What is a Coffin?

As a word coffin has a lineage that stretches back to both Latin (cophinus) and Ancient Greek (kophinos) language.  Depending on where you look the earliest definite use of the term “coffin” in the English language where it meant a small container for storing important valuables. Today, we would define a coffin as receptacle used for encasing the corpse of a human being.  The word has special resonance because we don’t really come into direct contact with coffins unless we are involved in the passing of close friends or relatives. Most of us and none more so than funeral directors, know that we associate coffins with sadness and loss, meaning that the whole frame of discussion has an intrinsic air of sensitivity and dignity.

Coffin Materials

A coffin serves to protect the body from the elements for as long as possible. No matter the particular culture or belief system concerned, most coffins are constructed to achieve this aim. Even the most basic coffin is made with a solid outer material with some sort of soft cushioning material, which functions to further protect and cushion the body. In many Western Countries there is a legal requirement for a sturdy and ideally impermeable outer casing. The reason for this is simple, the soil itself is contaminated by the body as it decomposes. The material actually used generally depends on the culture and location of the society concerned. In the early 20th century the preference in the US was for metal coffins, they were cheaper to make and were considered more fitting for the departed. Today, most coffins in Europe and The US are made from a wooden outer material. Coffins which are used in crematoriums tend to be made of much cheaper outer material which combusts much more easily.

Coffin Design

Often the departed friends and family will require coffins which have specific designs or features. This is arguably the biggest single reason for the huge number of coffins available. One common need is to keep the body encased for as long as possible. To achieve this modern coffins do not as might be expected have an impermeable seal. The reason for this boils down to simple science. As a corpse decays methane gas is produced and this must be allowed to pass out of the coffin. If it accumulates inside a completely sealed coffin the entire receptacle will explode. Obviously, this is undesirable, hence the semi-permeable seal. On this note it is illegal for a funeral director to claim that the decay process will be slowed down and the body preserved indefinitely.

In many African societies the coffin itself, (no matter the material it is made from), serves a dual function of remembering the person who has died and reflecting their status in the community they came from, as well as any particular role they played within it. The West African country of Ghana pays special attention to this practice. The coffins themselves are nearly always wooden and festooned with bright colours and paints.

Cultural choices

The coffin itself is the central point of the funeral in contemporary society. In addition different religions and belief systems have different conventions when considering the coffin and its role in paying respects to the deceased person. The coffin is often on display before it is buried and for many people its design is just as crucial as the sensitivity that must be displayed by all who are involved in the funeral itself. In Europe and Australia less importance is placed on the coffin design than in the US. In some religions the preference is for burial in plain unmarked coffins, thus eliminating class and economic distinctions.

It is clear that the coffin is the focal point of the ceremonial aspects intrinsic to marking the passing of a deceased person.

http://www.jcwalwyn.co.uk/coffins-and-caskets.html