In order to know the meaning of the term coffin, it is necessary, first of all, to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we can emphasize that it is a word that derives from Latin, exactly it comes from "feretrum", which is the result of the sum of two lexical components of said language: the verb "ferre", which can be translated as "carry ”, and the instrumental type suffix “-trum”.
The coffin is a concept that refers to the box where a corpse is deposited to be transported to the burial place .
According to this definition of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), the coffin is the box in which a body is carried to be buried. A coffin , meanwhile, is the box where the body is placed for burial or cremation. In everyday language, however, coffin and coffin are used synonymously.
It can be said that a coffin is a container : it is an element that receives a dead individual and allows its transportation. When a person dies, their remains are placed in a coffin and then that coffin is taken to the place where their wake takes place or directly to the cemetery .
The coffins are oblong pieces (they are longer than they are wide). Their shape is almost rectangular and they are usually made of wood. They also have decorative or ritual elements, such as a cross in the case of Catholic people.
In addition to facilitating the transfer, the coffin or coffin helps preserve the integrity of the corpse , preventing the remains from being dispersed. In this way, according to the most common cultural consideration, respect is shown towards the deceased subject.
One of the most unique festivals that exist in Spain and that takes the coffins as its protagonists is the one that takes place in the month of July in the town of Santa Marta de Ribarteme, which belongs to the municipality of As Neves (Pontevedra). .
Specifically, this celebration consists of a parade of open coffins with living people inside that travel through some of the most important streets of the town. In this case, what these people do is thank Santa Marta in this way for having interceded so that they could be cured of a serious illness or so that they could overcome a difficult time in their lives.
In the same way, we must not overlook that there is another festival around coffins in Galicia. Specifically, it takes place in A Pobra do Caramiñal (La Coruña) in the month of September and is known as the procession of the shrouds . In that case, the devotees carry their coffins as a way of giving thanks that their requests have come true.
Other ideas linked to the deposit of lifeless bodies are sarcophagus and tomb , which allude to the works used for burial. A tomb , meanwhile, is the place where a corpse is buried and the piece that stands in said place. The stone with an inscription next to the buried body is known as a tombstone .