Does the direction of a dove’s flight (for example, descending) give us a clue to its intended meaning on a gravestone?
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him. (Matthew 3:16)Not all gravestone doves are in flight. It is not unusual to find the statue of a lifeless dove on a gravestone, especially a child’s: A strong symbol for an innocent life cut short.
The dove was also known as a symbol for the mother goddess [see http://goddesschess.blogspot.com/2009/11/dove-in-symbolism.html ]who was worshipped in caves represented by arches. Thus the photographs with images of both doves and arches has double reference to the mother goddess.
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ReplyDeleteKara, thank you for sharing this link and info. We cannot always be certain of a specific symbol on a specific gravestone, but it is always good to understand as many of the possible interpretations as we can!
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