Why are there three tomb stones?

When Anakin comes to say his last words to his mother on Tattoine there are three tomb stones. Why? Whose are those graves? There' s one big tomb stone, a smaller one and a third which is the smallest...

I haven' t seen a topic on this so I wondered...

 

Hi

Yes I've always wondered about this too. There's no clue given in the novel or any of the other story adaptations.

My guess is that it's Cliegg's first wife and maybe their child. Cliegg must have had a previous wife.

What I've also wondered is whether or not that piece of land is visible in ANH, presumably the tombstones aren't visible in ANH ?

gez

 

One is obviously for Shmi. Another one is probably for Cliegg's first wife, Owen's mother. The last one is a mystery. It could be for a child that Shmi had with Cliegg who died during birth. For all we know, it could even be for Cliegg's leg.

This might get addressed in Episode 3, but it might not. I don't think the EU has explained it yet, so it could be something that Lucas is saving for Episode 3.

Edit:
"What I've also wondered is whether or not that piece of land is visible in ANH, presumably the tombstones aren't visible in ANH ?"

I seem to remember reading that the piece of land isn't visible in ANH, that it's always barely off the screen. I'm not sure if that's true or not. Another explanation is that Owen and Beru removed the tombstones, so that young Luke wouldn't ask as many questions about Shmi, her death, and his family's history.

 

It is For Cliegs First Son, Ben... He was Taken away by some Hooded Cultist when he was just an infant... To Grieve, Clieg Has Claimed his son to be Dead to him... Untill he Can Heal.

 

Maybe its where they've buried Cliegg's parents

 

One for Shmi, one for Owen's mom, and one for Cliegg's leg.

 

For all we know, it could even be for Cliegg's leg.





As for the tombstones not appearing in ANH, it may be because the sands of Tatooine swallowed them up. The sands shift very often, thanks in large part to natural occurances likes sand storms.

 

We never saw that Angle of the Homestead in ANH... They Wouldn't have been Covered up in the Sand... Owen runs a Well Maintained, If Modest, Farm... He Would Not Disrespect Shmi... and Likely his Father Clieg, in Such A Way.

 

I've always thought it was for family pets

 

We never saw that Angle of the Homestead in ANH... They Wouldn't have been Covered up in the Sand... Owen runs a Well Maintained, If Modest, Farm... He Would Not Disrespect Shmi... and Likely his Father Clieg, in Such A Way.

With all due respect, do you think Owen would have had the tombstones merely taken up or knocked down so that Luke wouldn't see Shmi's grave and wonder about it? It would be just as "disrespectful", if not more.

 

The Graves are Well maintained Untill the Day Owen Dies. Luke Never asks Questions about his Grandmother... He Knows Full well Who Shmi is, and Where she is Burried. Owen would never Take down the Graves... that is Disrespectful. We don't see them in ANH Because the Camera Never Points in that Direction.

 

It is never officially stated whether or not Luke knew of Shmi, so it's only natural to assume he did not.

 

The Only People Owen Hid From Luke was His Father and Kenobi... Shmi Stayed on Tatooine, and Was A Good Worker. Owen Probably used that as a roll model for Luke the Same Way he Badmouthed his Father for Leving them all here. Owen Certainly did not Dissenture The Familly Graveyard... Or Vandalise there headstones by removing them to make the whole "Freighter Pilot" Lie more believable. Owen Loved Shmi... And Familly was Important to Him, He had hoped to be burried there next to his familly... and he had hoped that Luke would be someday burried next to him as well.

 

Is any of this from an official source?

 

Maybe it's for when Cliegg dies; my moms not dead, but she brought a stone next to my father for when she dies, she can be buried next to him.

 

Man, LottDodd, you know a lot about Owen and how he thinks. Have you met him?

 

As A Powerful Senator for the Republic, and A Captain of Industry in the Trade Federation I would never Lower myself to such a backwater world as Tatooine... Not enough Amenitties for A Civilised Being such as myself.



But I was Extrapolating on a Fictional Charector With A Fictional Familly on A Fictional World. All I Know Was Luke was Well Taken Care of, Was Told to Do His Chores, and was Lied to about his Father. The Same SOurces (The Novelisation and the Movie) Tell Me how Much Owen Cared for Shmi. I Believe He Cared about his Familly and his Homestead more than he cared about anything else.

 

His family and the homestead were basically all he had.

 

Maybe Tatooine sandstorms eroded the headstones or blew them away sometime between AOTC and ANH. Owen never replaced them because he didn't want Luke asking questions about who this Shmi person was.

That is, assuming the names of the deceased were put on the headstones. Maybe they weren't.

To answer the question, the first headstone, the one Anakin kneels before, is obviously Shmi's. The second one is probably that of Cliegg's first wife, Owen's mother. The smaller one might be that of a child that Cliegg had with his first wife. Maybe Cliegg's first wife died in childbirth, and the baby with her.

Has someone asked this of TOS? I'd be interested in seeing their answer.

 

I agree with you Shelly, as I stated above.

The enviroment of Tatooine is very harash, and the sand storms couped with other natural occurences, could swallow up something merely a few feet high in a matter of 20 years.

 

Yeah, that's probably one of the reasons the Lars's dwelling is mostly underground.

 

I like the idea of a family graveyard - it fits in nicely with the rural/agrarian motif. And I like the idea of a separate grave for Cliegg's leg. 'Cause it's funny.

 

So the fact is that nobody knows exactly whose are those two other graves except Lucas..well I thought so, I think it won' t be explained even in ep3...