Roman Tombstone

In Celtic belief the hare is associated with leading the dead to the afterlifeA Roman tombstone depicting a young boy holding a hare. It was discovered in 1869 during the reconstruction of St. Swithin's Church in Lincoln, and is made of limestone. The Romans brought with them their pantheon of gods including Jupiter, Mars and Mercury, and although they imposed their religion on the country, they allowed local people to carry on worshipping their own gods alongside the Roman ones. Belief systems were ingrained in the local culture, and while official religions changed, local superstitions prevailed. The tombstone is Roman in style; the boy stands between two columns topped with acanthus leaves and his hairstyle and dress mark him as Roman. But the hare that the boy holds links us to older superstitions; it is the animal associated with leading the dead to the afterlife in the Celtic belief system.

In Celtic belief the hare is associated with leading the dead to the afterlife