Friday, November 18, 2011

Decoding the Handshake Tombstone


A weathered handshake symbol on a local 42N cemetery headstone is a fairly common site on older markers. This particular headstone is made of white marble and shows the effects from years of temperature extremes and freeze/thaw cycles - plus organic visitors. Granite seems to stand the test of time better than marble around here.

So what does the handshake symbol signify? Two answers. The first is the depiction of a greeting of the departed to a more heavenly existence. The other answer appears commonly when a married couple is buried together. Cuffs sometimes show masculine and feminine characteristics. There may be other answers. Let me know. Know that.

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