Ouroboros and Cross

I took this photo for the design on the gravestone.  If I'm remembering correctly, it's in the churchyard around Trinity Church (or else St. Paul's Chapel).  The base is an ouroboros encircling a sand dial.  It's difficult to see, but the snake's side is braided or twisted.  On top of the snake's circle is a round, eight-rayed globe which I'm assuming is the sun. Tree of Life branches seem to spring out of the ouroboros.  Out of the sun springs the Crucifix.

The rest of the gravestone looks like an illuminated page from the Bible.  What struck me about it was that it was positively dripping with allegory in a churchyard filled with ornate but simpler stones.  Buildings and monuments dripping with allegory is why I like New York City and the East Coast generally.  I wish Eugene and Portland had more interesting design in their structures; Portland has the Skidmore Fountain, Portlandia, and a smattering of buildings from the 1920's, but Eugene really only has Villard and Deady Halls on the University of Oregon Campus and Hope Chapel in the Pioneer Graveyard.

It makes me want to decorate our house with statues or something...

Gravestone: Heart and Hand

Here's another Pioneer Cemetery photo.  This image is unique (to me anyway) because most of the grave markers I see have two clasping hands, or a hand pointing to heaven, or they say "Farewell" or "Until We Meet Again."  This is the only time, I think, where I've seen an upward stretched hand with a heart in its palm.  I also hadn't seen chain cuff-links much either; now that I think about it, it may be an Oddfellows emblem.   Finally, I like the triangular boarder detail.

Miller Pioneer Church

Well... it looks like Picasa is confused about which server to talk to.  In the meanwhile, here's some photos of the Miller Church.  I'm unsure of the precise relationship, but my Uncle Lionel was related to Richard Miller (who played a part in the Battle of Abiqua).







Yes.  It's propped up with rocks.  Aunt Margot told me that the door on the right was a later edition; at some point in the late 1800's, the style for coffins changed and they became too wide to fit through the original door.




This photo (and the following) were taken about seven years ago at a baptism held in the church.  (Let's see... that would be my first cousin twice removed...)



My Aunt Margot's family spend a lot of time maintaining the graves and the church.





I am unsure what the iconography of these stones are.  To me, it looks like a heavenly hand is shaking hands with an earthly hand and I wonder why the legend doesn't say "Until We Meet Again" instead of "Farewell." 






I like the dove on this marker.

I didn't get a photo of it, but my Uncle Lionel's grave marker is in the fir trees in the distance.







 Another hand, this time pointing Heavenward. 











I think this is supposed to be a weeping willow; I'm not sure if that's for remembrance or for sorrow.






  
Getting meta here:  the grave of Mr. Graves.












... and a cemetery wouldn't be complete without things that go bump in the night.