Rapaire: "It's a standard theme in folklore, the person who is buried, awakened by a grave robber trying to cut the ring off their finger, and walking home." That does seem to have come out in this thread, something I had not realised. Did you find this out through reading the book you mention, Buried Alive? Since there's a few books of this title, can you remember author and/or publisher? I'd be interested to read it.