Ah, there is nothing better than a cosy, comfortable coffin to spend all eternity in peace! As you may have already guessed, today I will talk about the creation of card number 8: The Coffin. But as you will soon discover, I will unearth one of the biggest secrets relating to this deck, as I promised a few weeks ago. But first, let's talk about coffins! Such a charming, shiny object has an interesting history, beginning with the origin of its name. The word "coffin" derives from the Old French "cofin", from Latin "cophinus", which means basket. This is a latinization of the Greek "κόφινος" (kophinos), basket. ..a basket full of horror!
A History of Honouring the Dead: From Simple Graves to Mummification
Before we explore the card itself, let's take a journey through history and see how our ancestors paid their respects.
Stone Age Burials
As far back as 600,000 years ago, Neanderthals buried their loved ones in shallow graves with simple mementos like tools. Recent discoveries suggest they may have even performed early burial rites.
Ancient Egyptians
Masters of mummification, the Egyptians preserved bodies for the afterlife. They believed the spirit, or "Ka", needed the body to navigate the journey to paradise. Organs were removed, and the body was embalmed and wrapped in linen. Similar to today, there were different "mummification packages" to suit various budgets.
Medieval Coffin Making
Due to decomposition, little is known about typical medieval coffins. However, the wealthy were often buried in lead or stone sarcophagi shaped like rectangular alcoves with rounded headrests. An example of this can be found in the Greyfriars graveyard, Leicester, where Richard III's lead coffin was discovered encased within a larger stone one.
Victorian Coffins
Victorians held death in high regard, often spending lavishly on elaborate funerals. Coffins with brass handles, shrouds, and ornaments were common. Wealthy Victorians might even be buried in triple-layered coffins, with one layer made of lead.
The Haunting History of the Safety Coffin
The Victorian Era was obsessed with death and occultism, and a particular fear which shaped funerary practices in an unexpected way: the fear of being buried alive! To rest their minds (and bodies) in peace, the Victorians invented Safety Coffins. Far from your typical coffin, these ingenious (and sometimes bizarre) contraptions were designed to prevent premature burial or allow an unfortunate soul to signal they were still alive after being entombed.
While the fear of premature burial has existed for ages, the 19th century saw a particular spike in anxieties. The cholera epidemics that ravaged Europe during this time undoubtedly played a role. News of these outbreaks, coupled with accounts of supposed live burials in medical journals and newspapers, stoked public terror. Literary giants further amplified these anxieties, Edgar Allan Poe wrote chilling tales like "The Fall of the House of Usher", "The Cask of Amontillado", and "The Premature Burial", which explored the protagonist's terrifying experience of being buried alive.
Driven by this pervasive fear, inventors scrambled to create solutions. Many safety coffin designs focused on communication with the outside world. Bells were a common feature, often attached to cords that the "deceased" could pull to trigger an alarm. These bell systems even made appearances in popular films like "The First Great Train Robbery" and "The Nun". Variations on the theme included flags that would rise above the ground or even pyrotechnic displays to alert people above.
While communication was crucial, some inventors envisioned a more proactive escape. Ladders and escape hatches were incorporated into some designs, offering the unfortunate occupant a literal way out of their predicament. Food and water supplies were even considered, although the issue of air supply was often tragically overlooked.
One particularly unique safety coffin design belonged to Robert Robinson. His coffin boasted a movable glass panel, allowing a designated watchman to inspect for signs of life, such as fogging on the glass from breathing.
In another design, Dr. Johann Gottfried Taberger, in 1829, devised a system using strings attached to the deceased's limbs that would trigger a bell upon movement. This design addressed the issue of accidental ringing due to weather or insects by housing the bell above ground. Unfortunately, the reliance on body movement proved problematic, as decomposition could cause false alarms.
Franz Vester, in 1868, tackled this problem with his "Burial Case". His design offered a viewing tube through which the "corpse's" face could be observed. Additionally, a bell system allowed the interred person to signal if they regained consciousness. Vester's design also addressed the issue of reusability – the viewing tube could be removed and repurposed once death was definitively confirmed.
The Card
The safety coffin inspired me in the creation of this card. It gave me the idea of having a mysterious corpse, which you can interpret as a zombie or vampire, or any other macabre undead of your liking, stirring its arms out of the coffin to return to the land of the living. A long and thick candle, without a flame flickering on top of it, looms behind the coffin. Maybe it's a remnant of a recently ended wake... or maybe the coffin is resting in its final place inside a crypt.
Unearthing the First Secret!
The Coffin card, as you may have guessed, captured my imagination from the first time I held a Lenormand deck in my hand. It is ominous and fascinating at the same time. When I decided to create The Ghastly Lenormand, I had a vision. I knew I wanted it to be spooky, macabre, and goreyesque, with my twisted sense of humour, not only in the illustrations but also in the design of the deck. I wanted the card to be in the shape of a coffin!
I drew some cards, tested the graphic and the illustrations in the limited space I had, and... I loved it. I was incredibly excited. I contacted a top printing company, one of the best in the world, the same which printed "The Book of Shadows: An Alchemist's Story" (and if you have it, you know how high quality the book and cards are!). I explained my ideas and showed my mock-ups. We did some experiments with different paper stocks and finishes, and finally, after a few attempts, we found the best combination of card, finish, and shape.
Beyond Aesthetics: The Practical Benefits of a Coffin-Shaped Deck
I was concerned that shuffling might be difficult, but we discovered it is incredibly smoother and better than a normal deck. When you shuffle a standard deck, the card borders resist each other, but with coffin-shaped cards, the round corner of the side penetrates into the deck smoothly, ensuring a fast and efficient shuffle. I loved it, we were impressed, and thus, I decided to go on with my idea. The deck will be coffin-shaped!
I have prepared a little surprise, showing you some of the cards whose graphics I have already revealed in their final shape.
And there is another amazing aspect: the coffin shape can be used to create incredibly beautiful spreads! The Grand Tableau is simply magnificent. But I went further and have already created some spreads that I am looking forward to sharing with you all. These spreads, guided by different geometrical configurations, provide incredible reading satisfaction. It is an alchemy of geometry, divination, and classical rules for reading Lenormand. Rest assured, everything I have been creating will be part of the upcoming Kickstarter Campaign. We will have so much fun!
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More secrets will be revealed soon, as the final testing is finished.
Until then, have a splendiferous day!
Andrea
