Memento mori

As I've said before, I love graveyards, especially old ones. I find them very peaceful and serene, places to reflect on the people buried there generations ago, and the tiny glimpses you get of their lives through the inscriptions on their stones and memorials.

I also love the fascinating details on the monuments, and the character some of them have picked up as the stones have aged.

Today I went back to Saint Cuthbert's church. Last time I was here, although I shot lots of interesting (to me, anyway!) details from the graveyard, an unexpected shadow meant that I didn't blip any of them. But this particular carving stuck in my mind; today I went straight to the stone, the light was ideal, and here he is!

Today this kind of decoration would be considered morbid - and okay, it probably is! But I find it very striking and evocative; it captures the mood of the cemetery, and the spirit of the time when it was carved.