Grave of Arthur Middleton Reeves
N 39° 10.322 W 084° 31.666
16S E 713569 N 4338778
The is the runic gravestone of philologist Arthur Middleton Reeves. (1856 - 1891)
Waymark Code: WM62EF
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 03/21/2009
Views: 8
This is the runic gravestone of Arthur Middleton Reeves, brought from Iceland to Spring Grove Cemetery to mark his final resting place. Mr. Reeves was a dedicated philologist (someone who studies ancient texts). He learned German, Swedish, Icelandic, French, Italian, Danish, and Spanish, but came to specialize in the Norse Languages.
Apparently, the use of the serpent is common for these type of gravestones. However, I could not find information on the meaning of the snake being tied in a knot.
Please note that Mr. Reeves lived and died long before the emergence of the Nazi usage of the swastika. Its placement on this Icelandic carved gravestone likely refers to the swastika's connections to:
- Mundilfari, an Old Norse god, the father of the sun
- Thor, the Norse god of the weather and his hammer
- its appearance in Icelandic books about magic