Doesn't that sound odd? The Joy of Graveyards? To some yes, it might. But to us graveyard enthusiasts.... maybe not. Remember, after the creation of Pere Le Chaise and Mt Auburn, cemeteries were seen as public parks... where couples courted, families strolled...and admission booths and concession stands were found. The Victorian age brought about cemeteries with streams, rolling hills, and a commonality of permanent residents. Benches were placed about the cemetery for reflection, monuments reached toward the sky....and beauty prevailed. Death was no longer feared. Amen!
While many cemeteries have had to do away with these elements due to space constraints, pieces of this trend still remain. Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh is a prime example. Winding roads, hills, benches and amazing monuments from the 1870s abound! Strolling through the cemetery in 2009 provides insight into life from that era. We see obvious symbols of the resident's faith highlighted, symbols of the organizations they belonged to, epitaphs that reflect the way they mourned, and also more subtle reminders of their beliefs in the shapes of their markers. Be it a throw back to Egyptian or Greek or statuary for example that reflects the faith of the decedent, by walking through a cemetery we can learn a lot about the people who roamed this earth before us....
No comments:
Post a Comment