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:
A very poetic ending. I like your new blog. You know how much I love visiting cemeteries.
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