Scythe and Sickle on Headstones: Meaning

A scythe or sickle on an old headstone can look grim, but its meaning is often gentle: a life harvested in its proper season.

What it means

History

The scythe was the tool of Father Time and of the personified figure of Death in European art. On 18th- and 19th-century stones it often appears with an hourglass — see hourglass meaning. A sickle with a wheat sheaf, by contrast, usually marks someone who lived to a good old age. See wheat sheaf meaning.

On farmers' memorials

Today, a sickle and wheat is a natural emblem for farmers and harvest-loving families. It's a celebration of the land and the work, not a reminder of death. See ideas for a farmer.

Design ideas

• A sickle and wheat sheaf above the name.
• A harvest scene with a field and barn.
• "A harvest well gathered" as an epitaph.

Other Victorian time symbols

The scythe often appears alongside other emblems of time and mortality: a winged hourglass, a setting sun, an extinguished torch or a clock. Together they reminded visitors that life is short. See inverted torch meaning and hourglass meaning.

Key Takeaways

• A scythe often represents time and death.
• A sickle with wheat means a full life harvested.
• A broken scythe means a life cut short.
• Sickle and wheat suit farmers today.

Next Step

See how to read a worn headstone.