inscriptions on tombstones become habitual tribute to the dead by their relatives.But it was not always.In the ancient tomb epitaphs give explanations about who is buried in the grave, and who was in life a dead man.
Occurrence epitaph
Although the word "epitaph" has Greek roots ("epi" - on "tafos" - the grave), art carved on the gravestones of names of the dead were known and the people of ancient Egypt and Babylon, and ancient Jews.
sarcophagus found in the tombs of ancient Egypt, are buried in information about their noble people, starting and ending with the name of their deeds in life.Also, they could be referred to the fact of what and how the deceased died, and kept warning about the death of those who disturb his ashes.
images and hieroglyphs engraved on stone tombs, can be attributed to the concept of epitaphs, although the first author of the "memorial" of the genre is considered to be Kegosskogo Simonides, who immortalized the feat of the Greeks in the war with the Persians, writing about this elegy."Wanderer, we were once abundant in the waters of Corinth.But now we have stores ... Salamis;Here we won the Persians ... and save the earth from the bondage of Greece ... ".Originally, the epitaph - a funeral oration, which is pronounced in the annual memorial day dedicated to the fallen heroes.During this speech, listed the exploits of the Greeks, who died for the liberation of their homeland.
subsequently appeared epitaph in verse, which were pronounced at every burial in a sign of respect for the dead from his inconsolable relatives.
Development epitaph as a literary genre
During the Middle Ages in Europe, thanks to Christianity, became a kind of cult of the burial, during which the soul of the deceased was prepared for the transition from life to death, and the epitaph on the tomb began to wear a religious or philosophical nature.
Revival Many poets composed verses in this genre for dead aristocrats.Then there were the tombstones and crypts with immortalized them parting words.The famous Tomb of Dante and the Medici, decorated with sculptures by Michelangelo, and today hit its magnificence.
names of great generals and governors also noted on the gravestone.For example, at the tomb of Tamerlane in Samarkand was the inscription, "If I was still alive, the whole world would be thrilled."This short phrase transmitted power and strength of a man who during his life and defeated the Golden Horde conquered many countries.
Epitaph in the Russian state
in Russia date back to the early 13th century epitaph, when gravestones wrote the name of the deceased, his family activities and a statement from the Gospel.Much later, in the 16th century, the aristocrats were ordered poets funeral poems.Thus, the epitaph - a new literary genre, which has a specific author.
example, gravestone gravestone verse poet Batiushkov brief and laconic: "I do not need labels for my stone, just tell me here: it was, and it is gone!»
later writing epitaphs became profitable business, and began to write formerchants, burghers and those who had little understanding of literary genres.To have survived, some of them, and their contents, rather more fun than sad: "Who gave birth, he built it."This title has left the son of his late father.
Modern epitaph
Today epitaph - a short statement that conveys the sadness over the loss of relatives of a loved one.His writing on the gravestone or printed in a newspaper obituary.This often come from poems of contemporary poets and bards, phrases from movies, statements of famous people.
as a literary genre epitaph virtually ceased to exist in the Soviet Union.It was not accepted at the graves of members of the Communist Party leave inscriptions, except the names, name and patronymic.
a return to the epitaph was made possible only after the religion and the church became again accessible to people.On the tombstone relatives pass people around her sorrow and grief over the death of a person dear to them:
«Painfully are summarized century,
But memory is always you are with us,
favorite, our dear people.
our pain, we do not express words »
Epitaph mother
bereavement and loved one is going through one of its own.One of the manifestations of grief is the epitaph.
When the mother dies, the children pay tribute to his love for her, using the epitaph on the monument to the mother.It can be a poem, a prayer, or a short statement: "We come to you to put a bouquet.It is very difficult without you, we, my dear, to live. "
Using epitaph, people convey the world how great their sorrow for the loss of a loved one.The return of the genre allows them to share their grief with others.The man who passes through the cemetery, can estimate the value of sorrow and grief that left children as the epitaph on the monument to my mother.Sympathy for the misfortunes of others helps people come to terms with their loss.
Epitaph husband
Just tragic loss of a breadwinner father and so are increasingly found on the graves of the dead men epitaph husband from his wife.They are full of sorrow and grief, as women, have lost a loving husband, stung by the loss:
«dry your eyes and head bowed.
rest here a loving husband.
he completed his earthly days -
good father and a loyal friend. "
short phrases on the gravestone dedicated to the deceased husband may be as much to transmit the depth of women's grief, like poetry, "Love you, proud of you, always in my memory you are alive."
If a man died in old age, the epitaph can be seen mention of him as a father and grandfather: "Take us to the earth's last gift, beloved husband, father and grandfather good mother."
Epitaph as the epigram
Although the death of a loved one - it is a great tragedy, a lot of people to his or her death is treated with a bit of humor and skepticism.There are cases where the epitaph was used as advertising services or instead of dating: "Here lies Esther Wright, which God has called to himself.Her disconsolate husband, Thomas Wright, the best stonemason America, with his own hands made the inscription and is ready to perform the same thing to you for $ 250. "Regrets the loss of others can have a kind of subtext, which slips "envy" the deceased "She lived on earth 82 years old, 6 months, 4 days without a break."
in different countries can be found epitaph or humor, or suggestively.For example, since Mexicans are showing black humor: "Here rests Pancrazio Huvenalis.He was an exemplary husband, a good father and a bad electrician. "
known in his time Lucrezia Borgia, who was the daughter of Pope Alexander 6, had an intimate relationship with his father and brother, for it was immortalized in the epitaph "Here lies Lucrezia Borgia - daughter, wife and sister in law of Alexander 6, the Pope."
Epitaph greats
Not all celebrities are honored decent epitaph, though there are some that were their own, writing expression, which subsequently became winged.
For example, Winston Churchill's grave is inscribed the following phrase: "I am ready to meet with the Creator.But if the Creator had time to prepare for a meeting with me - that's the question. "
famous scientist Ampere ordered that his grave was marked "finally happy."So he praised his life and death.
reading statements on foreign graves, people like to be attached to the life and death of someone close, so the epitaph - a kind of promise from the world of the living world of the dead.People still sadness, compassion and memorable phrases.
