{"id":13473,"date":"2021-09-22T08:00:19","date_gmt":"2021-09-22T12:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.talkdeath.com\/?p=13473"},"modified":"2022-12-19T10:29:34","modified_gmt":"2022-12-19T15:29:34","slug":"driving-the-dead-a-history-of-the-hearse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/talkdeath.com\/driving-the-dead-a-history-of-the-hearse\/","title":{"rendered":"Driving the Dead, A History of the Hearse"},"content":{"rendered":"

We dig death history here at TalkDeath. In the past we have covered a variety of death focused history, such as the history of death rituals<\/a> and the history and facts about embalming<\/a>. Today we want to explore another death ritual: the hearse. Hearses are used across the world from the United States to Japan<\/a>. In this article we will be focusing primarily on the North American and English evolution.<\/p>\n

So why call it a hearse? A hearse is a vehicle used to carry a coffin. The name is derived<\/a> through the French \u201cherse\u201d, from the Latin \u201cherpex\u201d, which means a harrow\u2014a farming tool similar to a rake or pough. So how did we go from harrow to hearse? Around the time of this etymological evolution, coffins were topped with a spiked metal framework that would hold candles. It is commonly believed that because these spikes resembled that of a harrow the word grew to refer to a vehicle that transports the dead. In the death care industry it is more commonly called a Funeral Coach. A title that is a bit more formal, and a little less spooky and macabre.<\/p>\n

In North American culture, hearses are among the most identifiable symbols of death. And for many places around the world, it is the last car you will ever ride in. So without further adieu,\u00a0 join us for the ride as we take you down the winding roads of the history of the hearse!<\/p>\n

Driving the Dead, A History of the Hearse<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Origin of the Hearse<\/h3>\n

Before we had hearses, most people used hand-drawn carts called biers<\/a>. In fact, they are often still used today and are made out of light metal with some designs that can collapse for easy transportation in\u2014you guessed it\u2014a hearse! These can also be called \u201cchurch trucks\u201d in their more modern usage.<\/p>\n

Turns out the origin of the hearse is not so straight forward. Like many evolutions throughout human history, the history of the hearse goes on a more twisty and turny road before landing on the modern classic look we all know and love. According to most sources, the hand-drawn bier evolved into horse-drawn carriages in the 17th century. Though biers are considered the most common form of transportation of the dead before this time, there is evidence of English royalty using horse drawn carts as early as 1468<\/a>! One such piece of evidence is this incredible painting of the Funeral Cortege of Richard the II.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Funeral Cortege of Richard II<\/p><\/div>\n

Here you can clearly see that the body is being carried in a horse drawn carriage during his funeral procession. But wait! There is more!<\/p>\n

During the same century, Henry the VIII was not to be outdone and had three hearses<\/a> that were said to be 14 feet tall and pulled by 8 horses each. What is even more fascinating is that these were made of wax! And when we say wax, we mean a ton of wax: between 1.1 and 1.8 tons to be exact! This was more common practice for royalty than you may think. It is thought that this is because it was faster and easier to mold and carve, but it also means that there is not a lot of physical evidence beyond drawings and paintings of that time period.<\/p>\n

The closest visual representation we have to what King Henry\u2019s hearses would have looked like is from the image below of the Funeral Procession of Bishop John Islip, 1532. Though this is not a royal hearse the illustration gives us the best indication of the scale and magnificence of Henry VIII\u2019s hearses.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Wax Hearse via Wellcome Collection<\/p><\/div>\n

Unfortunately, these earlier horse-drawn hearses were only for the incredibly wealthy with everyone else using the more modest wooden biers to carry the dead.<\/a><\/p>\n

As we move forward in time into the 17th century, we start to see people using horse-drawn hearses, as mentioned above. It was also around this time that the term hearse became more widely used. These horse-drawn carriages had built in frames that would prevent the coffin from slipping. They would often have glass at the sides, so you can see that the body was in there on its way to the graveyard. Just to make sure they were not escaping their final ride!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

By the 19th century, there was the development of bier pins<\/a> to help secure the casket in place, and rollers to help with the ease of movement. Most horse-drawn hearses would have 6 bier pins that were about 14 inches long and made of metal. This development would later be adapted into the motorized vehicles. Remember how we said the history of the hearse is a bit winding? Well, during times of war<\/a>, people would revert back to biers since they were easier to maneuver on a battlefield. In fact, the biers used in the Civil War were some of the first that were used that had wheels that could turn.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Biers via Maigheac Gheal<\/p><\/div>\n

Going back to the horse-drawn hearses, during this same era, the design becomes much more elaborate with heavy influences of the Victorian style of mourning. The Victorians knew how to bring the drama into mourning. This would last over the final decade of the 1800s. The craftsmanship was incredible, and each hearse was a work of art. Hearses were draped with heavy velvet curtains and carved with images of angels, doves, and even personalized decorations for those who could afford it. James Cunningham, Son & Co.<\/a> based out of Rochester NY manufactured highly ornate horse-drawn hearses, which would be shipped all around the world.
\n