Lexington Historical Society: Memento Mori

Press release from the Lexington Historical Society:

October 19, 2021

Behold all you that passeth by As you are now, so once was I As I am now, so you must be Prepare for death and follow me

It’s a cliché by now: surely this poem was written by some Gothic New Englander looking back on the Puritan days with a morbid fascination, like Hawthorne. One can easily hear the folksy voice of Bing Crosby sneaking it into a scene in the old Disney cartoon of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. But in fact, this was a very real sentiment inscribed on hundreds if not thousands of gravestones in the 18th century.

Several are right here in Lexington.

The Puritans were an interesting bunch. Believing in the theology of predestination, they operated under the assumption that their place both in life and death had been chosen by God even before their birth: He knew exactly whether each and every one of us was destined for Heaven or Hell, pulled along by the twisted hands of fate. Of course, this only went so far, as adherence to laws and outward displays of good works were both within one’s control and a sign of salvation. And in a world in which war, disease, and natural disasters were all too common, death was a constant neighbor. To that end, they filled their sermons and their lives with reminders that none of us are long for this world, and that we had better shape up while we still can.

Walking into the Old Burying Ground from its oldest side (near St. Bridget’s Church) you are treated to the perfect October sight: neat rows of gravestones adorned with skulls and crossbones, empty hourglasses, and Latin inscriptions of memento mori (remember death) and fugit hora (time flies). Just in case visiting the dead was not enough of a reminder of your own mortality, the ancestors wanted to make sure you remember where your final resting place will be, by any pictographic means necessary if you don’t read Latin. The earliest gravestones are the most grim; by the 18th century the skulls had grown flesh to represent the spirit, but the old sentiments remained in the writing on the stones. Ruth Buckman, tavernkeeper in Lexington in 1775, lies under a “Behold all you” inscription, and similar sentiments echo throughout the burying ground.

By the early 19th century, these fatalistic reminders of death had given way to romanticization, as the harsh physical iconography of bones gave way entirely to abstract symbols like weeping willow trees and classical urns. Cemeteries became more than mere repositories for the dead as landscapers created rolling hills and trees to soften the imagery. All these years later though, it is the iconic “death’s head” of the winged skull and the eerie poetry beneath that still captures the imagination this time of year. The meaning is still clear: always remember death, because it will certainly remember you.

-Sarah McDonough, Programs Manager

This press release was produced by the Lexington Historical Society. The views expressed here are the author’s own.