When (and why) did the traditional six-sided coffin give way to the rectangular type used today? Does anyone still use the old type?
The “six-sided” type is always used in Ireland (in fact, we would say “coffin-shaped”) and, I suspect, in other European countries.
WAG: The rectangular shape is to fit into a “vault” more easily - the vaults are just concrete boxes.
The coffins of Ireland:
All the coffins I had the misfortune to see here (France) had the traditionnal 6-sided shape.
Do countries outside the US typically place coffins in a ‘sealed vault’ when burying in a plot? They do that here so the coffin doesn’t collapse after several years, resulting in a small sink in the ground.
For your browsing pleasure, a better (imho, no offense) Irish coffin site. Go thru this guys whole site, it is a “site to behold”.
I have been fascinated with this site for years, he recently redsigned. It was worse before…
Note link entitled “Please visit Greys funeral home”, and be warned in advance that “Irish funeral traditions” is not interesting tales of the Celts burial rites etc, but rather a step by step of his working day, including such pearls as
Somewhere on the site there is an animated gif of his coffin lift in action graveside, and there are also some lovely views of his “workroom”. I have mailed him numerous times asking him to let me redo his site, but no response. He has huge amounts of information, and much of it is of immense interest, especially to his colleauges, but I am fairly stunned at the thought of a bereaved person ever finding this site…