Charon's Obol

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In doing research for a larger project, I stumbled (as I often do... 'stumble', that is) across some references to the practice of burying the dead with a coin in the mouth of the deceased.
Ancient texts of Greek and Roman literature and manuscripts from as far back as (around) 500 BCE up to approximately 200 AD make reference to the placement of a coin in the mouth of the dead so as to provide them with a fare for the mythological Ferryman of the River Styx, Charon.
I rather like the thought of a guided boat ride to the Underworld. It's seems to romanticize the concept of 'crossing over'.
Susan T. Stevens took things a little further. (You'll need a JSTOR account or access through a university to read the full article, my reference is on page 224 where Ms. Stevens references an earlier researcher's - D. M. Robinson's - findings concerning multiple and/or silver coins found during burial excavations).
During her investigations of various archaeological burial sites across Europe, Ms. Stevens noted a trend of both Greek and Roman occupied lands to follow in the 'tradition' of burying the deceased with a coin on the head or in the mouth, sometimes with extra coins which some researchers and anthropologists surmise might have been a gratuity or 'tip' to Charon to ensure a safe passage to the other side...






"There's one for you for the fare... and four more in it for you if you kick him over the side of the boat when you're half-way across!"





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This author has a different view... what if, Dear Reader, the extra coins were intended for an altogether different reason?
Fairly recent speculation from Christian researchers has discovered new information about the 'Shroud of Turin', the discovered burial cloth that some are determinedly convinced was placed over the body of Jesus Christ. It turns out... through polarized image study of the Shroud, Chicago theology professor Francis Filas claimed the Shroud of Turin had evidence of having had coins placed over the area under which Jesus' eyes would have been.
Video of this can be found here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wseb_dMGOnY

Waitasecond... TWO coins? Could it have been a gratuity, to ensure a safe trip?
... or perhaps... one coin for the trip THERE... and the second coin for a RETURN TRIP from the Land of the Dead?
... Courtesy of Charon, the mythological Ferryman of Greek legends?
... Did I just BLOW YOUR MIND?











http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070228124616/dcanimated/images/1/15/Charon.jpg

"What do you MEAN you 'want to go back'? "