Funeral Service Past & Present Glossary (MSCI 1411)

Adaptive Funeral

Funeral rite that is adjusted to the needs and wants of those directly involved; altered to suit the trends of the times.

American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE)

Organization which accredits funeral service and mortuary science programs.

American Monument Association

A national trade association representing the major granite and marble memorial manufacturers and quarries throughout the United States.

Animistic View

Early Roman view of the afterlife which emphasizes the soul as the vital principle. The soul at death hovered around the place of burial and required constant attention of the descendants to be happy. Neglect would bring evil upon them (H24).

Anthropoid

Human shaped. Some early coffins were described as anthropoidal shaped.

Anubis

Egyptian god of embalming said to be of human form with the head of a jackal.

Barber-Surgeon

The sole trade permitted to embalm and perform anatomical dissections in the city of London.

Bier

Forerunner of today’s hearse; a hand stretcher on which the uncoffined body was carried to the grave.

Bloodletting

Belief or practice of draining a quantity of blood to cure illness or disease.

Burial Case

Generic term used in America to designate all burial receptacles as new variations of the coffin were being offered.

Burial Club

Organizations intended to assist people of the working classes, particularly guild members, to defray the heavy expenses of the funeral and to perpetuate the memory of dead friends; costs were shared by others via weekly collections; were the forerunners of industrial insurance.

Burial in Woolen Act of 1666

Required that woolen cloth be substituted for linen in the shroud and lining of the coffin; was an attempt to shift the use of imported linen to the expanding paper industry of England and provide customers for the wool industry. Heavy fines were assessed for violation, not repealed until 1814.

Canopic Jars

Jars made of alabaster, limestone, basalt, clay and other materials used by the early Egyptians to store viscera of the deceased.

Casket

From the French term casse meaning “jewel box” or container for something valuable; came into dominant use in patent literature for burial receptacles in 1890’s America; a rigid container which is designed for the encasement of human remains which is usually constructed of wood, metal, fiberglass, plastic, or like material, and ornamented and lined with fabric.

Casket (FTC Definition)

A case or receptacle in which human remains are placed for protection, practical utility, and a suitable memory picture; any box or container of one or more parts in which a dead human body is placed prior to interment, entombment, or cremation which may or may not be permanently interred, entombed, or cremated with the dead human remains.

Casket & Funeral Supply Association of America (CFSAA)

Represents the interests of funeral service suppliers; its members manufacture or distribute virtually every type of product used by funeral directors (formerly known as Casket Manufacturers Association).

Catacombs

Originated in ancient Rome as excavated cemeteries cut out of soft rock for the tombs of wealthy Christians; later became a place for religious rites to avoid persecution.

Catafalque

Raised platform (with or without a canopy) used for a body to lie in state.

Catholic Cemetery Conference

The oldest and largest Catholic cemetery association servicing Catholic cemeterians nationally and internationally.

Chadwick’s Report

A report published in 1843 on unsanitary conditions in London created by intramural burials and the high cost of funerals; recommended use of a death certificate.

Circle of Necessity

Ancient Egyptian belief that the soul of the deceased would make a 3000 year journey and return to the body. Once reunited the whole man would live with the gods. This belief created the need for embalming.

Coffin

From the Greek word kofinos; utilitarian container designed to hold human remains, often anthropoidal in shape.

Columbarium

A structure, room or space in a mausoleum or other building containing niches or recesses used to hold cremated remains.

Cooling Board

Portable table on which the deceased was placed and used in conjunction with the corpse cooler; later became the embalming table when embalming was done in the home of the deceased (H201).

Corpse Cooler

Type of ice chest placed over the torso of the deceased in order to slow down the process of decomposition prior to the funeral. It was typically the undertaker’s responsibility to provide ice and change the ice when it melted.

Cortege

Historical term for funeral procession.

Cremation

The reduction of a dead human body to inorganic bone fragments by intense heat in a specifically designed retort or chamber; a heating process which incinerates human remains.

Cremation Association of North America (CANA)

Founded in 1913, International organization of cemeterians, cremationists, funeral directors, industry suppliers, and consultants; originally formed to promote cremation as a modern, safe and hygienic way of dealing with a dead human body.

Cremation Society

Historically, an organization consisting of members who sought cremation as a means of sanitary or funeral reform. Presently, an organization consisting of members to ensure their future cremation wishes are met.

Cremation Urn

A receptacle created for the purpose of containing remains after cremation, created in a variety of sizes, shapes, and materials.

Cremationist

Historically, a person who advocates or encourages cremation as a method to replace the burial of the dead. Presently, a trained professional who is authorized and/or licensed to operate a cremator and perform the cremation process; a professional who arranges and carries out death care rites when cremation is chosen.

Crematory

The physical location of the cremator where the cremation process is performed.

Crier

English custom of the Middle Ages which lasted until the 19th Century; person who walked the street calling out the name of the deceased and asking people to pray for the soul of the departed.

Designator

Master of ceremonies and director of the ancient Roman funeral procession.

Direct Disposition

Disposition of human remains without any rites or ceremonies with the body present.

Drummers

Traveling salesman who went from town to town selling their products. Early embalmers often obtained their products and training in this manner.

Effigy

A life-sized, waxen recreation of the deceased; often used at state funerals because the body of the deceased should be present for the funeral, but could not be preserved for that length of time.

Elysian Fields

The version of heaven in Greek mythology.

Extramural Burial

Burial outside the walls of the city; concept introduced during the ancient Roman times.

Fisk Metallic Coffin

Patented in 1848 as a form-fitting, airtight metallic coffin designed to improve ability to preserve the body; also had a glass plate to allow for viewing of the face (H164).

Fossores

Gravediggers, sextons, and cemeterians in the catacombs during the period of early Christianity (300 AD - 450 AD).

Funeralis

Latin for torchlight procession; word ‘funeral’ is derived from this (H234).

Funeral Feast

In the Middle Ages the wake also served as a feast to welcome the principal heir to his new estate. For the Ancient Greeks, funeral feasts ended the fast of the bereaved.

Funeral Service Foundation

A national organization which advances professionalism in funeral service and enhances public knowledge and understanding through education and research (formerly National Foundation of Funeral Service)

Funeral Trolley Car

A specially designed train car run on a city’s trolley line to transport casket and mourners to cemeteries on the outskirts of the city.

Funeral Undertaker

Provided services of organizing and facilitating funeral details as an occupation; aka undertaker.

Furnishing Undertaker

Provided supplies and merchandise (door badges, carriages, etc.) to funeral undertakers who were dealing directly with the public.

Gravity Injector

Apparatus used to inject arterial fluid during the vascular (arterial) phase of the embalming process; relies on gravity to create the pressure required to deliver the fluid (0.43 pounds of pressure per foot of elevation).

Hand Pump

Method to apply a continuous flow of embalming solution via manual manipulation of a handheld mechanism historical instrument resembling a large hypodermic syringe attached to a bottle apparatus; used to create pressure for injection or vacuum for aspiration.

Hearse

Today, a vehicle specially designed to transport casketed remains; derived from the French word herse originally a stationary framework of wood to hold candles and decorations placed on the coffin; forerunner was a bier. Hearse and bier were used interchangeably until mid-19th century. Commonly referred to as funeral coach.

Immediate Burial

Disposition via earth burial without any form of funeral rite at the time of disposition with the body present.

International Cemetery, Cremation, and Funeral Association (ICCFA)

International trade association representing all segments of the cemetery, funeral service, cremation and memorialization profession.

International Order of the Golden Rule (OGR)

Organization of independent, family-owned funeral homes established in 1928, whose mission is to build and support member interaction, info is exchange and professional business development through a wide range of programs, services and resources; membership limited to one funeral home per community.

Inviter to Funerals

A specialty connected with funerals in colonial America; called personally upon those expected to attend funerals; often a municipal appointment.

Jewish Funeral Directors of America (JFDA)

An association which guides, aids and supports members in honoring the deceased and comforting the bereaved by preserving, promoting, and practicing the customs and traditions of the Jewish funeral. Now part of the ICCFA.

Layers out of the dead

Became an occupational specialty practiced by women in many larger US cities by the end of the 18th century; predecessor to the undertaker.

Leagues of Prayer

Formed in Middle Ages by laypersons to bury the dead and to pray for the souls of the faithful departed.

Libitina

The ancient Roman goddess of corpses and funerals.

Libitinarius

Head undertaker in ancient Rome; the secular role model for today’s funeral director; conducted his business at the temple of Libitina where deaths were also registered.

Life Signals

Due to the fear of premature burial, many early American coffins were designed and patented with a method to alert the living if someone was buried alive.

Monument Builders of North America

An international trade association of persons and firms in the memorial industry.

Mystery Cults

Religious/philosophical belief of the ancient Greeks and Oriental East emphasizing spiritual aspects of the afterlife and the hope of joining the cult god in a wonderful existence in eternity.

National Associated Colleges of Mortuary Science (NACMS)

Established in 1942 as an organization for privately sponsored schools with the goal of advancement of mortuary education.

National Concrete Burial Vault Association (NCBVA)

An organization of concrete burial vault manufacturers, whose purpose is to provide a unified voice for the concrete burial vault industry, and to continually research and develop, then specify and promote minimum performance standards.

National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA)

The oldest and largest national association of funeral directors and embalmers organized in 1882, that provides members with critical information, innovative tools, resources and the professional community they need to serve families, run sustainable businesses and become pillars in their communities.

National Funerals Directors and Morticians Association (NFDMA)

Organized in 1924 as the Independent National Funeral Directors Association (present name adopted in 1957); established to represent specific interests of African-American funeral directors that provides advocacy, education, info, products, programs and services to help members enhance the quality of services to families.

Natron

A combination of salts found in dry lake beds of the desert and used by early Egyptians in preparation of bodies. Deceased covered in the product (sodium chloride, sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate, and potassium nitrate) were dehydrated thus preventing decay.

Necropolis

Literally means “city of the dead”; cemeteries located on the west bank of the Nile River, they included mortuary temples and residences of mortuary workers.

Niche

A recess or space in a Columbarium used for the permanent placing of cremated remains.

Obsequies

Funeral rites or burial ceremonies.

Ogee Design

A design introduced to square sided caskets in order to reduce the excess space and weight, particularly of metal caskets; characterized by an ‘S’ shaped curvature; and ‘S’ shaped molding that is a component part of the casket cap.

Osiris

Egyptian god of the underworld and judge of the dead.

Pagan

a follower of polytheistic religion.

Pollinctores

Name of the ancient Roman embalmers. They were either slaves or employees of Libitinarius.

Praeco

aka crier, a special funeral functionary in ancient Rome who summoned participants to a public funeral.

Professional Mourners

Due to fear that the dead might be jealous, the ancient Romans and Greeks hired persons (often women) to shriek, tear their hair and rend garments, etc. in order to insure adequate display of emotion.

Purgatorial Doctrine

Catholic belief that those whose souls are not perfectly cleansed undergo a process of cleansing before they can enter heaven.

Restorative Art

Care of the deceased to recreate natural form and color. Joel Crandall, a New York City embalmer, is credited with developing the specialty in 1912, and is known as the “father of restorative art.”

Sarcophagus

Early Egyptians cut massive coffins from a single mass of stone to protect from grave robbers. Same term is applied today to massive copper and bronze caskets. Derivation of term is Greek, sarco for flesh and phagus for eaters because when opened, bodies inside were found to be in a state of decay.

Selected Independent Funeral Homes (SIFH)

A limited, invitation only membership funeral service organization formed in 1917 on the basis of one member firm per city (formerly National Selected Morticians).

Sexton

Church caretaker who had responsibility for church property, ringing bells and digging of graves in the churchyard cemetery.

Soul Shot

Mortuary fee paid to insure entrance of the decedent’s soul into heaven (H59).

Style ‘E’ State Coffin

Casket designed for President Ulysses S. Grant by Stein Coffin Co. in 1885 which helped elevate acceptance of cloth-covered caskets.

Trade Embalmer

Term originated when some of the original graduates of early embalming courses gave up regular employment with a single firm to provide embalming service to firms which had no trained embalmer.

Trocar

Long hollow tube patented in 1868 by Samuel Rogers of Philadelphia; used by embalmers to inject fluids into cavities and remove excess liquids.

Undertaker

Original term applied to those whose occupation included responsibility to organize and facilitate funeral activities; used by some for the term funeral director.

Undertaker’s Buggy

Name given to the vehicle used by undertakers to transport the necessary mortuary paraphernalia to the homes where funerals were typically held. These vehicles sometimes had an appearance similar to a hearse, but were much less ornate.

Undertakers Mutual Protective Association

First formal organization of undertakers; kept a black book of objectionable and delinquent customers to be shared among members only; originated in Philadelphia, January 1864.

University Mortuary Science Education Association (UMSEA)

Organization of college and university-based funeral service programs established in 1961.

Wake

Originated as an ancient Hebrew practice, family and friends sit with the deceased as a precaution against premature burial; continue as an act of piety in Middle Ages (aka vigil for the dead).