Corn generally refers to the grain that is grown for food, usually wheat, rye, or barley. The blade of the grain denotes the ear of corn, with the inflorescence of the spikes. In a distant past, corn has been a symbol of the hope of an afterlife.

It was believed that after death people continued to have about the same needs as before. In the Egyptian royal tombs a small bowl of grain was sown and given to the dead. The time of sowing was chosen so precisely that the grain only germinated during the burial. The grain bowl remained in the tomb after the tomb was closed, but eventually died from lack of light.

In the Netherlands, as an old custom, a bunch of straw in the shape of a cross was placed in front of a death house in the event of a death. In this way, people walking past the house could see that someone had died and pray for his salvation. It therefore followed that the straw has become a symbol of death.

But in Christian symbolism, bread, with grain as an important raw material, also served as spiritual food. Christ is seen as the living bread. And the spike is seen in the Bible as the symbol of Christ. But in the Bible, corn is also seen as a symbol of growth, death, and resurrection or resurrection. All in all, the ear of wheat is seen in many customs as an important example of victory over death and inspires hope.

As a blood symbol, the grape is the sign of life and death. The grapevine, especially in combination with corn, refers to the Eucharist or the Lord's Supper and thus the sacrificial death of Christ.