10/12/2015 1 Comment Inspiration Monday: CemeteriesCemeteries have always been one of my favourite places to go. I think it's because the dead are so unobtrusive. As a writer I find a lot of inspiration there, from unusual names (that can seem downright funny sometimes!) to birth and death dates indicating a life cut short too early -- what happened? Was it illness, an accident? Some names are just funny because they're on a tombstone. Findlater, Guest (uh, no thanks!) Names can be difficult sometimes, especially surnames, and cemeteries are full of names we, as writers, might not have thought of. Hoar, Beddome, Begg, Darch, Complin, Carradice, Skuse, Humpidge, Baragar, Oiley, Hexter, Stanga, Pepper, Chamberlain, Fountaine, Tamblyn, Aikenhead.... And some make you wonder--when the surname is Sue Tang, why are the first names James and Rosemary? (research online says there are more Sue Tangs in Canada than any other country, but I'm not sure what that means....) Cemeteries can also give you an idea of the cultural background of a given populace. Woodland Cemetery has stones covered in kanji, and names like Putiks, Bekmanis, Libis, Rudavics, Petrovski. Given names are also interesting -- Myrtle Alberta (Drake), anyone? She was born in 1916, which says something about names of the time. Or her parents. Or both. And of course some stones hint at sad, sad stories. "In memory of Margaret, beloved wife of Edward Martyn. Died April 4, 1881 aged 27 years." Right beside a stone for a baby. And sometimes, amidst all the stories, there is a peaceful reminder that life goes on.
1 Comment
Patricia M Palm
10/12/2015 11:01:30 am
Delightful passage! I love cemeteries as well.
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