Forms of monuments to the grave: classic, unusual and truly amazing

A tombstone is a stone, slab or sculpture above a grave. It is established in order to honor the memory of the deceased. Tombstones are not the same in different religions and cultures: they vary in form, materials, style and type of execution. Let's talk about what forms of monuments to a grave can be.

Classic types of tombstones

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

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

Monuments to the grave in the form of an obelisk are less common. An obelisk is a tall conical monument, standing on a square base and usually tapering upward. Obelisks can be cultural monuments or crown mass graves, but they are rarely installed in cemeteries. The fact is that such tombstones cost a lot of money.

The described forms of monuments to the grave are found in Christian culture. They are also characteristic of Jews and Muslims. In the cemeteries of the West you can also see special gravestones 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 are installed since the Renaissance. Sometimes they have a portrait resemblance to the deceased and reflect his character in a pose or facial expression, and sometimes they depict sorrow itself, embodied in the image of an angel or a woman in deep mourning. We list the famous types of mourning ritual monuments on the graves of the dead, made in the form of statues.

1. Angels They are usually portrayed in a humble, sorrowful pose.
2. Cherubs are babies with wings. Most often, such statues are installed on the graves of children.
3. Children. Sometimes, at the burial sites of children, the sculptures depict the most departed child, mourning his untimely departure from life.
4. Women mourners. Their presence in the cemetery expresses sadness from the loss of a loved one.
5. Draped pillars or steles. Columns and pillars themselves are symbols of a noble life. Drapery 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 it is located on the grave of the artist himself and his wife. Other tomb sculptures were created in the image of the angel of sorrow.

Memorial benches

Such forms of monuments to the grave are not common here. To a greater extent they are characteristic of the West. They are placed in public places or next to the graves of deceased relatives.

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

Monuments that surprise

We already talked about what monuments of more traditional forms are. Now let's turn to the most unusual and amazing tombstones.

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

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