While monuments alone can imply a great deal about who or what they commemorate, it is the inscription which provides the context and direction (or lack thereof) for an observer.  A typical tombstone gives a person’s name, lifespan, and maybe their relation to a few others.  This alone causes an observer to reflect on the person whose grave they are standing over. What were they like? How did they die? Is this their whole family, here?  The addition of an inscription causes thought beyond what is seen on the monument.  In the example of a tombstone, it makes you think of that person’s name, and ponder on what they might have been like while living.  For more public monuments, however, inscriptions are usually more directional in their intensions, often demanding some type of action, whether it be acknowledging or subjugating to a power, defending core values, or maintaining a sense of legend and history.  Regardless of the action encouraged, the end result is an attempt to bring a sense of community or social order among a group of people.  The three examples of this type of monument discussed on this page are an Assyrian relief from the Northwest temple in Kalhu (Nimrud), the Bowdoin Memorial, and the Maiden’s Cliff Cross.

Assyrian Relief

This Assyrian relief displays the image of a winged spirit, Apkallu, and contains an inscription from the perspective of King Ashurnasirpal II, who facilitated the building of the temple from which the relief is from, which describes all that King Ashurnasirpal II has done for Kalhu.  By implying the like qualities between the Apkallu and King Ashurnasirpal II and describing the power and success of the king, the relief demands the respect for and authority of King Ashurnasirpal II from all those who live within his kingdom.

Bowdoin Memorial

The Bowdoin Memorial commemorates the lives of Bowdoin alumni who fought and died during World War II, The Korean War, The Vietnam War, and Post 9/11 conflicts.   The memorial lists the names of all those who have died, and it includes 2 quotes, one from poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and one from general, governor, and college president Joshua Chamberlain.  The inclusion of these two quotes from two notable Bowdoin figures hopes to tie the honored alumni and the Bowdoin  community to American sacrifice, heroism, and excellence, and the quotes themselves further bolster these ideas.  The exclusion of an Italian anti-nazi rebel from the monument illuminates the necessity for the monument to specifically tie Bowdoin to American ideals.  Ultimately, this monument hopes to inspire current members of the Bowdoin community to uphold the ideals the commemorated alumni gave their lives for.

Maiden’s Cliff Cross

The Maiden’s Cliff Cross was erected to memorialize the death of a 12 year old girl who passed away from injuries sustained falling 300 feet off the edge of the cliff.  Erected by a tourist some years later, the cross was an attempt to preserve the story behind the name. The current inscription looks to heighten that idea, quickly but eloquently telling the story of how Elenora French fell to her death one fateful spring afternoon.  The telling of this story gives the town of Camden a sense of legend and history, which in turn brings a sense of community.