Veiled Urns

[Dog-eared]

A friend up on holiday has asked about the significance of the many veiled urn carvings on top of Caithness gravestones. Anyone know??

[Julia]

The veiled urn was a popular symbol for commemorating death as was the broken column or open bible in the Victorian era, not just here but you are right there seems to be a heck of a lot of veiled urns in our local cemeterys, each one taller than the next probaly indicating the wealth of the family.

[Dog-eared]

I was told that the Victorians , in their suppressed but morbidly and sexually fixated society included many meanings in the style or inclusions on the actual tombstone which would mean for example , "died in childbirth" ,etc, without actually stating the fact.

[Lolabelle]

Just googled and aparently an urn symbolises mourning and one with a veil means the death of an older person.

http://www.vintageviews.org/vv-tl/pages/Cem_Symbolism.htm

[Buttercup]

Just googled and aparently an urn symbolises mourning and one with a veil means the death of an older person.

http://www.vintageviews.org/vv-tl/pages/Cem_Symbolism.htm

Thanks for the link Lolabelle, very intriguing!

[northener]

On a similar note regarding meanings.

If you see a statue of a great military leader on horsebck, the stance of the horse tells you about the rider.

All four hooves on the ground: The leader survived unscathed.

One front leg raised: Wounded in action.

Horse rearing up onto hind legs: Killed in action.

Having said that, I've seen a painting showing Napoleon on a rearing horse, so it doesn't apply to paintings - only statues.