Forms of monuments on the grave: classic, unusual and truly surprising

The headstone is a stone, a slab or a sculpture above the grave. It is installed in order to honor the memory of the deceased. In different religions and cultures, gravestones are not the same: they differ in form, material, style and type of execution. Let's talk about what kind of monuments can be on the grave.

Classic types of tombstones

Tombstones can be made in the form of a simple vertical plate with a round or pointed vertex. Such forms of monuments on the grave are characteristic of the Christian religion.

In the West, very often there are horizontal tombstones that lie flat on the ground. They are chosen because of the rather low cost.

Monuments on the grave in the shape of the obelisk are less common. Obelisk is a tall conical monument standing on a square base and usually tapering upward. Obelisks can be cultural monuments or crown communal graves, but in cemeteries they are installed infrequently. The fact is that such gravestones are worth considerable money.

The described forms of monuments on the grave are found in Christian culture. They are typical for Jews and Muslims. In the cemeteries of the West, you can also see special tombstones on the graves of the military, a variety of sculptures, memorial benches and even small chapels.

Let us dwell in more detail on unusual and surprisingly beautiful tombstones.

Monumental sculptures - monuments, endowed with soul

Sculptures on the graves have been established since the Renaissance. Sometimes they have a portrait resemblance to the deceased and reflect the posture or facial expression of his character, and sometimes portray the very grief embodied in the image of an angel or a woman in deep mourning. We list the known types of funeral ritual monuments on the graves of the dead, executed in the form of statues.

1. Angels. They are usually depicted in a humble, full-mourned pose.
2. Cherubs are babies with wings. Most often these statues are placed on the graves of children.
3. Children. Sometimes on the burial places of children sculptures depict the most departed child, mourning his untimely departure from life.
4. Women are mourning women. Their presence in the cemetery expresses sadness from the loss of a loved one.
5. Draped pillars or stele. Columns and pillars themselves are symbols of a noble life. Drapery also means mourning, sadness and humility.

One of the most famous memorial sculptures is the angel of sorrow. It was created by the American sculptor William Whitmore in 1894, now is on the grave of the artist and his wife. In the image of the angel of sorrow, other tombstones were created.

Memorial benches

Such forms of monuments are not often found on the grave. They are more characteristic of the West. They are placed in public places or next to the graves of deceased relatives.

The most famous memorial benches are the memories of the American writer John Walter Lord of the Younger, the rock and roll singer Ian Dury, the Nobel Prize winner in physics Cecil Frank Powell.

Monuments that surprise

About what there are monuments of more traditional forms, we have already talked. Now we turn to the most unusual and surprising tombstones.

1. Monument in Roermond, Netherlands. Husband and wife belonged to different religious denominations and could not be together after death, unfortunately.
2. Monument at the grave of Fernand Arbelot. He was an actor and musician, and after death he wished to contemplate the face of his beautiful wife forever.
3. A gravestone depicting Jesus, which seems to be swinging a little girl on a swing. This monument symbolizes that we are all in the hands of God.
4. A tombstone, next to which was dug a cellar. This is the grave of a little girl, who during her lifetime was very afraid of thunderstorms. In rainy weather, when lightning flashed in the sky, the mother went down to the basement to be with her daughter and calm her down.
5. Stone tombstone, enclosed behind a steel grating. At a time when the study of anatomy on human corpses was forbidden, medical students were forced to extract bodies, exhuming them. Relatives of rich people, of course, did not want to allow such interference in the burial places of their deceased relatives.

Whatever the shape of the tombstone, traditional or unusual, surprising, it is unlikely to be the most important tribute to the deceased. The main thing is in the hearts. It is a bright memory and love, and hope for a meeting in a better world.