Symbol Searching at Bethel United!

This past week my FYE class took a field trip to Bethel United Methodist Church's graveyard. As we walked through the night on paths surrounded by gravemarkers, we were tasked with identifying what ten symbols and icons that were carefully carved into the stone could mean.

The exterior of Bethel United Methodist Church.

Bethel United Methodist Church has been a longstanding icon in the City of Charleston for over 200 years. It has graced the corner of Calhoun and Pitt Street since 1797 and was known for serving both black and white members until 1852 when the original church building was pushed westward on the lot facing Calhoun Street to accommodate a larger building. 

The old original structure moved to 222 Calhoun Street in 1882, and was donated to the African American members of the congregation. Old Bethel United Methodist Church serves as Charleston's oldest standing Methodist Church building.

Using my "Stories Told in Stone" book by Gaylord Cooper, I was able to identify and interpret several of the symbols that I saw on the gravemarkers. I also used the awesome stoneletters blog and "In the Arms of the Angels" by Patrick Harwood to decipher the symbols.

One of the first gravemarkers that caught my eye was for "Anna" who was the "beloved wife of Rev. A.M. Chrietzberg.

Anna's grave was decorated with a wreath and a dove above it. According to "Stories told in Stone" the inclusion of a wreath on Anna's grave could symbolize victory and redemption and dates back to ancient Greece.

The dove above the wreath is an important symbol in Christianity that represents the Holy Spirit. It is symbolic of purity, devotion, and divine spirit. The bird appears to be in flight which means "winged soul." This representation of the soul goes back to ancient Egypt. This is often used on the graves of children, however, this is not the case on this gravemarker so it could represent eternal life.

Although it is difficult to see due to the degradation of the stone, this gravemarker features a lamb. The lamb is the most common animal symbol found on the grave of a child. The lamb is a symbol of Christ and was used in religious art that pre dates Christianity and was even used by the Egyptians.

The lamb can indicate purity, innocence, and Christ in his sacrificial role. This all personifies gentleness and humility.

One of my favorite symbols that I stumbled across in the graveyard of Bethel United Methodist Church was a weeping willow adorning the headstone grave of "James." The weeping willow according to author Gaylord Cooper in "Stories told in Stone" can represent Nature's lament as well as sorrow and morning.

The very well kept headstone grave of Priscilla Sarah Eason stands against the wall of Bethel United Methodist and features an ornate carving of a crown surrounding a cross at the top of the stone.

The inclusion of a crown on a cross means sovereignty of the Lord which is the Christian teaching that God is the supreme authority and all things are under his control.

A particularly large bedstead grave of William H. Fleming features both an open book on top of a draped pedestal and a wreath made of what appears to be pansies. There are also four pansies adorning the four bottom corners of the bedstead.

The open book refers to a literate person and sometimes a scholar. The book can also be symbolic of faith or the book of life. The double page spread of a book is a very popular depiction.

The drapery under the book is indicative of sorrow and mourning.

The wreath made of pansies is associated with someone who has attained distinction in the arts, literature, athletics, or the military which makes sense when paired with the open book.
The pansies themselves are meant to symbolize remembrance and humility.

Several of the graves in the graveyard at Bethel United Methodist featured angels in flight. I've included pictures of two with this symbol; the fallen die in socket of Elizabeth M and the die in socket grave of Rebecca Jane.

Angels are agents of God and they are often pointing towards Heaven. These angels are often shown escorting the deceased to Heaven. When pictured flying as they are in these two photos, the angels are symbolic of rebirth.

The footstone grave of Francis W. Capers is quite simple with the only distinguishing feature being a small cross surrounded by a circle. This encircled cross was adopted by the Christians and is known as the universal symbol fo eternity and never ending existence.