FREE Cemetery Symbols Guide:

Would you like a FREE guide to historic cemetery symbolism? If so, click the image below:

Historic Cemetery Symbol of the Week

This week’s Historic Cemetery Symbol of the week is the harp:

Heavenly music

When harps appear on headstones, it’s usually a reference to heavenly music and praising the Lord. If you see a harp in a historic graveyard, look closely; sometimes it’s carved to show to look as if one of the strings is broken, thereby indicating that a person’s life was cut short.

St. Cecilia – the patron saint of music

Since Saint Cecilia is the patron saint of music, further research into the life of the deceased may reveal that they played an instrument, or if they were Catholic, they may have had St. Cecilia as their “name day.” (More about Catholic name days here: Fish Eaters: Name Days)

Irish roots

The harp may also indicate a person with Irish ancestry, because it is one of Ireland’s official symbols. As such, the harp is featured on the Irish passport and Euro coins. However, if you’re a beer drinker, you’ve probably noticed the stylized harp in the Guinness logo.

Have you seen the harp symbol in any historic graveyards near you?

Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism:

I am currently writing a field guide to historic cemetery symbolism. Each Tuesday, I share a small snippet from my upcoming book. It’s my goal to create a handy-dandy pocket guide for taphophiles, genealogists, ghost hunters, and anyone else interested in the historic graveyard symbols that have become forgotten over the years.

Which symbols are you curious about?

Let me know in the comments if there is a certain symbol that you are curious about. Also, if you would like to know when the cemetery symbolism guide is available for purchase, scroll down and sign up for my newsletter! I look forward to hearing from you!

FREE Cemetery Symbols Guide:

Would you like a FREE guide to historic cemetery symbolism? If so, click the image below:

Want to read more like this?

To read about more weird, offbeat, and overlooked places, check out my best-selling travel guide: 
UNEXPECTED TEXAS: Your Guide to Offbeat & Overlooked History, Day Trips & Fun Things to do near Dallas & Fort Worth.

For ghost hunting hot spots, check out my best-selling travel guide to haunted places: 
PARANORMAL TEXAS: Your Travel Guide to Haunted Places near Dallas & Fort Worth.

For a strange-but-true tale of Texas history, check out this bizarre piece of West Texas history: 
The Lynching of the Santa Claus Bank Robber

Hey, you! Want to come along for the ride?

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