Why is it considered necessary to nail down the lid of a coffin?

I know that it has something to do with religion, and the dead. But I just don't know how to word the answer. Which is why I ask you, the Yahoo Answers community, 'Why is it considered necessary to nail down the lid of a coffin?'


I know this is kind of a silly question, but I've been wondering it for awhile.


Thanks:D


(:Why is it considered necessary to nail down the lid of a coffin?
so that when the corpse tries to jump up and yell at you that ';I WANTED TO BE CREMATED YOU JERK!!! NOW IM SITTING HERE WITH MAGGOTS EATING ME!!!'; it wont be able to, and therefore wont disturb the mounring family members. all they hear is a slight muffled thud on the inside of the coffin. :) *throws cookies*Why is it considered necessary to nail down the lid of a coffin?
People have some respect and feeling for their dead relatives and friends. They do not want somebody throwing sand and earth on the body of the dead so they have covered it and nailed it. Ans also might have been under the impression in olden times that if you close and nail it the body would be perfectly in good condition.





I think in Islam they open the coffin and leave the body to be covered with earth.





Once the body is lifeless let at least the worms eat the body so even in death man can satisfy some creatures hunger.
They wouldnt want to trap your soul in a box i think its for grave robbers grave robing has been going on since the start of medicine so i think it makes it a lot harder or maybe they didnt want the dead comming to life and being able to get out of there coffins although with 6 feet of dirt on top of you i would think you couldnt escape anyways but hey those are my theories
I always assumed it was so that if the coffin was knocked over, dropped etc. the dead corpse doesn't fall out (You can imagine where that would be rather upsetting for some people)...
Keep the body in, grieving people out and the smell and fluids in did you know coffins are lined so as not to leak fluids.
I have never thought about that but if it is done I would think it might be to stop or slow down grave robbers who rob graves for jewelry etc left on the deceased. It is gross I know but it happens
So that the Zombies cant get back out.





Maybe,I dont know, I didn't do it.
To stop the ghost getting out!
Um, so it won't fall off?


Maybe it's symbolizing that the person is ';officially'; dead.