Coffin

A coffin is a funerary box used for viewing or keeping a corpse, either for burial or cremation.

The word took two different paths, Cofin in Old French originally meaning basket, became Coffin in English and became Couffin in modern French which nowadays means a cradle. A distinction is often made between coffin and casket: the latter is generally understood to denote a four-sided (almost always rectangular) funerary box, while a coffin is usually six sided. However, coffins having a one-piece side with a curve at the shoulder instead of a join are more commonly used in the UK.

Etymology

First attested in English in 1380, the word coffin derives from the Old French cofin, from Latin cophinus, which means a basket, which is the latinisation of the Greek κόφινος (kophinos), "basket". The earliest attested form of the word is the Mycenaean Greek ko-pi-na, written in Linear B syllabic script.

Any box in which the dead are buried is a coffin, and while a casket was originally regarded as a box for jewelry, use of the word "casket" in this sense began as a euphemism introduced by the undertaker's trade. A distinction is commonly drawn between "coffins" and "caskets", using coffin to refer to a tapered hexagonal or octagonal (also considered to be anthropoidal in shape) box and casket to refer to a rectangular box, often with a split lid used for viewing the deceased as seen in the picture above. Receptacles for cremated and cremulated human ashes (sometimes called cremains) are called urns.

Black veil

In Roman Catholicism, a black veil is a symbol of the most complete renunciation of the world and adoption of a nun's life. On the appointed day the nun goes through all the ritual of the marriage ceremony, after a solemn mass at which all the inmates of the convent assist. She is dressed in bridal white with wreath and veil, and receives a wedding ring, as a "Bride of Christ". Afterwards she presides at a wedding breakfast, at which a bride-cake is cut. She thus bids adieu to all her friends, and having previously taken the white veil, the betrothal, she now assumes the black, and forever forswears the world and its pleasures. Her hair is cut short, and her bridal robes are exchanged for the sombre religious habit. Her wedding ring, however, she continues to wear, and it is buried with her.

In Lay circles, a triangle- or rectangle-shaped cloth or lace veil, also known as a mantilla, is worn by Catholic women while attending church Mass. This practice has fallen into decline since the 1960s among those who attend the revised rite of the Mass, but traditional Catholic women who attend the ancient Latin Mass still wear them.

Black Veil Brides

Black Veil Brides are an American rock band based in Hollywood, California. The group formed in 2006 in Cincinnati, Ohio and is currently composed of Andy Biersack (lead vocals), Ashley Purdy (bass, backing vocals), Jake Pitts (lead guitar), Jinxx (rhythm guitar, violin) and Christian "CC" Coma (drums). Black Veil Brides are known for their use of black makeup, body paint, tight black studded clothing, and long hair, which were all inspired by Kiss' and Mötley Crüe's stage persona, as well as other 1980s glam metal acts.

History

Formation and early years (2006–2009)

The band was originally formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2006 by Andy Biersack. Eventually Andy relocated to Los Angeles, California. In early 2009 he formed a new band, using the current name Black Veil Brides, and signed with the independent label StandBy Records. The writing process for a tour and a record began immediately. In December 2009, the band embarked on their first US tour, titled "On Leather Wings".