Daily AncestorHarp
A harp on a gravestone stands for worship and music in heaven; on some stones it signals Irish roots, and on Jewish stones a Levite.
The harp is King David's instrument and the attribute of St. Cecilia, patron of musicians, so it came to mean praise and worship in heaven. Musical instruments in general refer to the Psalms.
A harp can also have an Irish meaning, since it is Ireland's emblem. On Jewish stones a harp or lyre can mark a Levite, because the Levites made music in the Temple. Read it with the name, the language of the stone and the cemetery.
As seen in a recordCatholic or town cemetery, 1850 to 1930
Harp carved above the name: In loving memory of Bridget Mulcahy, native of Co. Cork, Ireland, died 1889
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Harp." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/gravestone-symbols/harp. Last checked 2026-10-15.