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Memento mori, St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall

17th century tomb monument carved in the local Orcadian sandstone. While the skull and bones are ubiquitous signifiers of death's dominion, it's the supporting symbols that caught my eye: the guttering candle, tolling bell, hourglass and grave-diggers' spades. The Latin inscription ends "mors patet, hora latet, memento mori" (death awakes, the hours slip away, remember death...)

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Uploaded on July 23, 2010
Taken on May 31, 2010