Have you ever read the poem 'The Dash' by Linda Ellis? If you haven't, you can find it here. Whenever I read it, I think of how little information is given on gravestones and memorials - sometimes only the dates, perhaps a quotation or a brief epitaph but little to give a sense of the person who lived.
In the 17th century in Scotland, gravestones were often engraved with symbols that marked the deceased's profession. This gravestone shows the markings for a flesher or butcher. Perhaps, not much more information but at least the villagers, most of whom were illiterate, would be able to find the grave!
So, how do you want to be remembered? If you could describe yourself with a picture, what would it be?
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