Detail of gravestone of John Geekie, 1720. Carving of th King of Terrors with dart and hourglass, with deid bell, coffin, bones and soul. Digital image of B 4174/11

Description Detail of gravestone of John Geekie, 1720. Carving of th King of Terrors with dart and hourglass, with deid bell, coffin, bones and soul. Digital image of B 4174/11

Date c. 1990

Collection Papers of Betty Willsher, historian, St Andrews, Scotland

Catalogue Number SC 795285

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of B 4174/11

Scope and Content Tablestone of John Geekie, and Janet Smith, Kettins Churchyard, Kettins, Angus This shows a detail of the tablestone depicting Death, as the fearsome 'King of Terrors' holding up an hourglass to measure when a man's life should end, and holding a dart, the weapon of death. He wears a crown to prove his power over mankind, and stands surrounded by bones, a coffin and a 'deid bell' (the 'dead bell' rung at funerals). On the right of the photograph is a winged soul, emblem of the spirit ascending to Heaven. The objects in the top right are the sock and coulter (metal parts) of a plough, the emblems of a farmer. Death or mortality emblems on Scottish gravestones include coffins, 'deid bells', bones, skulls, sexton's (gravedigger's) tools, hourglasses and the scythe and dart (weapons of Death). They were intended to remind the viewer of the power of death, and encourage the living to lead virtuous lives in order to ascend to Heaven after death. Many stones feature incised ribbons bearing the message 'Memento Mori', (remember you must die), to further reinforce this point. This shows the tablestone of John Geekie who died in 1720, and Janet Smith who died in 1721. It is inscribed: 'Heire lyes John Geekie Indweller in/Kingoughtrey who died 22 June 1720/and Janet Smith his spouse who died/14th February 1721/Heire lyes John Geekie son to P.G/in Kingoughtrey/THE KING OF TERRORS WHO/DARE VITHSTAND VHO HATH/THE GLASS AND DART IN HAND'. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/795285

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap