Ever since the dove returned to Noah's ark carrying the olive branch, it has been considered the messenger of peace in many cultures. The symbolism of the story varies according to the interpreter. This peace is especially that peace which exists between God and man after a period of chastisement. Before sending out the dove, Noah released a raven to test the waters but it did not return to re-enter the ark.
Doves appear on the tombs of many cultures for various reasons.
On Christian tombs, the dove bearing the olive branch stands for the triumphal obtainment of Christ's peace through martyrdom or virtue. In this case, the olive branch not only represents the peace of God, but also takes on the victory symbolism of the palm branch. Both Slavs and Greeks pictured the human soul as a dove which explains why doves are found on pagan monuments in these and other areas. Doves with human heads may be found on Greek tombs. St. Benedict is said to have seen the soul of his twin sister Scholastica fly to heaven in the form of a dove.