Charon (mythology)

The ferryman of the Underworld, who carried the shades or souls of the dead across the R Acheron. Sometimes other rivers are substituted in literature, such as Styx and Lethe. The Greeks placed a small coin in the mouth of a corpse as Charon's fee.

In Greek mythology, Charon (Greek Χάρων, fierce brightness) was the ferryman of Hades. (Etruscan equivalent: Charun) He took the newly dead from one side of the river Acheron to the other if they had an obolus (coin) to pay for the ride. Corpses in ancient Greece were always buried with a coin underneath their tongue to pay Charon.

According to Virgil's Aeneid (book 6), the Cumaean Sibyl directs Aeneas to the golden bough necessary to cross the river while still alive and return to the world.

Charon was the son of Erebus and Nyx.

It is often said that he ferried souls across the river Styx. However, by most accounts, including Pausanias (x.28) and, later, Dante's Inferno (book 3, line 78), the river was Acheron.

Dante Alighieri incorporated Charon into his Divine Comedy. Charon again appeared as a cloaked skeleton in the videogame Shadowgate. Here, he carries the hero across a rapidly flowing river (Noted as the River Styx) after accepting one gold coin. Charon appears in Zork Grand Inquisitor, described as wearing a red hat, and rowing the player across to the gates of Hades after being paid 2 gold coins. As the Ghostbusters continue on the other side of the river, Charon continues to list other varieties of bread he would prefer. Charon is the name of a Finnish heavy metal band. Charon is Monster in My Pocket #42. Charon is referred to in the song Planet Hell (referred to as "the ferryman", not by name) by the Finnish metal band Nightwish. Charon is also referred to in a song by the German rock band Scorpions, entitled "The Sails of Charon"; the song was remade years later by the metal band, Testament Charon is a hidden summon in Golden Sun: The Lost Age In a Justice League Unlimited episode, Batman and Zatanna call on the spirit of Justice, seeking help to find Circe (who earlier turned Wonder Woman into a pig. They summon Medusa to help, and she is brought out of Tartarus by Charon. Humorously, before they depart the cloaked Charon holds his hand out, prompting Justice to inform the two heroes that there is a small service charge. Batman quickly hands Charon a coin (a cue to the ancient Greek practice). In the Disney movie Hercules he briefly appears (though not named) as a tall skeleton with a punting pole, ferrying Hades down the river Styx (which is never referred to by name either). In the Bioware game Neverwinter Nights, there is a ferryman working in the sewer systems below the city by the name of Charon. In the early Bungie computer game Marathon 2: Durandal, there is a level named "Charon Doesn't Make Change."