Weird Casket History

Posted on September 25th, 2018 by Foothill Funeral and Cremation under Burial, Caskets, Coffins, Death, Funerals
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Weird CasketsUnless you choose cremation, your remains will likely end up in a casket. Death is, after all, part of life. So, we figured you might want to understand the history of the box that will become your body’s forever home. Don’t worry; reading about it won’t hasten your demise.

Weird Casket History

The manner in which a culture buries their dead often reflects religious practices. Many believe the manner of body disposal affects the afterlife of the deceased.

  • A sign of respect for the dead, burial provides closure for the living, while protecting survivors from the potential spread of disease.
  • Coffin history dates back at least 100,000 years.Weird Casket History
  • Coffins, or coffin-like structures, started with Celts and ancient Egyptians.
  • Egyptians mummified bodies, which they placed in a sarcophagus.
  • These structures were buried in pyramids.
  • In 700 A.D., the Celts crafted burial boxes using wood and stones.
  • Prior to the use of caskets, Old English family members wrapped bodies in a shroud before burial and buried directly in the dirt.
  • While the practice was initially profitable for associated churches, room eventually ran out.

Overcrowding led to profitable yet unseemly improvisation, the most famous of which took place at Enon Chapel.

  • The minister was buried 30 bodies per week, hiding them under church floorboards.
  • Since the basement was stacked, floor to ceiling with more than 12,000 bodies, gases seeped through floorboards.
  • Flies swarmed.
  • The pastor eventually resorted to dumping bodies in the Thames River until authorities discovered the sham and closed Weird Casket Black Plaguethe church.
  • During the Black Plague, workers dug pits the infected dead, to prevent the spread of disease.
    • Workers dug pits on unconsecrated ground, so visitors were not allowed near the bodies.
    • Often, prayers and religious ceremonies were forfeited.
    • Some people near death or anguished over deceased loved ones threw themselves into the pits.
    • Sometimes, workers rescued them.
    • In some cases, wary of repercussions associated with the spread of the disease, officials left jumpers in the pit. Thus, morticians sometimes buried live people. (Don’t worry; we don’t!)
  • In the 19thcentury, funeral directors also buried people prematurely. To combat the issue, workers created an alert system (or safety coffin), rigged with a bell to alert cemetery guards of people trying to escape premature graves. These coffins featured a small hatch to allow fresh air while the nearly deceased waited for rescue.
  • Ever wondered why grave diggers bury caskets six feet deep? Trial and error proved this the ideal depth to prevent animals from digging up corpses, spreading infectious disease.
  • Today, grave diggers place coffins four-and-a-half feet underground because caskets are heavier and stronger and better-sealed than they used to be.Early Weird Caskets
  • In large European towns, grave diggers dug 30-feet down, piling coffins on top of each other. They did so in areas short on space and specifically for financially-strapped families.Grave Weird Caskets
  • Modern caskets in the United States are rather bland. But in places like Ghana, craftsmen create elaborate caskets that represent the decedent’s occupation in life or hobbies.

About Foothill Funeral & Cremation

Although not as exciting at Ghana, all of caskets featured in our showroom are American-made. Feel free to contact us now or at your time of need (626) 335-0615. Or, if you prefer, reach us by email or drop by our Glendora showroom. Our relationship with United Methodist Church is the perfect place for mourners to host funerals and memorials. You’ll love the grandiose yet intimate setting. We proudly serve the San Gabriel Valley, San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles Basin, Orange County and the Inland Empire. Finally, working in the mortuary industry since 1996, our reputation is one of quality, sincerity and trust. Please allow us to help you at your time of need or in the future. Call today (626) 335-0615 or contact us via email.

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