Symbols
M - Z

Man - Winged St. Matthew the Evangelist
Masonic Compass and Set Square 1) Freemasons  
2) Uprightness  
3) Judgment
Memento mori Set of Death Symbols Including Bones, Skulls & an Hourglass
Menorah 1) Judaism  
2) Divine Wisdom
Mermaids Messengers of Prosperina Sent to Carry the Souls of the Dead to Hades
Mistletoe Immortality
Moon 1) Death  
2) Rebirth  
3) Victory  
4) Sorrow of the Crucifixion
Morning Glory Beginning of life
Mother and Child 1) Charity  
2) Love
Myrtle 1) Undying Love  
2) Peace
Naked Figure 1) Truth  
2) Purity  
3) Innocence
Oak 1) Strength of Faith  
2) Virtue  
3) Endurance  
4) Supernatural Power  
5) Eternity
Oak Leaves & Acorn 1) Maturity  
2) Ripe Old Age  
3) Power  
4) Authority  
5) Victory
Obelisk 1) Rebirth  
2) Connection Between Heaven and Earth  
3) Eternal Life
Olive 1) Peace  
2) Healing Faith
Olive Branch 1) Peace  
2) Forgiveness  
3) Humanity
Open Book/ Bible Teacher, Minister, etc.
Open Gates 1) Afterlife  
2) The Soul Entering Heaven
Orb Faith
Order of Eastern Star 1) Order of the Eastern Star  
2) Family Relationship
Owl 1) Wisdom  
2) Solitude  
3) Warning of Impending Death
Ox - Winged St. Luke the Evangelist
Pall 1) Mortality  
2) Mourning
Palm 1) Spiritual victory over death  
2) Martyrdom  
3) Reward of the Righteous  
4) Peace
Palm Branch 1) Victory  
2) Rejoicing
Pansy 1) Remembrance  
2) Meditation
Passion Flower 1) Christ’s Passion  
2) Sacrifice  
3) Redemption
Peacock 1) Immortality  
2) Eternity  
3) Resurrection  
4) Incorruptibility of the Flesh
Pelican Redemption Through Christ
Phoenix 1) Christ’s Resurrection  
2) Immortality  
3) Baptism
Pick 1) Death  
2) Mortality
Pineapple Hospitality
Pomegranate 1) Immortality  
2) Resurrection  
3) Unity  
4) Nourishment of the Soul
Poppies 1) Eternal Sleep  
2) Military Service
Portals Passageway to Eternal Journey
Portraits Stylized Likenesses of the Deceased
Pyramid 1) Resurrection  
2) Eternal Life  
3) Enlightenment  
4) Spiritual Attainment  
5) Death
Rainbow 1) Union  
2) Fulfillment of the Promise of Resurrection
Rake & Spade Gardener
Ram Sacrifice
Ripened Fruit Nourishment of the soul
Rock 1) Steadfastness of Christ  
2) Stability
Rocks 1) The Church  
2) Christian Steadfastness
Rod or Staff Comfort to the bereaved.
Rooster 1) Awakening  
2) Resurrection  
3) Courage  
4) Vigilance  
5) Repentance
Rope Circle Eternity
Rosary Devotion to Mary
Rose 1) Victory  
2) Pride  
3) Triumphant Love  
4) Purity  
5) Virgin Mary  
6) Paradise
Roses 1) Completion  
2) Brevity of Earthly Existence  
3) Condolence  
4) Sorrow
Rose - Full-Blown Prime of life
Rose - Tudor Of English Descent
Rosemary Remembrance
Scales 1) Weighing of Souls  
2) Justice  
3) Merchant
Scallop Shell 1) Birth  
2) Baptism  
3) Resurrection  
4) Life Everlasting  
5) Pilgrimage of Life
Scarab 1) Resurrection  
2) Transcendence
Scepter Fortitude
Scroll 1) The Law  
2) Scriptures
Scythe 1) Death  
2) Cutting Life Short  
3) The Divine/Final Harvest  
4) Passage of Time
Serpent Symbol of Death
Severed Branch Mortality
Shamrock 1) Irish descent  
2) Holy Trinity
Shattered Urn Old age
Sheaf of Wheat 1) Ripe for Harvest  
2) Divine Harvest  
3) Old Age  
4) Fruitful Life  
5) Time
Sheep & goats Christians and Non-Believers
Shell/Scallop 1) Pilgrim  
2) Pilgrim's Journey  
3) Resurrection  
4) Baptism of Christ
Shepherd's Crook Charity
Ship The Church
Ships' Profiles The Seafaring Profession
Shrine 1) Wisdom  
2) Knowledge
Skeleton 1) Death  
2) Life's Brevity  
3) Mortality
Skull 1) Mortality  
2) Brevity of Earthly Life  
3) Penitence  
4) Death  
5) Sin
Skull & Crossed Bones 1) Death  
2) Crucifixion
Skull - Winged Flight of the Soul from Mortal Man
Sleeping Cherub Innocence
Smoke 1) Vanity  
2) Futility of Seeking Earthly Glory
Snail 1) Laziness  
2) Sin
Snake 1)  Sin  
2) Satan  
3) Fall of Man
Snake - Hooped Eternity
Snake - w/ Tail in Mouth 1) Eternity  
2) Unity
Spade 1) Mortality  
2) Death
Spade or Crossed Spade and Shovel Death
Sphinx 1) Strength  
2) Protection
Spider Web Human frailty
Squirrel 1) Christian Forethought  
2) Spiritual Striving
Stag Same as Hart
Stalk of corn Farmer
Star Divine guidance
Star(s) 1) Birth/Life  
2) Christ  
3) Heaven
Star - Five Pointed 1) Star of Bethlehem  
2) Star of Jacob  
3) Divine Guidance  
4) Protection
Star - Six Pointed 1) The Father  
2) Creation  
3) Heavenly Wisdom
Star of David 1) Unity  
2) Transformation
Stars & Stripes Around Eagle 1) Eternal Vigilance  
2) Liberty
Steps - 3-Tiered Faith, Hope and Charity
Strawberry 1) Righteousness  
2) Humility
Sun 1) Light and Warmth  
2) Renewed Life  
3) Life Everlasting  
4) Heaven  
5) Journey to Heaven  
6) God
Sun - Half Beginning/End of Life
Sun Disc - Winged 1) Spirituality  
2) Everlasting Life
Sun - Rising 1) Renewed Life  
2) Resurrection
Sun - Setting Death
Sun - Shining Everlasting Life
Sundial Passage of time
Sunflower Adoration of Christ
Suns, moons and stars The Reward of the Resurrection
Swallow 1) Motherhood  
2) Spirit of Children  
3) Consolation
Swingletree (rod for beating flax) Farmer
Sword 1) Military  
2) Justice  
3) Constancy  
4) Fortitude  
5) Martyrdom  
6) Cour4age  
7) Warfare
Sword - Broken Life cut short
Sword - Inverted 1) Relinquishment of Power  
2) Victory
Sword - Sheathed Temperance
Swords - Crossed 1) Life Lost in Battle  
2) High Ranking Military Person
Tablets of the Decalogue Old Covenant
Tetragrammaton Reminder of God's Omnipresence
The Bible The Word of God
Thistle 1) Scottish Descent  
2) Earthly Sorrow  
3) Defiance  
4) The Inevitability of Death  
5) Remembrance
Threes The Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit
Tombs Mortality
Torch 1) Immortality of the Spirit  
2) Resurrection  
3) Purification  
4) Truth  
5) Wisdom  
6) Zeal  
7) Enlightenment
Torch - Inverted 1) Extinction of Life  
2) Death  
3) Mourning
Torch - Upright 1) Immortality  
2) Liberty  
3) Upright Life  
4) The Scholastic World  
5) The Betrayal of Christ
Tree 1) Life  
2) Knowledge  
3) The Fall of Man Through Sin  
4) Human Fruition or Frailty  
5) Regeneration  
6) Immortality  
7) Faith
Tree - Sprouting Life Everlasting
Tree Stump 1) Life Interrupted  
2) Member of The Woodmen of the World
Tree Stump - w/Ivy 1) Head of Family  
2) Immortality
Tree Trunk Brevity of Life
Tree Trunk - Broken Premature Death
Tree Trunk - Leaning 1) Short Interrupted Life  
2) Mourning
Tree - Weeping Willow Sadness
Tree - Felled Mortality
Triangle Holy Trinity.
Triqueta (3 interlocking circles or triangles) 1) Eternity  
2) Trinity
Trumpet 1) Day of Judgment  
2) Resurrection
Trumpeters Heralds of the resurrection
Urn 1) Immortality  
2) Penitence  
3) Death of the Body & Its Return to Dust in the Final Resting Place  
4) Soul
Urn - Draped & Empty 1) Death  
2) Sorrow
Urn - Flaming 1) New Life  
2) Undying Friendship/Remembrance
Vine 1) Christian Church  
2) Christ  
3) Wine, the symbolic blood of Jesus  
4) The sacraments
Violet Humility
Wedge & Level Mason
Weeping Willow 1) Perpetual Mourning  
2) Grief  
3) Lamentation  
4) Sorrow
Wheat 1) Body of Christ  
2) Fruitfulness Harvested
Wheat Strands or Sheaves The divine harvest
Wheel 1) Cycle of life  
2) Enlightenment  
3) Spiritual Power
Wild Rose 1) Love  
2) Messianic Promise  
3) Our Blessed Savior  
4) Blessed Virgin Mary
Willow 1) Grief  
2) Mourning  
3) Sorrow
Winged Effigies Flight of the soul
Winged Face 1) Effigy of the Deceased Soul  
2) The Soul in Flight
Winged Hourglass 1) Fleetness of Life  
2) Mortality
Winged Skull Flight of the Soul from Mortal Man
Winged Wheel Holy Spirit
Woman Weeping Mourning
Wreath 1) Victory  
2) Eternity
Wreath on Skull Victory of Death Over Life
Wreath of Roses 1) Heavenly Joy  
2) Bliss
Yew 1) Immortality  
2) Mourning
Yin Yang Circle Harmony, balance, birth and death
Yoke 1) Burden-Bearing  
2) Service  
3) Patience

 

A - L

 

 

 

 


© 2000 Rhonda Stolte Darnell