What’s That Symbol? IHS/JHS

If you’ve been to a cemetery, specifically one with Catholic burials, you’ve probably seen the IHS symbol on a gravestone.

Rev. Anthony Joseph Abel (1833-1907), first Catholic priest buried at Calvary Cemetery in Wichita, Kansas, has the IHS symbol on his granite box tomb.

In His Service? No.

In my book, Buried Wichita: A Midwestern Death Trip, one of my photo captions states that IHS stands for In His Service, a truly embarrassing mistake on my part. I refer to Keister’s Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography all the time, so the fact that I included a backronym, or backformed acronym, in my book rather than the true meaning doesn’t feel so great. But I’m not a teacher or historian, I’m not especially religious, and I’m no expert in gravestone symbology. But I enjoy learning and sharing what I learn with you.

The reality is that many Americans have been incorrectly taught (or have made an assumption) that the letters IHS stand for “In His Service,” and that’s a believable definition. But that’s not what IHS means.

I Have Suffered? Also No.

Others believe that the letters mean “I Have Suffered,” a reference to the suffering of Jesus Christ. That definition is also believable, especially in some contexts IHS is found in.

Broken IHS symbol above Jesus on the cross, Saint Anthony Cemetery, Garden Plain, Kansas

“In His Service” or “I Have Suffered” are not what IHS stands for. Both of these are backronyms for this symbol.

Backronyms are not wrong (at least that’s what I tell myself). They are a way to sustain a relevant meaning as language and cultures change, grow, and spread. Many people have been taught a modern English definition for the symbol, most likely out of ignorance of the original meaning, but also to bring modern meaning to the letters.

IHS symbol, Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Kansas City, Kansas

**What Does IHS Really Mean?**

IHS is a Christogram that stands for the first three letters of the name Jesus in Greek (ΙΗΣΟΥΣ): Iota (I), Eta (H), and Sigma (S or Σ). This abbreviation of the name of Jesus to IHS was once a secret symbol that Christians once used to identify one another.

As Christianity spread to other lands and languages, the meaning of IHS changed. Among Latin speakers, IHS may have come to mean Iesus Hominum Salvator, or “Jesus Savior of Mankind.” Other meanings assigned to the symbol include In Hoc Signo (Vinces) or “In This Sign (Thou Shalt Conquer),” and In Hac (Cruce) Salus or “In This (Cross) Salvation.”

Carved IHS monogram on a headstone cross in the graveyard of Stratford Upon Avon in United Kingdom. Image via Adobe Stock.

You may also see the symbol as JHC, IHC, or JHS depending on the church denomination or area the symbol is found. I’ve read that S is sometimes replaced with C, because the Romans spelled Jesus IHCOYC or IHCUC. Others say a C is the proper way to denote a capital S in Greek. I’ve also read that when the letter J was added to the Latin alphabet, it replaced the I in the symbol.

JHS Christogram of the stone above the lateral entrance of church of San Francesco, Scutari, Albania. Image via Adobe Stock.

Are Other Definitions Wrong?

Many people will say that describing IHS as anything other than an abbreviation of the Greek name of Jesus is wrong. Some do not accept any other meaning as valid.

IHS symbol on an infant’s grave, Saint Anthony Cemetery, Garden Plain, Kansas

Knowing the true meaning of the symbol is important, and I’m glad to know it and share it here. And maybe I’m trying to make excuses for my own mistake, but I don’t think other meaningful definitions are wrong. Christian religions emphasize service — to God, through suffering, etc. Some clergy use “In His Service” as a letter close, and “in His service” is a common phrase used among the religious. It’s not unreasonable to believe that these individuals lived and died “in His service.”

Dr. Lewis Gregory says that the IHS symbol can be “a reminder that we are In His Service.” And we can still be “remind[ed] of Jesus, His saving work, and His claim of lordship over our lives” through alternative definitions for the symbol.

That does make me feel a bit better about my mistake. But the original meaning of the symbol should be taught and shouldn’t be forgotten.