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

You have many facts given to you ( Harryast has it ) in your responses, but really honey caskets are sealed to prevent water from eroding into the container. I work in a mortuary and this website is an excellent one if you are looking for reasons why certain caskets are better than others:)Why is it considered necessary to nail down the lid of a coffin?
So the lid doesn't bounce off when they drop it in the hole.





And so grave robbers have a harder time stealing the Zombies.





Personally, I'm going to bury my mom in a stainless steel double-locked coffin.





;)





KIDDING





(Love you Mom- on the off chance she scouts Yahoo Answers)





Bless up.





Oh, you know what?





Sometimes rigor mortis makes people sit up and pop the lids off.





Ew.





That wouldn't have to happen twice to make someone seal the lid, would it?Why is it considered necessary to nail down the lid of a coffin?
I believe in days gone by that it was not unusual for some people to be presumed dead when they were not. There was no definitive way to test that someone was really dead. This phenomenon of premature burial led to beliefs in zombies and vampires.
They don't anymore.





I think way back, when everything was shipped in wooden boxes, all boxes were nailed shut. Nailing a coffin shut just a result of that habit.





That's only what comes to mind.
The reason I have heard for why this was done is so if there were a bit of a mishap in transporting the coffin, especially into the service or to the grave when family were present, the corpse wouldn't fall out on the ground.
Because sometimes floods come and graves have been washed right out of the dirt/ground. Where I live even concrete boxes in the ground are the coffins required to be put in, so they can't even wash away.
Wooden caskets were nailed down to keep those from escaping that weren't really dead.Many were just in a


deep coma and would awake while inside the coffin.This


was before corpses were embalmed.
ever heard of Vampires
privacy, from without, for as long as possible, insects, and critters.
I've never seen a coffin lid that was nailed down. The ones I've seen have a hinged door without a lock (a casket)
I think its symbolic of putting an end to something.
In case they turn to vampires or werewolves....
I don't know.Anyone inside can't get out and nobody really wants to get in.
Because sometimes bodies sit up due to rigor mortis. Don't want Aunt Suzy suddenly sitting up would ya?
bloody miracles.
so that your body is not defiled by necrophiliacs
So that your lush, dead Body doesn't get Azz Raped.
If only they had nail Jesus tomb shut.
so that the zomie cant escape
Keep bugs and robbers out I'd say.