In a Silver City, NV cemetery:
Here lies Butch.
We planted him raw.
He was quick on the trigger,
But slow on the draw.
From the Boot Hill cemetery, Tombstone, AZ:
Here lies Lester Moore
Four slugs from a .44
No Les No More.
From Margaret Daniels grave, Hollywood cemetery, Richmond, VA:
She always said her feet were killing her
But nobody believed her.
From a cemetery in Hartscombe, England:
On the 22nd of June
--Johnny Fiddle --
Went out of tune.
From a Ribbesford, England cemetery:
The children of Israel wanted bread,
And the Lord sent them manna.
Old clerk Wallace wanted a wife,
And the devil sent him Anna.
One of the great things about tombstones is that they allow a final 'clean slate' of remembrance for a loved one. As discussed in the 'Language' section of 'Expressions of Attitudes Toward Death' section in Chapter One, words play an important role in how wee view death. In addition, we also recognize how others view death based on their usage of words.
ReplyDeleteIn the examples you have provided, there is a lot satirical whit and humorous tones to described the deceased. My favorite example is from Margaret Daniels grave (...she always said her.) Today we view death with a major negative mindset, and it's rare to see any type of humor to celebrate a person's life. Looking back at these examples, they clearly indicate the how long ago they were written. Today, tombstone engraving has another form of creativity: pictures of the deceased, elaborate fonts, and sophisticated designs.
Interesting and comical post Professor Cox; especially the Johnny Fiddle "went out of tune" gravestone. Before taking this class, I never imagined that humor and death can intertwine. Humor has great "healing" powers and creates a positive atmosphere during difficult times.
ReplyDeleteNow, on a different note....
After just a couple classes, I didn't realize how much our society attempts to ostracize death. We need to respect its existence and recognize death as a natural process instead of surrendering our bodies to the profit-driven medical and pharmaceutical industries. Without death, life could not evolve and sustain a healthy planet.
I found a few more amusing gravestones and epitaphs to share!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.stumbleupon.com/su/AdFuvz/m.funnyordie.com/slideshows/f0b30eeb64/the-most-badass-tombstones-ever
People request the most interesting things to be written on their tombstones, or for their tombstones to be shaped as. I wonder if the people created such ideas so they may amuse their loved ones and visitors. I also wonder how many or them were created by loved ones with the knowledge that their dead loved one would appreciate the sentiment.