"Every cemetery is a museum filled with art, stories and mysteries".

On headstones, you’ll often see the square and compasses, sometimes with the letter “G” in the center.

Square – Represents morality and the need to “square” actions with virtue.

Compasses – Symbolize spiritual boundaries, self-control, and the balance between earthly and divine.

Letter G – In the U.S., it often stands for God or Geometry, both central to Masonic teaching.

These symbols identify the deceased as a Freemason, a member of the world’s oldest and most widespread fraternal organization.

Who Are the Freemasons?

Origins: Freemasonry traces back to the medieval stonemasons’ guilds in Europe, whose members-built cathedrals and castles. Over time, it evolved (by the 1600s–1700s) into a philosophical fraternity, no longer limited to stoneworkers.

Beliefs/Practices: Freemasonry isn’t a religion, but it requires belief in a higher power. It emphasizes moral living, charity, fellowship, and the pursuit of knowledge.

Lodges: Members gather in local lodges, where rituals use architectural tools (like the square, compass, and level) as moral lessons.

On Headstones: A Masonic emblem was a way for families to mark a person’s lifelong membership in the fraternity—often a point of pride.

A broken column on a headstone is a classic cemetery symbol, especially from the 1800s. It represents a life cut short—someone who died before reaching the fullness of their years. The column itself symbolizes strength, support, and a life standing upright, while the break shows that their time ended prematurely.

You’ll often see this symbol used for younger adults or people who were considered in the “prime of life.” Sometimes, inscriptions or carvings near the broken column will emphasize the idea of unfinished work, interrupted plans, or the deep grief of a family losing someone before old age.

There are indeed several variations on the broken column in cemetery art, each carrying extra layers of meaning:

Draped Broken Column – A cloth or veil carved over the column symbolizes mourning, the veil between life and death, and the grief of loved ones left behind.

Column with Flowers – Flowers carved at the base or entwined around the broken column often symbolize beauty and fragility of life. Specific flowers can add meaning (e.g., lilies for purity, roses for love).

Column with a Book or Scroll – Suggests an unfinished story or work, pointing to wisdom, faith, or a life of learning cut short.

Leaning Column – Sometimes the column isn’t broken cleanly but appears leaning or fallen, also symbolizing mortality and the loss of life’s support.

The image of a lamb on headstones is one of the most tender and sorrowful symbols found in cemeteries. Traditionally, the lamb represents innocence, purity, and sacrifice, drawing directly from Christian imagery. In the Bible, Christ is often referred to as the "Lamb of God," symbolizing sacrifice and redemption. When carved onto a gravestone, the lamb conveys a life taken too soon, most often marking the grave of a child or infant. Its gentle form serves as a reminder of the child’s innocence and the hope of eternal peace in heaven.

The use of lambs in funerary art became widespread in the 19th century, particularly during the Victorian era, when symbolism played a central role in mourning culture. This was a period deeply influenced by both Christian theology and sentimental traditions surrounding death. Families who lost young children found comfort in the lamb as a visual message of their child’s purity and safe passage into God’s care.

Earlier roots can be traced to ancient sacrificial traditions, where lambs symbolized purity and offering, later absorbed into Christian belief. Over time, the lamb on a headstone has come to be a universal emblem of innocence and loss, enduring as one of the most poignant markers of grief.

The hourglass on headstones is a powerful symbol of the passage of time and the fleeting nature of life. Its imagery—sand steadily slipping from the upper to the lower chamber—reminds viewers that every moment draws us closer to life’s end. When carved on gravestones, the hourglass conveys the message that time is finite, urging the living to reflect on mortality and use their days wisely.

The symbol’s origins reach back to the Middle Ages, when the hourglass became a common tool for measuring time. By the 16th and 17th centuries, it began appearing in art and literature as a representation of human life slipping away. In cemeteries, the hourglass was especially popular during the 17th and 18th centuries, an era heavily influenced by Puritan and “memento mori” traditions. These customs emphasized constant awareness of death as a means of living a righteous life.

Sometimes, headstones depict winged hourglasses, symbolizing that “time flies.” This version reinforced the swiftness of life and the inevitability of death. While less common in modern cemeteries, the hourglass remains a striking emblem of life’s brevity. Its enduring presence reflects humanity’s age-old struggle with the limits of time and the certainty of mortality.

The winged skull, often called a “death’s head,” is one of the earliest and most striking symbols found on colonial-era headstones. It portrays a human skull, sometimes with crossbones, flanked by a pair of wings. Far from being purely decorative, it carried a powerful message: death is inevitable, but the soul may ascend. The skull itself signified mortality and the certainty of the grave, while the wings suggested the hope of the spirit’s release into the afterlife.

This imagery has its roots in 17th-century Puritan New England, where grave art reflected stern religious views. The Puritans rejected elaborate Catholic symbols and instead favored stark reminders of life’s brevity. The winged skull served as a “memento mori”—a reminder that one must live a righteous life in constant awareness of death. Similar motifs can be traced to European funerary art, where skulls, bones, and hourglasses were common emblems of mortality.

Over time, the harshness of the skull softened into motifs like the cherub’s head with wings, reflecting shifting attitudes toward death and a greater focus on resurrection and comfort. Still, the winged skull remains one of the most iconic symbols of early American gravestones, embodying both the finality of death and the hope of transcendence.

The anchor on headstones is a symbol rich with layers of meaning, often associated with hope, steadfastness, and eternal life. In Christian tradition, the anchor derives from the Epistle to the Hebrews (6:19): “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.” Here, the anchor represents faith rooted firmly in God, offering security against the storms of life and death. On gravestones, it conveys the message that the deceased rests in the safe harbor of eternal peace.

The symbol also carries ancient origins. Long before Christianity, the anchor was used in Greek and Roman culture as a sign of safety and stability. Early Christians, especially during periods of persecution in the Roman Empire, adopted the anchor as a disguised cross, allowing them to express faith secretly. This dual symbolism—hidden cross and emblem of hope—made the anchor especially meaningful in funerary art.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, anchors became a common gravestone motif, particularly for sailors, seafarers, and naval families, reflecting both occupation and trust in God’s protection across uncertain waters. Whether religious or nautical, the anchor endures as a timeless emblem of hope, security, and a soul firmly grounded in faith.