Daily AncestorLyre
A lyre on a gravestone is a classical symbol of harmony, wisdom and heavenly peace; on Jewish stones it can mark a Levite.
The small Greek stringed instrument is one of the classical motifs found in American cemeteries. One Georgia guide reads it as wisdom, moderation, heaven and peace, and as the passage from this world to the next.
On Jewish gravestones the lyre or harp sometimes marks a Levite, because Levites were the Temple musicians. Read it with the name and the language of the inscription.
As seen in a recordGarden or town cemetery, 1830 to 1910
Lyre wreathed in laurel: Miss Cornelia Van Brunt, teacher of the pianoforte, 1831 to 1874
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Lyre." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/gravestone-symbols/lyre. Last checked 2026-10-15.