Soledad Cemetery, Soledad, California

Soledad is a town near Monterey, California. John Steinbeck made Soledad famous in his novel Of Mice and Men. I’m glad someone did, because there is really no other reason to go to Soledad unless you are a) a wine drinker, b) a fan of caves, c) lost trying to find your way to Solvang or d) a convict. If you like wine, Soledad is located in the grape-growing belt of Central California and thus is surrounded by vineyards and wineries. There is a mission: Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, founded in 1791 and one of California’s many historic missions. Pinnacles National Monument is nearby, with hiking trails, talus caves and condors. There are not one but TWO prisons in Soledad: the Salinas Valley State Prison and Soledad Prison – not really tourist attractions but good to know if you are staying in the area. Picking up hitchhikers is never a good idea but especially not in Soledad. Soledad is Spanish for solitary and believe me, you do not have to be in prison to feel alone in Soledad.

But, Soledad does have a fine little cemetery.

Lots of requisite angels.

My favorite:  the dramtaic weeping angel.

Here's a coy little cherub.

Here is a very unusual headstone with a representation of rosary beads.

No comment.

Ditto.

I have absolutely nothing to say about this headstone except that he was an American Freemason.  British Masons do not use the "G" in their symbol.  Like almost everything about the Freemasons, the exact meaning of the "G" is unclear, but it is thought to represent God or geometry, both revered by the Masons.

This five-pointed star has many meanings.  It is a very old symbol.  Here, it is hard to make out the specific interpretation of this one, but it could stand for a number of societies for women, including the Order of the Eastern Star, a female-only offshoot of the Freemasons. 

Grave markers carved in the shape of trees or stumps were popular in Victorian times.  They were a product of the rusticity movement.  They are also used very frequently to mark the grave of a member of the Woodsmen of the World.  Members received insurance-like benefits from the organization, including, according to their bylaws, a tombstone upon their death.

Here is an example of a sarcophagus tomb.  Most sarcophagus tombs do not actually contain bodies.  I did not get close enough to find out if this one does.

Once you enter Soledad, it is very hard to leave again.

Special News Update! ME Party!

The ME's come to town.  Now this is an event I could get into. Too bad it's over.  No crashing opportunities.  I miss all the fun.  I need a new job.

Historic Rough and Ready Cemetery, Rough and Ready, California

Rough and Ready is a mining town in the heart of Gold Country in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California. The town was born in 1849 and named for “Old Rough and Ready” Zachary Taylor. The founder of the town, Capt. A.A. Townsend, served under Taylor in the Mexican War. Rough and Ready was actually an independent republic for all of two months in 1850. The miners who inhabited the town were furious at the imposition of a mining tax and voted to secede from the United States on April 7, 1850. They elected themselves a president and wrote a constitution. By July 4, though, the idea had lost its charm, and the Stars and Bars flew from the flagpole in the center of town and no one seemed to mind.

This cemetery's personality is as unique as the town's. The gravestones are tucked under spreading oak trees under the hot California sun. The graves here are original and sometimes whimsical. Some go out of their way to honor the special quirks or hobbies of the deceased.

I believe these are flower buds. They represent the fragility of life and are often depicted as broken, meaning a life cut short too soon. For this reason, they are often found on the headstones of children. Some of the saddest graves are those of children.

Here’s a nice dove. The dove is the symbol of peace and is associated with the Holy Spirit in the Christian tradition.

This is my favorite headstone in this cemetery. The hand pointed upwards indicates that the soul has risen to heaven, whatever form heaven may take.

Brompton Cemetery, London, England

Welcome to my new Blog! I know that death is an uncomfortable subject for some, but we all have to die some day, so I figure I’d better get as comfortable as I can with the idea. It might make the transition a little easier.

My focus will be on cemeteries I visit, tombstone art and symbolism (a fascinating subject all its own) and anything else I feel would fit in.

My first stop is Brompton Cemetery in London, England. Brompton opened in 1840. It was established as part of an initiative to create a ring of seven “modern” cemeteries around London. The other cemeteries in this group are: Kensal Green, West Norwood, Highgate, Abney Park, Nunhead and Tower Hamlets. They are known as the “Magnificent Seven”. HA! The movie buff in me rejoices. Brompton is still used for burials, but is actually under the care of the Royal Parks of London. It is located in Kensington in South West London.

The view from outside the fence.

A sea of crosses.

The cemetery is very crowded.

The broken column symbolizes a life cut short.

This was the most interesting inscription. I neglected to get  this chap’s name, but he was an Egyptologist.

A pair of draped urns.  These urns were vey popular in the mid-ninteenth century, which is interesting, since most people were buried rather than cremated.  Nevertheless, here they are.  The drape over the urn is thought to be a symbol of reverance. 

This is a good example of a Chi-Rho emblem.  The Chi-Rho is the oldest emblem in Christianity,  Chi and Rho are the first letters in the name Jesus Christ when written in Greek.  When joined together as these are, it resembles the Latin word for "peace":  pax.  This example incorporates the Alpha and the Omega, first and last letters of the Greek alphabet:  the beginning and the end.

 
What would a cemetery be without angels?
 

Not an angel, but very nice.

 
As I left the cemetery, I was able to capture this final, very Edgar Allan Poe-ish image: