grateful dead

Grateful Dead originated as a theme of stories surrounding a man traveling upon a path and meeting upon death or a life threatening debt. Another man comes along and pays the strangers debt, buries the dead man, pays for his burial, or pays his debts enabling his proper burial. In any case, the restless soul is laid to rest and the protagonist continues about his way only to find himself in peril. At this time, his life is spared by the spirit or effects of the dead man or the heroic actions of the freed man from earlier in the story.