Across cultures, bizarre customs were believed to steer the departed toward the afterlife. From winding corpse roads to maize tucked in mouths, each ritual reflects a unique attempt to secure a safe passage for the dead.

10 Corpse Roads

During the Middle Ages, churches guarded their parishioners zealously. When a member died, the church insisted on burial in its own graveyard—not only for propriety but also because the ceremony generated income. As villages sprawled farther from the parish church, transporting a body became a logistical nightmare, prompting the creation of dedicated “corpse roads” that linked a settlement directly to the cemetery.

These routes—also called coffin roads, church ways, or burial roads—often cut through bleak, hard‑to‑navigate terrain. Landowners resisted turning them into ordinary trade routes, and a prevailing belief held that spirits could only travel in straight lines. Consequently, the roads were deliberately winding, full of labyrinthine twists and crossroads to thwart any lingering spirit from returning home. Water was another obstacle; many corpse roads featured a river because spirits were thought unable to cross water.

Superstition dictated that the corpse be carried with its feet pointing away from the home to discourage the spirit’s return. Today, most of these paths have faded into obscurity, but a handful survive in the UK and the Netherlands. You can spot them by names and landmarks such as crosses, lych gates, and coffin stones—large slabs where carriers could rest the coffin without letting the spirit touch the ground. A floating corpse candle is the ultimate sign you’re on the right track.

Bizarre Customs for the Afterlife

9 Coffin Portraits

In the 17th and 18th centuries of the Polish‑Lithuanian Commonwealth, a striking trend emerged: lifelike portraits of the deceased were mounted on the coffin for the funeral, then removed before burial. The goal was to give the impression that the departed was present at their own ceremony, often depicted standing straight on a central axis, face turned slightly, eyes locked on the mourners.

These “coffin portraits” symbolized the timeless spiritual body awaiting resurrection at the Last Judgment, contrasting with the natural body destined for burial. The medium varied with wealth—artists painted on tin, copper, or lead—so costs ranged from modest to luxurious.

The concept predates the Commonwealth. Ancient Egypt produced similar works known as Fayum portraits, created during the Greek and Roman periods in Egypt. While their exact purpose remains debated, they may have functioned like the wooden masks used to identify the dead in the afterlife.

8 Totenpass

The “Totenpass,” or passport of the dead, consists of tiny inscribed tablets or metal leaves buried with the dead in Orphic, Dionysiac, Egyptian, and Semitic rites. Gold inscriptions guided the soul through the underworld, warning of hazards and providing the correct responses to judges.

These tablets were often placed in the hands of the deceased, unless folded into a capsule—in which case they became amulets worn around the neck or slipped into the mouth. The most famous examples are the Orphic gold tablets, linked to a secretive mystery cult that promised hidden knowledge of the afterlife. Though only a minority used them, the tablets have been found from Macedonia to the Greek islands and even Rome, spanning a six‑century time frame.

7 Kkoktu

“Kkoktu” refers to bright, painted Korean funeral dolls crafted from wood. Unlike the somber tone of most funerary art, these figures are festive, depicting people, animals, and mythic creatures. They were used by both aristocrats and common folk, showing a cultural desire to surround the departed with joy and care.

Mounted on the bier that carried the coffin, kkoktu acted as companions and guides for the soul’s journey. When shaped as humans, they were considered intermediaries between the material and supernatural realms rather than literal people.

The dolls fell into several categories: the guide (riding an animal to lead the soul), the guard (a warrior protecting the spirit from evil), the caregiver (usually a woman providing medical aid), and the entertainer (a clown or acrobat soothing the deceased and distracting mourners). Additional figures such as phoenixes, dragons, and goblins symbolized the soul’s freedom.

6 Charon’s Obols or Danake

In ancient Greek belief, Charon’s obol was a tiny coin paid to the ferryman who shuttled souls across the River Acheron (or the Styx in Roman accounts). Those unable to afford the fee were condemned to wander the riverbanks as restless ghosts.

Originally a silver obol, the term later broadened to include any low‑value bronze coin. A related object, the “danake,” derived from Persian, appears as a one‑sided coin—one example shows a honeybee, perhaps wishing a sweet afterlife.

Obols are rarely found in Greek graves, but when they are, they appear not only in the mouth but also near the hands, at the feet, or scattered throughout the tomb. In cremation contexts, burned coins may accompany ashes. Scholars suggest the coins might have paid off the dead to keep them from returning, or served as status symbols in the underworld.

5 The Book of the Dead

The Egyptian Book of the Dead, known to the ancients as the Book of Coming Forth by Day, is a compilation of spells and formulas designed to aid the deceased in navigating the afterlife. Egyptians viewed the afterlife as a continuation of earthly life; after passing the Hall of Truth’s judgments, the soul could enter a paradise mirroring its earthly existence.

Early versions blended the older Coffin Texts and Pyramid Texts, but by the New Kingdom (c. 16th–11th centuries BC) the Book of the Dead became widely used across social classes. Skilled scribes crafted custom copies, tailoring the number and type of spells to the patron’s wealth and personal story. The quality of papyrus and illustrations likewise reflected the patron’s resources.

The most famous spell, Spell 125, describes the weighing of the heart against the Feather of Truth. It instructs the deceased on what to say before the gods, names of doors, floor patterns, and even the names of one’s own feet. The spell also advises what attire the soul should wear during judgment. If the heart proved lighter than the feather, the soul entered eternal paradise, reuniting with loved ones and even cherished pets.

4 Kulap

In Southern New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, “kulap” were limestone or chalk figures integral to funerary practice. Specialists from the Punam region of the Rossel Mountains, where the stone quarries lay, carved these figures.

Kulap served as temporary earthly dwellings for the dead, preventing their spirits from roaming the village and causing mischief. When a wealthy individual died, a male relative journeyed to the Rossel Mountains to obtain a kulap matching the deceased’s gender. The figure was then presented to the local leader and placed in a memorial shrine alongside other kulap.

Only men could enter the shrine to view the figures and perform ceremonial dances, while women mourned outside. Once the funeral rites concluded, the kulap was smashed, releasing the soul to continue its journey. The custom faded after Christianity spread through the region in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

3 Amatl

During the height of Aztec civilization, burial ceremonies for lower‑ and middle‑status individuals were elaborate affairs. Rituals included pouring water over the head and dressing the corpse according to the cause of death—e.g., a drunkard might be adorned with symbols of Tezcatzoncatl, the god of wine.

Central to the rite was wrapping the body in bark paper called amatl. Funeral officials explained a series of six paper “passports” to the deceased: the first allowed safe passage through two opposing mountains; the second protected the soul on a road guarded by the Great Serpent; the third enabled crossing the Great Crocodile’s domain; the fourth served as a passport across the Seven Deserts; the fifth ensured safe travel over the Eight Hills; and the sixth defended against the north wind, often reinforced by burning the corpse’s clothing and arms to provide warmth.

A Techichi dog was also sacrificed, believed to accompany the soul across the Nine Waters. The dog’s neck received a cord, and the animal was either burned or buried with the body. If the corpse was cremated, its ashes were collected in a vase, and a green jewel was placed at the bottom to act as a heart for the soul in the other world.

2 Funerary Amulets

Ancient Egyptians believed amulets possessed magical protective powers and brought good fortune. While they adorned the living from childhood, amulets were equally vital in death.

Hundreds of funerary amulets existed; selection depended on wealth and personal preference. During mummification, priests placed the chosen amulets on specific parts of the wrapped body, sometimes anywhere, other times in strict positions, accompanied by prayers and rites.

The most popular was the Heart Scarab, positioned over the heart to protect it during the Weighing of the Heart ceremony. Those fearing a failed judgment could recite the scarab’s inscription to keep the heart from betraying them. Another common piece was the Amulet of the Ladder, believed to grant safe passage from Earth to heaven. Both appear in the Book of the Dead.

In China, similar practices existed. During the Han period (202 BC–AD 220) and earlier, cicadas—symbols of rebirth and immortality—were carved from jade and placed on the tongue of the deceased. These “funeral jades” or “tongue amulets” were thought to invoke resurrection through sympathetic magic.

1 Maize

The Maya envisioned the afterlife as Xibalba, the “Place of Fright,” a terrifying realm populated by gods and blood‑thirsty predators. They believed that mistakes were inevitable, making escape impossible for most; only those who died violently could avoid Xibalba’s horrors.

To sustain the soul on its perilous journey, Maya burials often placed maize in the deceased’s mouth. Maize symbolized nourishment and rebirth, fitting since the Maya diet revolved around maize, beans, and squash. The corn acted as a pole for beans to climb and a support for squash that spread along the ground.

Jade beads were also commonly set in the mouth. Some scholars argue the beads served as currency for the afterlife, while others suggest a single jade bead represented an endless supply of maize.