations
> for life's brevity during the epidemics of the
plague in Europe. As
> the
> centuries passed, more and more graphic
representations came into use.
>
> During the Victorian era in both Europe and the
United States,
> exceedingly
> elaborate tombs, gravestone carvings, statuary,
funerary clothing and
> other
> paraphernalia evolved to commemorate the dead.
They also allowed the
> living
> to share their sorrow and mourning with one
another and for posterity.
> And
> entire cemeteries, planned as rural recreational
parks, were
> developed.
>
> GRAVEN IMAGES AND ICONS
>
> Cemeteries and grave markers are big business. The
stonemason and the
> sculptor have had plenty of work over the
centuries because of the
> dead. In
> some cases, two or more generations of a single
family carried on the
> business. They developed their own stone shapes
and carving styles,
> but the
> use of graven images became something of a
standard.
>
> As you roam through a cemetery, you are likely to
see the same image
> again
> and again. The survivors erected markers to
commemorate the dead and
> used
> icons to communicate something about the deceased.
Do you know what
> some of
> these icons represent? Let's examine some common
ones.
>
> A weeping willow tree indicates mourning or
natural grief. Clasped
> hands
> signify farewells said at death, while a hand
pointing upward
> indicates the
> pathway to heavenly reward. An urn represents
immortality, just as the
>
> Egyptians believed that removing and enclosing the
viscera in canopic
> jars
> preserved the deceased's vitality for eternity. An
angel blowing a
> trumpet
> indicates resurrection, as does a flying dove.
Wheat sheaves represent
> the
> divine harvest, and a wreath signifies victory
over death.
>
> Statuary in cemetery is common. The Victorians
adored their children,
> and
> the death of a child was considered a catastrophic
tragedy. While a
> status
> of an urn draped with a drape or shawl indicates
deep mourning or
> sadness
> for an adult, there are examples of children's
statuary. Some of these
>
> include: the lamb, a figure signifying purity; a
small chair or
> cradle,
> representing the emptiness caused by young loss; a
doll, a rattle or
> other
> toy, indicating the premature end of childhood; a
sleeping baby,
> picturing
> the eternal rest for an infant; praying hands,
signifying the hope
> that the
> child is now in God's care.
>
> While some of these images may seem
self-explanatory, others may be
> more
> cryptic. Flowers represent the fragility of life
and plucked flowers
> indicate the early severance of a life in bloom. A
lion
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