IMAGES OF MAN'S MORTALITY ON GRAVESTONES IN NORFOLK : SKULLS.
More photographs from my July 2008 four day trip to North Norfolk. The two photographs above come from the tiny village church at Cockthorpe, near to Stiffkey on the coast. The picture on the left is of particular interest as, in addition to the skull, it shows a coffin, another image of mortality. There is also a serpant with its tail in its mouth, a symbol of eternity. A little way up the coast is the village of Blakeney. Some very fine 18th Century work here showing the affluence of days past. Below left and the skull and bones are set against the flame of life. In this instance the flame is the correct way up, representing life. The anchor to the left of the skull in the picture below is said to represent hope and a firm Christian faith. Obviously, this close to the coast it could just as easily be indicitive of the deceased's profession.
The church of St St Margaret at Cley turned out to be the highlight in a four day North Norfolk churchcrawl in July 2008. Deaths Head stones were dotted around all over the place, jeeping me occupied for ages. Please note the Pick and Shovel in the photograph above left. These were the gravediggers tools and are both symbols of mortality.
I hadn't seen a heart on a gravestone before, but there were two heart shaped decorations on the gravestone pictured immediately below. I had to look up the heart as a symbol, and according to the list that I found on the internet it was a symbol of love of Christ.
Was interested to see one of the skulls wearing a crown, and one having what appeared to be a laurel wreath. The Laurel is an evergreen thought to have purifying powers that could result in immortality.
I thought that the gravestone pictured bottom left was a particularly fine piece of work. A very upbeat piece of work as well. The human skull representing death is to be set against an upturned torch and horn, symbolising life and resurrection.
My own favourite of all the ones seen in Cley though is the basic skull with bones and coffin second from the bottom on the left.
