Guardians of the Dead

Throughout history it was believed that a cemetery had an appointed guardian; a soul who was left there to protect the cemetery grounds and the departed, not only from visiting humans, but from evil forces as well. 


Today you can take a stroll through a cemetery and find a few graves and monuments that are being “guarded” by stone sentries. These may take many forms including lions, dogs, eagles, angels and soldiers.

Cemetery and grave guardians are never caught looking down as many other statues are in mourning, but a guardian stands with head erect, watching over those they protect. Here are just a few to look for.

Lions

Lions are a symbol of power and strength. They are usually found in pairs, guarding the entrance of a mausoleum against intruders and evil spirits. They are usually shown with one resting while the other keeps watch over the grave. The lion is a noble animal and symbolizes the courage of the departed.

Sphinx

The sphinx closely resembles the lion. It is composed of the head of a human and the body of a lion. A sphinx represents the strength and bravery of the deceased. These are also found in pairs at the entrance to a tomb, guarding against evil spirits.

Eagles

Eagles can be found guarding Civil War military graves. They are strong birds that represent faith, courage and generosity of spirit. A double eagle is usually found at the grave of a 33^rd Degree Mason.

Dogs

A dog standing watch at a gravesite symbolizes loyalty, fidelity and vigilance. But there are also reports of ghostly black dogs, known as grims, which guard cemeteries. These shadow dogs are seen mainly in southern US cemeteries and graveyards in Europe. The black dog is known as guardian over the entire cemetery and, according to legend, will chase people out of the cemetery if they are there after dark.

Foo Dogs

Foo Dogs are found at the gates of many Chinese cemeteries. These guardians are a combination of a dog and a lion, and usually are mated in pairs. The male and female Foo dogs guard entryways to tombs and mausoleums. The male is usually located on the right with a ball under his foot, and the female is on the left holding down a playful kitten under her paw. They are said to mimic our roles in life and show that these ties continue after death.

Elks

Elk are found at the site of B.P.O.E. community graves (Benevolent Protective Order of Elks). This fraternal organization was popular during the latter half of the 19^th century and first half of the 20^th century.

Angels

Angels intercede for the benefit of humans to God. While many are shown in mourning, some angels are shown carrying a child or leading a person toward heaven. In this role, the angel is acting as a guardian of that soul as it is escorted to heaven.

Hooded Figures

The mysterious, hooded and draped figure can be found sitting or standing in front of the grave it guards. Several versions of this guardian can be found in the U.S., and many have names.

Eternal Silence

Grief

In Chicago’s Graceland Cemetery, it is called Eternal Silence. The “Black Aggie” placed in Druid Ridge Cemetery in Pikesville, Maryland was officially named “The Mystery of the Hereafter and the Peace of God that Passeth Understanding.”  The public called it “Grief.”

Other hooded sentries can be found in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St Louis, and in the rear courtyard of the Dolley Madison House in Washington, D.C.

According to legend, the figures walk the cemetery at night. There are also tales that if you look into the eyes of the hooded figure, you will see your own death.

Soldiers

Most military cemeteries have guardians keeping watch over the soldiers. Usually it is a soldier standing with his gun, gazing out over his band of brothers. Soldiers are especially popular in Civil War cemeteries, both at Union and Confederate graves.

“Other” Guardians

And then there are the “other” cemetery guardians. In Europe, the guardian was considered to be the first person buried in a new cemetery. Unfortunately, it is said that some people were selected to be the guardian and were then buried alive in the cemetery in order to achieve it. The same is true of black dogs – a black dog may have been selected to guard a cemetery and was then buried alive in order to denote it as guardian.

Could this be why people have reported hearing disembodied voices in cemeteries telling them to leave? Possibly it is the cemetery guardian vigilantly making sure no one trespasses upon the graves of those interred there – a guardian spirit who takes “rest in peace” quite literally.

~ Joy

The Black Aggie

Agnus Statue - Black Aggie

The Black Aggie is a cemetery statue surrounded by myth and legend.  When it was placed upon the grave of General Felix Agnus in Druid Ridge Cemetery in Pikesville, Maryland, the statue immediately stirred controversy and superstition among the locals.

Felix Agnus was a Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General and owner/publisher of the Baltimore American newspaper.  Agnus was also one of the original members of the Associated Press. He died on Halloween - October 31^st, 1925 and was buried under the petulant gaze of what became known as 'Black Aggie.' But Agnus was not the first to have this image guard his grave. 

Marian 'Clover' Adams

The original sculpture was created by the famous American artist, Augustus St. Gaudens.  He was commissioned to create a statue for the grave of Marian ‘Clover’ Hooper Adams by her husband, Henry.  Adams wanted a sculpture that embodied the Buddhist concept of nirvana: “release from the cycles of life and death, desire and pain.”  It was to memorialize his wife who had committed suicide in 1885. Six years later, in 1891, the statue was placed on her grave in Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

Adams Memorial - 'Grief'

St. Gaudens sculpted a shrouded figure in bronze, sitting, eyes closed, with its back against a granite wall. He called the work “The Mystery of the Hereafter and the Peace of God that Passeth Understanding.”  Henry Adams wanted it known as the Adams Memorial. The public simply called it “Grief.” 

The Face of 'Grief'

The sculpture has been described as mysterious, beautiful, moody, and haunting. The result of the shadows cast by the changing light during the day make the face inside the cowl appear to take on different expressions.

American Art Museum

Replica of Adams Memorial

The Adams Memorial is said to be one of St. Gaudens most original and beautiful works.  It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.  A replica of the Adams Memorial – the life-sized, genderless statue, was cast in 1969 for the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  It can be seen on the second floor, in the east wing of the museum.

Agnus Copy

The Agnus statue was an unauthorized copy of the Adams Memorial, created by sculptor Eduard L.A. Pausch. General Agnus purchased the unauthorized copy of “Grief” in 1906.  He had it erected on the family’s plot in Druid Ridge Cemetery after his mother’s remains were shipped from France and buried there in 1907.

Grass Would Not Grow...

Black Aggie

While there is little in the way of legend that surrounds the Adams Memorial, the Agnus sculpture is rife with superstitions.  Tales abound of the Black Aggie walking Druid Ridge Cemetery at night; legend has it that grass would not grow in the statue’s shadow, and that the menacing eyes glowed red at the stroke of midnight.  Many said that the spirit of Marian Adams inhabited the statue.

Smithsonian Institution

The urban legends grew and visitors flocked to the cemetery, mainly after hours, to see the Black Aggie. Some tried to spend the night sitting on 'her' lap, others were said to have been found dead near the statue.  Vandalism grew rampant and the Agnus statue had to be removed from the cemetery.  The Agnus family decided to donate it to the Smithsonian Institution in 1967. 

Back of Agnus Pedestal

Agnus Pedestal Today

Today, the Agnus plot retains the empty granite pedestal.  All that remains is a faint outline where the Black Aggie once rested. A bronze sculpture of Felix Agnus’s face hangs on the back of the granite stone.

Dolley Madison House

The Smithsonian placed the Agnus statue in storage where it remained for years before being given to the General Services Administration.  In 1987, it was placed on display in the rear courtyard of the Dolley Madison House on Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C.

Black Aggie Today

Black Aggie remains there today, now looking more serene than menacing as 'she' contemplates life and death from a seat among the trees, with a shrouded point of view.

~ Joy