Sacred Messenger
by Mike Lee
Title
Sacred Messenger
Artist
Mike Lee
Medium
Photograph - Digital
Description
On an early visit to the Silver Terrace Cemeteries in Virginia City Nevada I was struck by the shape and textures of this old wooden grave marker before the dramatic sky. Try as I may, in the light I was unable to make out much of the old writing on the weathered old marker.
As I was setting up to capture an image this bluebird landed on atop it and sat there for a time. Depending on one’s views, some symbolism can be found here as the bluebird is considered a sacred messenger in several cultures and religious faiths.
People have been buried on these grounds, known collectively as the Silver Terrace Cemeteries, since the Victorian era of the mid-nineteeth century and the small fences that can still be seen around many of the older graves are indicative of this. Some of these fences are ornate old iron as well and are beautiful to look at. There are also many decaying old wooden fence pieces around many of the grave sites, adding to the historic, if somewhat macabre, feel of place. From what I can gather, the different sections are organized to fit the various religions of the many Comstock miners who make up a significant number of the dead buried there.
As one might expect there are a number of legends about spirits haunting the place including one of a former groundskeeper of the facility who’s said to wander the grounds in deep sadness at the dilapidation of some of the graves.
Uploaded
September 11th, 2021
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