Grave Matters

by Mary Jackson (August 2011)

Regular reader Alan once pointed me in the direction of a piece on epitaphs in the (pre-paywall) Times, expressing the hope, without intending any pun, that the subject has not been done to death:

Islamic gravestones are kept simple with a name and a date of birth only. Jewish gravestones often bear the Star of David.

1. Here lies Ezekial Aikle
Aged 102
The good die young

2. Here lies an Atheist
All dressed up
And no place to go

3. A tomb now suffices him for whom the world was not enough
Alexander the Great

5. She did it the hard way
Bette Davis

6. The best is yet to come
Frank Sinatra

8. I told you I was ill
Spike Milligan

10. Called back
Emily Dickinson

The comments have a couple of good ones:

And the Bible text placed at the bottom of the gravestone reads:

And then there is the inscription for a Mr. Lester Moore in the cemetery at Tombstone, Arizona:

I think Tombstone, Arizona should be twinned with Gravesend, Kent.

My favourite epitaphs are those that tell a story. In most instances the events behind the headstone can never be fully known, but the few words leave the taste of a mystery part-obscured.

And the Lord in His infinite mercy
Reached down from Heaven and took our Percy

Lapidary or what? And finally, a mystery. I sometimes see strange things on my walks. Here is one of them. Look carefully at the inscriptions:

What am I missing?

To comment on this article, please click here.

If you have enjoyed this article, and would like to read other articles by Mary Jackson, please click here.