Charon
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [1]
in Greek and Roman mythology, was the ferryman across the river of death. This representation originated in Egypt, where all the dead who were worthy of an honorable burial were piloted in a small boat to. the islands of the blessed, i.e. to the general place of burial. According to the myths of Greece, Charon, an old servant of Pluto, was placed as a guard oh the river of Hades, and took the souls that Mercury brought to him in a boat across the Styx or Acheron, for which an obolus had to be paid, and this coin was laid under the tongue of the dead. Those of the, dead who had not received a burial were obliged to wander. along the bank of the Styx for one hundred years. Charon was not allowed to ferry the living across, unless specially authorized so to do by the immortals. For rowing Hercules across without requiring him to show the golden bough, which was the sign of deity, he was deprived of his liberty for one year. Homer does not speak of this myth. A representation of this, from an antique bass- relief, is shown -on following page.. Two forms step from Charon's boat; the Parce reaches out her hand to the :first. Her full spindle shows the early death of this shade. - The second shade is of the size of a child. To the right is Lethe, with the draught of forgetfulness. .
The Nuttall Encyclopedia [2]
In the Greek mythology the ferryman of the ghosts of the dead over the Styx into Hades, a grim old figure with a mean dress and a dirty beard, peremptory in exacting from the ghosts he ferried over the obolus allowed him for passage-money.
