Sunday, March 20, 2011

Dove and lamb: Rua Violly Hoskins

The small white marker has a roof-line shape and a strongly symbolic carving.


RUA VIOLLY,
Daut. of
P. & H. S. HOSKINS
Died Aug. 25, 1862,
Aged 1 year & 8 d.

The carving depicts a young girl, her left arm resting on a lamb, her right hand lifted, holding a dove. Many children’s gravestones bear a dove or a lamb. Less often do we see both symbols on the same gravestone.


The lamb is a widely accepted symbol for innocence; the dove, peace. A more strongly Christian interpretation, which I offer simply to explain the presence of dove and lamb, is that the lamb represents Jesus (Lamb of God), while the dove represents the Holy Spirit.

And maybe I’m in a Sunday-go-to-meetin’ frame of mind, but does the top of the gravestone remind you of a church?


Shoup-Thompson Cemetery, Delaware County, Ohio

1 comment:

  1. Great post! I think the headstone does resemble a church's steeple! I've seen stones like this before but never considered the "church" connection. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete

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