Sunday, July 6, 2014

Gimme a Hand

I've been researching and writing a walk in one of our old local cemeteries, partly because I find it interesting, and partly to get people interested in local history as it is preserved in old headstones and monument.  There are, of course lots of symbolic carvings on old headstones, weeping willows, Bibles, lambs and doves, eagles and shields, anchors and sheaves of wheat.

But in Oak Hill, the oldest operating public cemetery in Janesville, the most common symbols are hands.  Clasped hands.  Hands pointing heavenward and hands reaching down from heaven.  Hands with Bibles, and hands grasping flowers.  Today I just wanted to share a few of them, because I find them so fascinating and lovely.




1 comment:

Monique said...

As you can see in my Flickr photo's, I too am fascinated by the carvings on old graves. In Wales, most seem to be of hands too. Love the shades of stone and lichen and the tender formality of these.