So here is my first entry:
This stone is in the Lakeside Cemetery in Canyon City, Colorado. It is not far from an area that is mostly graves of nuns and priests. The same image is on all four sides of the stone. Here is a closeup of the face:
There is no writing on the stone and an urn is nearby which appears to have broken off the top. I have no idea what the explanation is. My first guess was that each side represented a season and the marker was a statement about the passage of time. However, each of the four faces was the same. The fact that it is in the middle of the nuns' and priests' graves makes it especially provocative. Any ideas, anyone?
13 comments:
Oh I like this!! The face almost looks scary.
Well, I'm no expert like you, but couldn't it be the whole gargyle thing? (I don't know if I spelled that right.) As in, you put a scary gargyle on the castle or tomb or whatever, to scare away the demons? Maybe?
Oh, is that the purpose of gargoyles? I never knew.
I agree with the princess of everything, I think the face looks a little scary. Hmmm, I think I can dredge up a headstone I have from Concord, Massachusetts.
That's what I've heard - and thanks for spelling gargoyles for me!
You're right, headless. Gargoyles are supposed to scare away evil spirits. Even churches had them for that reason.
Here's some trivia for you: A gargoyle is only a gargoyle if it is a water spout/drain/thingy. If not, it is technically called a grotesque. (I hope I spelled that right.)
Maybe its just a portrait of the priest or nun. Maybe that person wasn't the best looking guy or gal but completely devoted to God so they became a nun or a priest. Just a thought. Have you read the Patrick Show today?
I think it represents a face ... on a monument ... in a cemetery. Yup! That's what I think.
In the Bible the number 4 is often interpreted as symbolic of completeness: north,south,east and west. So maybe the four sides represent the four directions and are symbolic of the life now completed. Not sure how the gargoyle figure fits in with that, though.
Well...I hate to be the one to say it, but he looks plumb goofy to me. I would not want him anywhere near my grave, or my loved one's grave.
(I'm so glad you took me up on the challenge. Cemeteries are fascinating places.)
Could it beeeee.....
SATAN!??!?!?
Note to Quotidien Grace: the number four in the Bible typically represents earth or the material world. The numbers 7 and 10 usually represent completeness.
Regarding the grotesque, both gargoyles and grotesques were associated with medieval cathedrals. Perhaps this example simply reflects the desire to maintain an ancient theme. BTW, you have looked at http://www.stonecarver.com/grotesque.html, haven't you?
Also, any way to delete the ad disguised as a comment, SpookyRach?
HAAAHahaha! Death to comment spam!
Captain Wow - I hear the Church Lady is gonna autography your Bible.
M. - I have seen the stonecarver's website. He is really talented! I have used his stuff for inspiration on some drawings of my own.
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