An epitaph is a short text that honors a person who has died. The word comes from Ancient Greek, meaning "a funeral speech," and is made from two parts: "at" and "tomb." Usually, an epitaph is written on a tombstone or plaque, but it can also be used in a different way. Some epitaphs are chosen by the person before they die, while others are selected by people who arrange the burial. Epitaphs can be written in simple sentences or in poetic form.

Most epitaphs briefly describe the family and life of the person who died, often including words like "beloved father of…" However, some are longer and more detailed. From the Renaissance to the 19th century in Western culture, epitaphs for famous people often included long descriptions of their family background, work, and personal qualities, usually in Latin. One example is the Laudatio Turiae, the longest known Ancient Roman epitaph, which has 180 lines and praises the virtues of a respected wife (sometimes thought to be Turia, the wife of a Roman leader named Quintus Lucretius Vespillo).

Some epitaphs include quotes from religious texts or sayings. Others try to remind readers about the reality of death. A few use humor by asking readers to move away from the tomb, as if the reader were standing on the ground above the coffin to read the words. Some epitaphs list the achievements of the person, such as the years they held political office. Nearly all epitaphs (except for special cases like the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) include the person’s name, birth date, and death date. Many also list family members and their relationship to the deceased, such as "Father," "Mother," "Son," or "Daughter of."

Linguistic distinctions

In English, the word "epitaph" means a written message to remember a person, which may or may not be written on a monument. In many European languages, the word (or a similar term) now means the monument itself, such as a wall plaque or stone in a church, usually placed near but not directly above a person's burial spot. Examples of this word in other languages include German "Epitaph," Dutch "epitaaf," Hungarian "epitáfium," Polish "epitafium," Danish "epitafium," Swedish "epitafium," and Estonian "epitaaf."

History

The history of epitaphs, which are words written on graves, goes back to ancient Egypt. Over time, the way people wrote epitaphs changed. The ancient Greeks used emotional language in poems called elegiac verse, and later in prose. The ancient Romans wrote epitaphs more directly, often listing facts about the person who died, similar to early epitaphs in English churches. A common phrase used was "May the earth lie light upon thee." Because of the Romans who lived in Britain, many epitaphs were written in Latin, as seen in the oldest epitaphs found there. French and English became more common in the 13th and 14th centuries.

By the 16th century, epitaphs became more creative and literary. Some were written in verse and even sold as part of trade. In America and Britain, people often used jokes in epitaphs, such as wordplay, riddles, and special word patterns like acrostics and palindromes. Robert Burns, a famous writer before the Romantic period, wrote 35 epitaphs, most of which were humorous. However, many more simple epitaphs were written than literary ones. Literary epitaphs were most common at the start of the Romantic period.

The Lake Poets, a group of writers, helped make epitaphs more important, similar to how poetry was valued. Robert Southey, one of them, wrote about both the shortness of life and the idea of lasting forever. Interest in epitaphs decreased near the start of the 19th century, but scholars became more interested in them later. Some books about epitaphs were written before this time, which may have helped increase their popularity in the late 1700s. Epitaphs never became a major form of poetry. According to a scholar named Ernest Bernhardt-Kabisch, epitaphs were almost gone by 1810. The Encyclopedia Britannica said that the art of writing epitaphs was mostly forgotten by the 20th century.

Ancient Egyptians used stone coffins for epitaphs, while brass plates were common for a long time. By the Elizabethan era, writing epitaphs on stone monuments became widespread.

In England

Common phrases or usual parts found in epitaphs on medieval church monuments and ledger stones in England include:

In music

In a symbolic way, the term can refer to music created to honor people who have passed away. Igor Stravinsky wrote a piece called Epitaphium for flute, clarinet, and harp in 1958. In 1967, Krzysztof Meyer named his Symphony No. 2 Epitaphium Stanisław Wiechowicz in memoriam for choir and orchestra. Jeffrey Lewis composed Epitaphium – Children of the Sun for narrator, chamber choir, piano, flute, clarinet, and percussion. In 1969, the band King Crimson released a song titled Epitaph, which includes references to epitaphs. An independent record label named Epitaph Records also chose its name from this song. Bronius Kutavičius created Epitaphium temporum pereunti in 1998. Valentin Silvestrov composed Epitaph L.B. (Епітафія Л.Б.) for viola (or cello) and piano in 1999. In 2007, Graham Waterhouse wrote Epitaphium for string trio as a tribute to his father, William Waterhouse. The South African poet Gert Vlok Nel wrote an originally untitled song that appeared on his first album Beaufort-Wes se Beautiful Woorde as Epitaph, because his producer, Eckard Potgieter, said the song sounded like an epitaph. David Bowie’s final album, Blackstar, released in 2016, is widely viewed as his musical epitaph, with the songs Blackstar and Lazarus often highlighted as key examples.