A photo-story/fact sheet
resource set that introduces
students to religious symbolism
such as angels, virtuous women,
and cherubs and objects
representing the resurrection
and Eucharist we see in heritage
cemeteries and the meanings
they held for Victorians that are
often hidden from us today.
The many historic cemeteries that dot our towns and countryside leave us
a legacy of history, art and culture, which today, we struggle to
understand.
These cemeteries are places where our ancestors and loved ones rest
and where we today can make contact with the past by observing and
coming to understand the beliefs, attitudes, and deeper meanings that are
embedded in the material culture and literature of the past.
Visual symbolism on graves has been present for as long as such
memorials have existed and use of such symbolism continues.
 For Victorians the Christian virtues
were very popular. They include
 Faith
 Hope
 Love or Charity - (meaning
generosity and willingness to
give.)
This statue is
made of Parian; a
man made
material that was
designed to look
like fine marble
but was cheaper
to produce.
 In cemetery art the virtues are
sometimes portrayed as women.
These women are usually wingless
and have sculptural attributes that
are easy to identify.
Although Parian
statues were once
very popular with
Victorians they
are now becoming
harder to find in
our cemeteries
due to weathering
and vandalism.
 The Virtue of Faith is
depicted as a woman usually
clinging to or holding a cross.
The boat represents a form
of passage or crossing over to
the other world.
Keister, D. (2004)
Seaton, L. (2004)
Naseby Cemetery,
Central Otago
 Each of the Bible gospels
states that Christs’ cross was
raised at a place called
Calvary or Golgotha (in
Hebrew).
 The site is usually
depicted as a rocky mound
and the cross looks as
though it is formed out of
tree trunks. Plants growing
out of the mound around the
cross show that new life is
brought by Christ.
 A woman clinging to the
cross was a popular symbol
of deep attachment and
undying faith.
Seaton, L. (2004)
Southern
Cemetery,
Dunedin.
West Taieri
Cemetery,
Dunedin.
Timaru Cemetery.
South Canterbury.
 A popular hymn of the time
included the words,
“Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to thy cross I cling.”
Clyde Cemetery,
Central Otago.
Northern
Cemetery,
Dunedin.
Southern
Cemetery,
Dunedin.
 In Victorian popular
art, Hope is also
represented as a
woman.
 She is seldom seen
with wings but is often
depicted holding an
anchor, an ancient
symbol of hope.
Keister, D. (2004)
Oamaru Cemetery,
North Otago.
 Charity is one of the three
virtues most often seen in
historic cemeteries.
 Charity is almost always
portrayed as a woman nursing
an infant or holding a child or
children.
 Charity can also be depicted
with a flame, torch or candle or
dispensing food such as fruit.
Northern
Cemetery,
Dunedin.
Keister, D. (2004)
Naseby Cemetery,
Central Otago.
 Frequently represented in the
cemetery are crosses where
both ends of the cross bar and
the top bar are broken into three
points.
2.
1.
 Three is an important number
for Christians representing
 ‘The Trinity’– that is God
the Father, his son Jesus,
and the Holy Ghost and/or
 Christian virtues of faith,
hope, and charity or love.
3.
Northern Cemetery,
Dunedin.
Southern Cemetery,
Dunedin.
 This same idea is also
represented by an emblem
broken into three as this example
of ivy leaves and also by the
three numbered steps on the
Latin cross (lower left).
 Tombstones featuring women in a
posture of grief have been popular
since medieval times.
 Mourning women figures are often
featured with other symbols such as
an anchor, an open book, a scroll, a
cross or inverted flaming torches.
Seaton, L. (2004)
3.
Northern Cemetery,
Dunedin.
Queenstown
Cemetery.
Timaru Cemetery,South
Canterbury.
 Angels are supernatural
beings who are believed to act
as messengers from God. They
are usually shown with wings
and are dressed in a classical
Greek style.
Arrowtown
Cemetery,
Central Otago.
3.
Oamaru
Cemetery,
North Otago.
Oamaru Cemetery,
North Otago.
Palmerston Cemetery,
East Otago.
 Angels usually have their right
hands and the index finger
raised upwards indicating the
deceased now has a place in
heaven. In the other hand they
often hold a scroll or the anchor
of hope, the trumpet of
resurrection or the palm fronds
of peace.
 Sometimes a fold in the
clothing is filled with flowers to
indicate the deceased is in
paradise (or heaven).
Seaton, L. (2004)
Oamaru Cemetery,
North Otago.
 The putto was a figure of a pudgy, male,
naked baby with wings that was a creation
of Italian renaissance religious painters.
 Putti and cherubs were revived in 19th
popular art along with angelic children
including girls.
 Their presence often indicates that a
child is buried in the plot.
3.
Northern Cemetery,
Dunedin.
Timaru Cemetery, South
Canterbury.
3.
Above:
Northern
Cemetery,
Dunedin.
Southern Cemetery,
Dunedin.
 The skull and cross bones motif
symbolised death and was in common
use during the 17th century.
 The motif gradually developed into
a skull with wings symbolising the
fleeting nature life and was called the
“soul effigy”.
 During the 18th and 19th centuries,
with changing attitudes towards death
and the afterlife, the skull gradually
became a human face with human
features and emotions and came to
look more like a winged cherub.
Keister, D. (2004)
Addington Cemetery, Christchurch.
Northern Cemetery,
Dunedin.
Addington Cemetery,
Christchurch
 A crown represents the
ultimate reward received for a
Christian life faithfully lived.
Crowns are mentioned on
several occasions in the Bible,
for example, “Be faithful unto
death and I will give you the
crown of life.” The deceased
has received the grace of God
and the crown represents this
state of grace. (Seaton, L. 2004)
 Crowns can be seen as a
single decoration on
headstones.
 They can also be seen
encircling a cross and with
clinging vines, such as ivy
(left) or grapes.
Timaru
Cemetery, South
Canterbury
Southern Cemetery, Dunedin
 “The star symbolises Christ
and his role in the resurrection.” (
Seaton, L. 2004. p.19)
 The idea comes from
Revelations (a chapter in the
Bible) where Christ identified
himself as the Star of Dawn.
(Seaton, L. 2004. p.19)
All examples
Northern
Cemetery,
Dunedin.
 “The star can also be a
symbol of the presence of
loved ones, who like stars, are
visible but are out of reach.”
(Seaton, L. 2004. p.19)
 Stars were a popular
symbol because they also
have a close association with
heaven.
This tableaux combines a number of Christian
religious symbols
 The roses represent the shortness of life.
 The dove of peace represents the soul
leaving for heaven.
 Gates represent a passage from one
realm to another. Gates are also symbolic
of the day of judgement. The open gates
signify that the soul has passed through
gates of heaven and beyond to peace,
paradise and eternal life.
 In a variation on this design, the dove
is sometimes replaced with an anchor.
Palmerston Cemetery, East Otago.
Keister, D. (2004).
 Some headstone
ornamentation depicts the
Easter story – the crucifixion of
Jesus Christ or the passion of
Christ.
Naseby Cemetery,
Central Otago.
Northern Cemetery,
Dunedin.
 This image shows a cup or chalice
and a circle.
 These symbols represent the
Eucharist.
 The cup holds the blood of Christ and
the circle is the host or the body or
Christ.
Barbadoes St. Cemetery,
Chirstchurch.
All examples
Northern
Cemetery,
Dunedin.
The sunburst behind the cross
is most commonly seen today in
both the monstrance and
reliquaries that are important
religious icons in the Catholic
Church. “The rays of light
radiating around the cross
expresses the most exalted form
of divinity.” (Keister, D. 2004, p. 174)
 This symbol represents Christ
and His role in the resurrection,
taken from the book of
Revelations, where He identifies
himself as the Star of Dawn
 There was a belief that the
resurrection would be at dawn,
with the rising of the morning
star or the sun. (Seaton, L. 2004)
 The IHS monogram can be seen on many
graves and is often mistaken for the dollar sign $
we use today.
 There is some disagreement about what
IHS means. Some experts claim IHS stands
for the initial letters for three Latin words
Jesus Hominum Salvator, meaning ‘Jesus the
saviour of men’. (Seaton, L. 2004, & Keister, D. 2004)
 Other people think that the letters are the
first letters (an acronym) of the Latin Phrase
in hoc signo, short for in hoc signo vinces,
meaning “in this sign you will conquer.” This
sign was allegedly seen on a banner by
Roman Emperor Constantine before he
went into battle. (Keister,D.2004)
 Other experts believe IHS stands for the first
three letters of the Greek word for Jesus, or
Ihsus: the I for iota, the H the Greek letter for eta,
and the S is for sigma. (Keister,D.2004)
Southern Cemetery, Dunedin.
An unusual symbol - Northern
Cemetery, Dunedin
 This is a very old and quite
unusual symbol, which stands
for the fleeting temporality of
life. It is a reminder that this
life is very short compared to
the eternity that awaits those
who are reborn in the
Christian faith. It is also a
depiction of time flying – or
tempus fugus.
 It also represents the cyclic nature of
heaven and earth. This symbols can
sometimes be seen as an hourglass.
(Tyler, L. (no date). Also Keister, D. 2004.
p.132 )
 An ancient way of representing
God was as a hand appearing from
clouds. It is an image that comes
from the Bible where the hand of
God is involved in creation,
revelation and redemption.
 On headstones, the hand of God
can be seen holding links from a
chain and is shown picking up other
links. This symbol refers to the ties
that bind a family, that are broken
with death and will come together
when all family members will one
day meet in heaven.
Northern Cemetery, Dunedin.
Southern Cemetery,
Dunedin.
 A hand pointing upwards is more
unusual but means the soul has
Seaton, L. (2004)
passed into heaven.
Resources
Resources used in the development of these slides
Betteridge, C. (2005). Conservation Plans: Northern and Southern Cemeteries. Unpublished
report for Historic Cemeteries Conservation Trust of New Zealand.
Greenaway, K. (1884). Language of Flowers. This is a well known ‘dictionary’ of flower meanings
used by Victorians. The 1884 edition (with illustrations) is available as an online illuminated text at
http://www.illuminated-books.com/books/flowers.htm
Keister, D. (2004). Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography. Gibbs
Smith Publisher. Salt Lake City.
Seaton, L. (2004) Timaru Cemetery: Messages in Stone. A Guide to the meanings of the symbols
on headstones. South Canterbury Museum.
Tyler, L. (No Date). The broken lily and the grim reaper’s scythe: The iconography of Victorian and
Edwardian Gravestones in the Northern Cemetery. Presentation Notes. Director of the Centre for
New Zealand Art, Research & Discovery. University of Auckland.
Acknowledgement
Special thanks is extended to Fiona Hyland, Heritage Rose Society of Dunedin, for her help and assistance
with identification and meanings behind many cemetery symbols in Dunedin’s Northern Cemetery.