Purple shroud on a coffin

Irish Fire

Ive been at a few funerals recently and noticed that at the burial they have placed a purple shroud over the coffin before lowering it into the grave. Why is this?

Jesus Wept

pall 1 (pôl)
n.
1. A cover for a coffin, bier, or tomb, often made of black, purple, or white velvet.

Purple dye was produced from a particular sea shell found in the eastern Mediterranean, and was therefore very expensive. Because of its expense, in pre-Christian times it came to be identified with wealth and power. With the development of the Roman Empire, laws were enacted limiting the wearing of purple to high officials, with the emperor alone being permitted to wear a fully purple toga. Thus purple came to represent high authority.
After it achieved state patronage, the Church took on many of the symbols and trappings of Roman authority, and those who held the highest offices in the Church wore purple.
Purple, being the color associated with royalty, is symbolic of the sovereignty of Christ. Some churches use it as the liturgical color in Lent and Advent.


Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_the_colour_purple_represent_in_Christianity#ixzz1H7vo6K4g

^This maybe.

I dunno.

Irish Fire

I had read that but I don't think it explains why it's put on the coffin in the graveyard.

Jesus Wept

When I was a youth, I wore white shorts and a spiffy cardigan to my first communion.
Nowadays they drive the kids in a limo.

It's a bit like that I reckon.

Irish Fire

The-Rigger wrote: »

When I was a youth, I wore white shorts and a spiffy cardigan to my first communion.
Nowadays they drive the kids in a limo.

It's a bit like that I reckon.

I think you might be right

Flash86

The Pall is put on the coffin in the church but is removed at the end of the mass. I've never heard of one being on the coffin in the graveyard.

Claasman

if the coffin lid had a crusafix on it, maybe it was covering that. Don't the CC usually cover the crusafixs and statues in the run up to easter/lent?

Irish Fire

Flash86 wrote: »

The Pall is put on the coffin in the church but is removed at the end of the mass. I've never heard of one being on the coffin in the graveyard.

No these were used in the graveyard and left on the coffin...... Although I suspect The-Rigger may be correct.......

aujopimur

Maybe they were hiding a cheap coffin.

Son Of A Vidic

Yip, I'd go with the Riggers explanation alright. I was thinking Roman Emperor origins - expense - status, ect, ect, myself.



Or perhaps it may indicate the deceased was a Prince fan.

Oddjaws

Me say cos it perple like perple me.

Taceom

Claasman wrote: »

if the coffin lid had a crusafix on it, maybe it was covering that. Don't the CC usually cover the crusafixs and statues in the run up to easter/lent?

Only on Good Friday.

Jesus Wept

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

Yip, I'd go with the Riggers explanation alright. I was thinking Roman Emperor origins - expense - status, ect, ect, myself.



Or perhaps it may indicate the deceased was a Prince fan.

Indeed, my first thought was that they were all victims of Zorro.