Cemeteries were first created to
keep civilizations healthy and clean, and second as a tool to help with the
sorrow and grief connected with the loss of a loved one. Like the human race and civilization, the
cemetery has evolved with time, from the Egyptian pyramids and tombs, to holy
churchyards, and finally to large public burial grounds maintained by a
municipality. Mount Hope Cemetery is
one such public burial ground, opened in 1838 by the city of Rochester, New
York. Mount Hope fits into a special category
of cemeteries, the Victorian Rural, created during a time when America was
rapidly growing and needed more space to bury the deceased. The Victorian Rural Cemetery was based on a
cemetery in France, the Pere Lachaise in Paris, with the idea of creating a
park like atmosphere, and connect with nature, while at the same time
respecting the dead. Death was not
something to be seen as a final doom; death was the end of one’s life on Earth
and the beginning of a new life beyond this mortal realm.
When
faced with death a family must make many decisions, burial or cremation,
headstone or footstone, or family monument.
The family monument is a special symbol in Mount Hope, and can range
from a mausoleum to an obelisk thirty feet high. The Douglas family plot contains four headstones, one of which
has fallen over (see photo above), as well as a large cross behind the
headstones. The dimensions of the headstones and the family monument can be
found in Figure 1. Of the four
headstones, only two are readable, are worn from acid rain. These two headstones are of a husband and
wife, Mr. William Bradley Douglas and Mrs. Charlotte Forris Douglas; they died
within a year of each other. Each of
the two headstones contain the vital data of deceased,
William
Bradley Douglas
Died
October XIX MDCCCXCVI (October 19, 1898)
Aged
LXXIX Years (79 years)
Charlotte
Forris Douglas
Died
July XV MDCCCXCIX (July 15, 1899)
Aged
LXXVI (76 years)
Both headstones finish the inscription with the
phrase “Heirs together in the grace of life.”
There is an unreadable word following this phrase, possibly in
Latin. “Heirs together…” is most likely
a profession of the love that the couple shared during their marriage.
As
for the other two headstones, research at the Mount Hope Cemetery Office
revealed that the remaining upright headstone is that of Ann S. Douglas, buried
in 1856; the fallen down headstone is that of Geo Ferriss buried in 1899.
(See photo above, or previous photo) It is possible that one or both graves could
have been moved from another cemetery, or that they were both children. From the daybook at the Cemetery Office, the
cause of death William Douglas and Charlotte Douglas was found; William died of
old age, and Charlotte of cerebral paresis (paralysis). It is common for the survivor of a long-term
marriage to die within a short time of the loved one’s death, and this could be
the case with Charlotte. William
Douglas was buried on October 21, 1898 and Charlotte Douglas was buried on July
18, 1899. From the daybook also it is
known that Charlotte Douglas was 76 years 11 months and 14 days old at the time
of her death, putting her birthday around July 29, 1822. Both records of their death have their home
in Grove Place, Rochester, but originally from Avon, NY. Despite my efforts to find more information
on the family, there were no records in Avon, NY due to a fire and Rochester
city directories from the 1890’s do not record the family name.
With
so few details found on the family, the focus of this project became the family
monument, a large cross, placed behind the headstones of the family, facing
east. The cross is a beautiful piece of
artwork, with intricate carving of flowers, vines and birds, as well as a
lengthy Latin inscription that begins on the North side and flows up and down
the cross all the way around to the West side.
Unfortunately the plot book does not have the date when the cross was
placed on the site or the name of the sculptor. On the East side of the cross there is the name Douglas (see
photo above), and beginning on the North side (near the base of the cross)
there is an English inscription, “Looking for that blessed hope and the
glorious appearing of the great God our Savior Jesus Christ.” This inscription is only on three sides of the
monument, beginning on the North and ending on the South.
This
inscription could mean several things, but I believe that it is summarizing the
religious beliefs of the family represented by the huge Latin inscription. Namely that the family is affirming their
belief that their faith will endure after death as they prepare for the Second
Coming.
The
Latin inscription, which follows, is the main text of the monument, making
monument both original and beautiful.
The brackets indicate the translation that I worked on with Professor
John Arnold. An example of the carving
of the Latin letters can be seen in the following photo, with the word
TRINITATE, trinity.
North Side: Lustra sex qui iam peregit tempus implens corporis libera
redemptor agnus in crucis leuartur immolandus stipte.
[Thirty
years now time having fulfilled the body, the Lamb, the Redeemer by his own
free will upon the cross was raised as a sacrifice for his descendents.[1]]
East Side: Crux fidelis inter omnes arbor una nobilis nulla silva talem
profert fronde flore germine dulce lignum dulces clavos dulce pondus sustinet.
[Cross of faith, tree among
all others, one and noble, no forest carries such foliage, flower or seed. The sweet wood bears the sweet nails and
sweet weight.]
South Side: De parentis protoplasti fraude factor condolens quando pomi
noxialis in necem morsu ruit ipse lignum tunc notavit damna ligne ut solveret.
[The maker of the parents
grieving, the first men due to fraud when in a bite of the noxious fruit he
fell down in death, he himself marked a tree in order to undo the damage by the
tree.[2]]
West Side: Sempterna sit beatae trinitate gloria aequa patri filio que par
decus parclito unus trini que nomen laudet universitas. Amen.
[Everlasting be the glory of the blessed trinity for
equal in grace, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one in these three the
universe praises in name. Amen.]
With
the help of Professor Arnold, of the Department of Religion and Classics of the
University of Rochester, I was able to find that this inscription was part of a
medieval hymn. The “Pange Lingua, Sing
Tongue”, written by Venantius Fortunatus in Portiers.
A short history of Venantius Fortunatus and the hymn Pange Lingua.
Venantius Fortunatus was born near
Treviso, northern Italy in 540 AD he left Italy in 565 AD and traveled through
many cities in Gaul, stopping in Portiers.
Here he knew Queen Radegunda, who had founded a nunnery in Portiers, and
she eventually convinced Venantius to become a bishop. When establishing her nunnery, Radegunda
held negotiations with the Byzantine Emperor Justin and his consort Sophia to
have splinters of the original cross sent to Portiers. Venantius wrote the Pange Lingua to be sung
as the splinters of the cross were being brought in procession to the
nunnery. This hymn was first sung on
“November 19, AD 569.” (Walpole, A. S. p 166)
The Pange Lingua is one of many Passion Hymns, which describe the
suffering of Christ on the Cross. The
Passion Hymns are sung on Good Friday, during the adoration of the Cross, the
liturgy hours during Holy Week, and on the feasts of the Cross. There are some changes made in the Latin
that Venantius wrote as found on the Douglas monument; this can be attributed
to two things. One, that in 1632
changes were made by Pope Urban VIII during the Catholic counter-reformation
(also known as the Council of Trent), and two, it is highly likely that the
Douglas family was high Episcopal and not Catholic. This is even more probable because the Douglas family is buried
in Mount Hope and not Holy Sepulcher, the Catholic Cemetery of Rochester. The last stanza of the Pange Lingua was not
written by Venantius but was added later.
As for the inscription on the Douglas monument, it begins with part 2,
followed by 3, then a piece of part 1 and ends with the last stanza. It is common for the Pange Lingua to be sung
in sections, and not always in proper order.
It is interesting now to compare the
following translations with the translation I made with the help of Professor
John Arnold.
(1938)
Lustres six when He had traversed,
All His time on earth fulfilled,
The Redeemer, dedicated
Unto Death, for so he willed,
On the cross, to die our victim,
Lamb of God is now upheld.
Cross of Faith, amongst all others
Thou art tree noblest strain,
Forest fails to show thy fellow,
Leaf or flower or fruit again:
Sweet the nails, and sweet the timber,
Sweet the burthen they sustain.
The Creator, grieve, yet piteous,
For our primal parents fall,
When through taste of mortal apple
He to death became the thrall,
Duly then the tree appointed
That should loss through tree recall.
Never ending be the glory
Paid to the Blessed Trinity;
Equal honor to the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit be;
All creation ring with praises
Of One God in Persons Three. Amen. (Mulcany, p59)
And another translation, closer to the actual words
and not as “flowery.”
(1932)
Now the thirty years are ended,
Which on earth He willed to see,
Willingly He meets His Passion,
Born to set His people free;
On the Cross the LAMB is lifted,
There the Sacrifice to be.
Faithful Cross, above all other
One and only noble Tree,
None in foliage, none in blossom
None in fruit they peer may be;
Sweet thy wood and sweet thy iron,
and thy Load, most sweet is He.
He, our maker, deeply grieving
That the first-made Adam fell,
When he ate the fruit forbidden
Whose reward was death and hell,
Marked e’en then this Tree, the ruin
Of the first tree to dispel.
Praise and honor to the Father,
Praise and honor to the Son,
Praise and honor to the Spirit
Ever Three and ever One,
One in might and One in glory,
While eternal ages run. (Nicholson, Sydney H. p65-69)
Looking at these three translations
it is easy to see how the meaning of a word can be taken in many different
ways. From all the translations, it is possible
to see Venantius’ beautiful imagery.
The Latin is much more beautiful; for example the line "dulce,
dulces, dulce" the alliteration here is more delightful in Latin than the
"sweet, sweet, sweet" of English, though the beauty is still apparent
in the translation. The translations
used in hymnals are obviously different because they are meant to be sung, and
rhyme and rhythm is important for that.
Now the question is, why did the
Douglas family decide to put this on their monument? One can only infer the meaning the Douglas family wanted. Everything returns to the idea that when we
die many people want to be remembered or immortalized; this is the whole
foundation of gravestones and monuments.
Clearly the Douglas family did not want to be remembered for any worldly
accomplishments; rather they desired to witness to their beliefs. This monument is a symbol of their undying
love for Christ; they accepted death when it came and then looked to their
beliefs to carry them past the mortal life on Earth. The Cross is often referred to as the Tree of Life, and like the
many Cross monuments that resemble trees in Mount Hope, the Cross here is a
symbol of Life continuing after death.
The vines, flowers and birds that decorate the Cross are also symbols of
the eternal life, and life after death.
The Douglas Family monument is a beautiful, and touching piece. The Douglas monument is a celebration of the
Cross as well as Christianity. The hymn
is a symbol of the Passion of Christ, the eternity of Christianity, and
proclaiming that believers have nothing to fear when death finally comes.
The Douglas family site stands out
among other monuments in Mount Hope Cemetery.
The simple headstones accompanied by the elaborate Cross inscribed with
the Latin hymn are fine examples of how a family deals with grief and sorrow,
in their display of undying faith. The
monument is a symbol of death, but not a morbid or depressing one, rather a
powerful symbol representing the Douglas’ religious beliefs, in redemption and
resurrection. “The universal experience
of encountering death has provided a powerful image of dramatic change adopted
by many cultures as a symbol of many lesser changes befalling people during
their lives. In this sense death is a
powerful natural symbol, so that when a culture wishes to express the belief
that some major change is coming about in a person’s life and identity this
image of death is found to lie close at hand.” (Davies, p177) Death is a shift from one part of life to
another, much like the shift from childhood to adulthood. Like the changes that occur when a child
becomes an adult, the monument is a symbol of the crossing from one boundary,
one life to another after Death. Mount
Hope Cemetery and the monuments within are reminders, to those who visit, of
mortality. Death comes for all, so it
is best to be prepared. Passing by the
Douglas monument, and reading the hymn, may prepare some to make the passage
from one life to the next.
Researcher: Joan Coyle
University of Rochester
Back to the Speaking Stones Main Site
Index
of Photographs and Diagrams
Photo
1: Western view of the Douglas family plot.
Photo 2: Detail of base of the Cross, East Side.
Photo 3: Eastern view of the Douglas family plot,
the two larger headstones are those of William Bradley Douglas and Charlotte
Forris Douglas.
Photo 4: Detail of the Latin inscription, TRINITATE,
trinity
Photo 5: North view of the Cross, it’s on this side
that the Latin inscription begins.
Photo 6: Detail of the top half of the cross, this
is the West side.
Photo 7: A neat brightening of Photo 1, makes you
wonder… divine presence?
Figure 1: Dimensions of the headstones and the
monument.
Bibliography
Church, F. Forrester and Mulry. Terrence J. The
Macmillan Book of Earliest Christian Hymns. Macmillan Publishing Company,
New York © 1988
Daniel, Hermann Adalbert. Thesaurus Hymnologicus.
Leipzig, Loeschke © 1855-56
Davies, Douglas J. Death, Ritual and Belief.
Cassell, London © 1997
Duffield, Samuel Willoughby. Latin Hymn-Writers
and Their Hymns. Funk and Wagnalls, New York © 1889
Mount Hope Cemetery Day Books and Plot Books
Mulcahy, Rev. Cornelius Canon. The Hymns of the
Roman Breviary and Missal. Browne
and Nolan Ltd. Dublin © 1938
Nicholson, Sydney H. A Plainsong Hymnbook.
William Clowes and Sons, Ltd. London © 1932
Walpole, A. S. Early Latin Hymns. Georg Olms
Verlagsbuchhandlung, Hildesheim © 1966