Coldingham » Gravestone at Coldingham Priory Berwickshire
We can learn much from even the simplest gravestone for even when fairly plain such as this one there is nearly always a few Christian symbols on them.
The difference between a Graveslab and a Gravestone is demonstrated by the above which is a gravestone. Although this gravestone is pretty badly weathered we can still interpret some of the Christian symbols on the front. Unfortunately it was not possible to see the back as that would have meant moving and possibly damaging the stone. Please never touch such stones that is something best left to the experts.
The gravestone bears post-Reformation Christian symbols:- the image of a man holding a book - the Bible and probably intended to be open at the New Testament. Above the figure is a winged face - his soul flying upward to Heaven. Another meaning is that this is an angel escorting the good and pious Christian to his just reward in heaven. In other words - read, believe and have faith in, the Word of God and one will be resurrected in him.
The stone is quite small 2′ x 1′ and thus represents the grave of a child. Infant mortality was until relatively recently very high and this goes some way to explaining the few Christian symbols. It would be very expensive to have a gravestone carved for every single child so that this one exists at all suggests that the child concerned was special in some way - an only child perhaps?
