Cemetery Headstone Symbols: Three Chain Links
“F L T,” but it still means the same thing. Photo © Chris Raymond
While visiting a cemetery, you might have wondered about a design you saw carved on an old tombstone and what it means. This article explains what three chain links symbolize (with or without the letters “F L T”), a headstone design found in cemeteries, church graveyards and memorial parks.
The Chain-Link Symbol
Generally found on older cemetery tombstones, gravemarkers and monuments, the symbol consists of a short length of chain made of three links that slightly curve.
In addition, the capital letters “F L T” might appear within the chain links (as seen in the photograph above), but not necessarily so.
Finally, this chain icon might also appear in conjunction with a different symbol, such as a compass and carpenter’s square, on the deceased’s gravemarker.
The Meaning of Three Chain Links
The three-link chain is the main symbol of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and its presence on a cemetery tombstone, gravemarker or monument indicates that the deceased belonged to this fraternal organization.
The three links represent friendship, love and truth. This explains the acronym “F L T” within the links that sometimes appears, as seen in the photograph above.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows started in England in the mid-1700s when a group of ordinary citizens established a monetary fund from their personal donations to help other group members during difficult times, “such as sickness, losing a job and even death.”
While the origin of the “Odd Fellows” name appears lost to time, one possible explanation is that other citizens in 18th-century England found the selfless motives of this group unusual and considered its members an “odd bunch of fellows.”
Regardless, in 1819, Thomas Wildey formed the first Odd Fellows order in the United States. The stated mission of this Baltimore, Maryland, lodge was to: “Visit the sick, relieve the distress, bury the dead and educate the orphans.” This reflected the challenging social and economic conditions existing at the time due to a yellow fever epidemic, as well as significant unemployment.
As noted above, the Odd Fellows icon might occasionally appear in conjunction with a different fraternal organization symbol on a headstone, such as the Freemasons. This merely indicates that the deceased belonged to both organizations.
Sources:
“About Us.” Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Retrieved April 14, 2019. http://www.ioof.org/IOOF/About_Us/About_US/IOOF/About.aspx
“History of American Odd Fellowship.” Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Retrieved April 14, 2019. https://odd-fellows.org/history/wildeys-odd-fellowship
