Intresting thread. I too like to "wnader" through cemeteries and look at the sometime wonder art of the grave sites. Here in Chicago are some of the most wonderful sites to view tombstones and family vaults (IMHO).

As well, and intresting iconography thing I learned while in Ireland re: tombstones. The Cletic Cross, with the standing cross and a circle between the bars has an intresting history. Looking back to early grave markers for the "important" dead in Ireland and Scotland (1000 AD on) where the Celtic Cross is used, the cross section used to be total inclosed in the circle. This was the conjoining of both the Christian and pagan traditions, w/ the cross for Christ and the circle for the sun (a pagan diety, Lough Longhand is was told) As Christianity became more prevalent, the circle shrank and the cross became larger w/ the modern standard being the cross w/ the circle no more than 1/2 way out the "arms" of the cross.

At least this is what was passed on to me. And if you walk some of the older churchyards, you do see the general change across the years.

True or not, very intresting.

John OSh