[idi banashapan]

that's why it's called a 'Wake'!

it stems from medieval times when cups and plates where made from pewter or lead, which would react to the mead ales and food acids (people thought tomatoes were poisonous due to this for a long time) and would render people so unconscious they seemed dead. it was found that a large number of people would wake in coffins. some too late as they had already been buried, but the scratchmarks on the inside of exhumed coffins was a big clue. from then, they ran cords into the coffins tied to the 'deceased's' wrist, so that if they woke in the ground, the cord would be tugged and a bell (on the other end of the cord) on the surface at the head of the grave would ring, thus we have 'Saved by the bell'. this also required someone to be in the graveyard at all times, which is why we now refer to night shifts as 'graveyard' shifts. eventually, it became common place to lay out someone whom was thought to be dead, in their home for a period of time. the body would always have people with it incase they woke. these people would stock food and drink with them so they didn't need to leave the bodies side whilst they waited to see if the person would 'Wake'...

there you go... my useless facts of the day!