Many times in myth, the living desired to speak with the departed.When Odysseus wishes to speak with the Nekyia in Book eleven, goats must besacrificed and their blood was recognized as inspiring the deceased tospeak. The Egyptians also were concerned with the ability of the deceasedto speak in the next realm; this is exemplified in one of the mostimportant spells in The Book of the Dead, the opening of the mouth. When all the funerary rites had been done, the next step was tomark the spot of the deceased. "The grave is marked with a stone, ....