Meanings of Common Tombstone Symbols & Icons - Have you ever wandered through a cemetery and wondered about the meanings of the designs carved on old gravestones? Thousands of different religious and secular symbols and emblems have adorned tombstones through the ages, indicating attitudes towards death and the hereafter, membership in a fraternal or social organization, or an individual's trade, occupation or even ethnic identity. While many of these tombstone symbols have fairly simple interpretations, it is not always easy to determine their meaning and significance. We were not present when these symbols were carved into the stone and can't claim to know our ancestors' intentions. They may have included a particular symbol for no other reason than because they thought it was pretty. This massive lion, known as the 'Lion of Atlanta,' guards the tomb of more than 3,000 unknown Confederate soldiers in Atlanta's historic Oakland Cemetery. The dying lion rests on the flag they followed and 'guards their dust.'Lions in the cemetery can usually be found sitting on top of vaults and tombs, watching over the final resting-place of the departed. They also represent the courage, power and strength of the deceased individual.