Daily AncestorHand pointing up
A hand pointing up on a gravestone means the soul has gone to heaven, and it asks the living to look upward too.
A hand with the forefinger raised is one of the most familiar 19th century carvings. It says the soul has risen to its heavenly reward. A Massachusetts example dates from 1809, and it was common through the Victorian era.
Fingers may point to a crown, a star or a banner reading Rest in Heaven. The hand shows the family's hope, not the person's denomination.
As seen in a recordNew England or Midwest town cemetery, 1810 to 1900
Hand with finger pointing up in a recessed oval: Gone Home, Ezra Tolliman, died Jan. 4, 1851, aged 44 years
Sources
- Messages in Stone: Symbolism on Victorian Grave Markers, by Loren N. Horton (The Palimpsest, State Historical Society of Iowa, 1989)
- Westford Preservation Plan: Hillside Cemetery (Town of Westford, Mass.)
- Early American Gravestones: Introduction to the Farber Gravestone Collection, by Jessie Lie Farber (American Antiquarian Society)
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Hand pointing up." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/gravestone-symbols/hand-pointing-up. Last checked 2026-10-15.