"Why do people put coins on tombstones?" Topic

I'm curious if this is related to putting pennies on the eyes (which stems from the Greek tradition of leaving a coin for the ferryman on the River Styx), or more related to the jewish custom of leaving stones on grave markers.

Help and links are greatly appreciated!

Believe it or not, we've discussed this on TMP before! Most seem to think it derives from the Jewish custom of placing small pebbles on the tombstone--which has produced many speculative and creative ideas about the origin of the practice, but none which can be confirmed. it's just a custom.

An interesting alternative custom is practiced in Turkey:

'Nevruz is known as "Mart Dokuzu" (March the 9th) particularly in Central Anatolia. Similar to other regions, people get up very early on the morning of March 22nd, cemeteries are visited and wishes are made. The person who wants to make wish picks one pebble from each grave and thus collects forty pebbles. He or she puts them in a bag, makes the wish and hangs the bag at home. It is believed that if the wish is accepted, the number of pebbles in the bag will turn out to be forty one. The pebbles are returned on the next Mart Dokuzu, whether or not the wish is fulfilled.'

Allen

Believe it or not, we've discussed this on TMP before!

Yeah, I bought this up a few months back! (and it caught my eye this time!)

My "research" (largely via Google) seemed to indicate the Jewish tradition of leaving a stone/pebble was to indicate that someone had visited the grave. Not sure if it was meant as an indication for the living, or the person/spirit/ghost in the grave. As far as I could make out, the "pennies" idea is basically the same.

Now this Turkish custom Allen mentions makes me wonder if perhaps the pennies are another form of "wishing" custom…? Place a penny on the grave of a relative and make a wish, or ask for some "boon" to be granted, ask for some action or event to take place, etc. I'm still more inclined to think it's just about the "dropping by for a visit" thing.

Cheers,
Kevin

It's obvious. To pay Charon!

Maybe the person leaving the coin has a concience about something bad they did to the dead relative or deceased person when they were alive…..

They are ultra-religious and are frightened that the dead person will get their revenge on them in the after life……..

Maybe not…..just have too much money to waste…..

::)

If your tombstones are 28mm or smaller, you can put them on coins. Symmetry, eh?

:D :D

I was told that leaving an odd number of coins on the tomb of Marie Laveau (the voodoo queen of New Orleans) would get you a year of good luck and a year of bad luck for your enemy. I left an odd number of coins. It seemed to work, both ways. Next time I get there I'll leave more.

Superstitious? Me?

<<Maybe not…..just have too much money to waste…..>>
I bet it cost's more than a penny to buy a pebble..

"'Nevruz is known as "Mart Dokuzu" (March the 9th) particularly in Central Anatolia. Similar to other regions, people get up very early on the morning of March 22nd, cemeteries are visited and wishes are made. The person who wants to make wish picks one pebble from each grave and thus collects forty pebbles. He or she puts them in a bag, makes the wish and hangs the bag at home. It is believed that if the wish is accepted, the number of pebbles in the bag will turn out to be forty one. The pebbles are returned on the next Mart Dokuzu, whether or not the wish is fulfilled.' "

Wait…if the stones have to be returned the next year, and the wish was granted so you have 41 stones, what do you do with the extra one?

Go ahead Mike….tell them WHY you asked this…..

;-)

Vaguely related question which has intrigued me for about a decade:

In Paris, in Pere Lachaise graveyard, there are many monuments to Napoleonic generals (my reson for being there). However, on the 1st April – which may, you might think, be relevant – I noticed a monument to one "Felix Noir" (which may also be relevant). The bronze figure on it wasn't "free-standing"; he was lying down on the ganite base, itself only about half-a-metre above ground level, and was dressed as if for promenading the boulevards, complete with gloves and a (fallen) top-hat. The original nineteenth-century Felix had probably been assassinated, I guess. Anyway, as I stood there, a very tall, very thin, black woman came up to the monument and, holding a folded piece of white paper, she knelt down beside the statue and proceeded to touch it with the paper in three places; the brow, the heart (I think) and – this one I definitely remember – the genitals (or, position of these). The deep brown colour of the metal was polished to a light honey-colored shine at these points. Does anyone know if this is some bizarre custom, and if so, is it Parisien? Is it an ethnic thing? Is the man's name, or his occupation, at all relevant? Was it a joke? And no, I hadn't been drinking.

Go ahead either of yeez: why did yeez ask this?