▁coff in / c asket . ▁They ▁range ▁from ▁deliber ately ▁anonymous ▁vehicles ▁to ▁very ▁formal ▁heavily ▁decor ated ▁vehicles . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁fun eral ▁trade ▁of ▁some ▁countries ▁he ars es ▁are ▁called ▁fun eral ▁coach es . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁name ▁is ▁derived , ▁through ▁the ▁French ▁her se , ▁from ▁the ▁Latin ▁, ▁which ▁means ▁a ▁h arrow . ▁The ▁fun eral ▁he arse ▁was ▁originally ▁a ▁wooden ▁or ▁metal ▁framework , ▁which ▁stood ▁over ▁the ▁b ier ▁or ▁coff in ▁and ▁supported ▁the ▁p all . ▁It ▁was ▁provided ▁with ▁numerous ▁sp ikes ▁to ▁hold ▁burning ▁cand les , ▁and , ▁ow ing ▁to ▁the ▁res embl ance ▁of ▁these ▁sp ikes ▁to ▁the ▁teeth ▁of ▁a ▁h arrow , ▁was ▁called ▁a ▁he arse . ▁Later ▁on , ▁the ▁word ▁was ▁applied , ▁not ▁only ▁to ▁the ▁construction ▁above ▁the ▁coff in , ▁but ▁to ▁any ▁re cept acle ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁coff in ▁was ▁placed . ▁Thus ▁from ▁about ▁ 1 6 5 0 ▁it ▁came ▁to ▁denote ▁the ▁vehicle ▁on ▁which ▁the ▁dead ▁are ▁carried ▁to ▁the ▁grave . ▁ ▁H ears es ▁were ▁originally ▁hand - dra wn ▁then ▁horse - dra wn ▁after ▁the ▁decor ation ▁and ▁weight ▁of ▁the ▁he arse ▁increased . ▁The ▁first ▁electric ▁motor ized ▁he ars es ▁were ▁introduced ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 0 0 s . ▁Pet rol - power ed ▁he ars es ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁produced ▁from ▁ 1