In Latin and Greek literature, they refer to something called the Charon's Obol. This is a coin placed into the mouth of the deceased to pay the ferryman for crossing the river Styx in the underworld.
Sati, the outlawed practice of a wife throwing herself on her husband's funeral pyre was probably one of the extremes, but then so was burying servants with the Egyptian kings. How about a Viking Funeral of putting the body in a boat, setting it afire and pushing it out to sea? In India there was a practice of leaving the dead atop of towers for the birds to eat.
From here: The latest technology in funeral services is that of Swedish marine biologist Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak, who in 1999 patented the "ecological funeral," a meticulous cryotechnological process that does all the work of decomposition so that you won’t have to. The process begins with the reduction of the corpse to a fine powder that makes your dead self healthier for the environment. Next, scientists extract the leftover metals and send them off to be recycled – meaning that in your next life part of you may just be a Volkswagen Beetle. Finally, the remains are ready to be sent back into Earth – and you can be sure that Earth will be glad to have you, thanks to your biodegradable casket.
Reads on the subject:
There's an interesting book called Archaeology of Death: Charon's Obol that explains more on this intriguing practice.
Cemetery Stories: Haunted Graveyards, Embalming Secrets, and the Life of a Corpse After Death by Katherine Ramsland is an excellent book.
If you love graveyards and statuary, there is only one book to own. I study mine often and am fascinated with world-wide graves and amazing beauty. Beautiful Death by Dean Koontz (author) and David Robinson (photography) is a book I highly recommend to all people who love graveyards. It's a coffee table book your guests won't be able to put down.
