Plural form of 'feretrum'; ancient Roman funeral biers or portable frames used to carry the deceased during burial processions.
Direct plural of Latin 'feretrum' (bier, funeral couch), from 'ferre' (to carry), referring to the physical structure that bore the weight of the dead.
Roman funerals with elaborate feretra were status displays—the richer you were, the more ornate your bier, and sometimes mourners would hire professional wailers to follow it, creating an ancient version of funeral pageantry.
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