Hearse or Herse

(from Lat. herpix, Low Lat. hercia, French herze, a harrow). The Low Latin hercia also signified a candelabrum, shaped like a harrow, which was placed at the head of a grave, a coffin, or a cenotaph. In the Middle Ages the name hearse was applied to a canopy (in Italian, catafalco), which was placed over the coffins of the distinguished dead, while they were kept in the church previous to interment. Hearses were also frequently prepared to receive the bodies of the dead in churches, at stations along the route, where they were being borne to a distance for final interment. Hearses were often made with great magnificence. They were frequently adorned with illustrations of the last judgment, and other subjects taken from the Scriptures. Candles were set in sockets in great numbers, and were kept burning as long as the corpse, remained in the hearse. The name hearse was also applied to a frame of wood or of metal that was placed over some of the reclining statues which were so frequently put over the tombs of distinguished persons. Over this hearse a pall was frequently hung. The modern use of the word hearse is confined to a framework or a wagon to bear the dead to the grave. The hearse varies greatly in form and ornamentation in different countries. — Diez, Etymologisches Wörterbuch (Bonn, 1861); Parker, Dict. of Architecture (Oxford, 1850); Migne, Dictionnaire des Origines (Paris, 1864). (G. F. C.)