Greek Mythology - Charon

Stew21

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I was reading something about Greek Mythology and the character, Charon, struck me as something of a fantastic metaphor to use in something I'm writing.
I know he is the ferryman of the dead, but I was most interested in payment. I've searched all over the internet. Payment was an obolos (Greek coin) on the eyes or in the mouth of the dead.
What I found interesting is that modern day ("don't pay the ferryman" - song lyrics for example and another fiction source - Gods Behaving Badly) refers to not paying Charon until you get to the other side of the River Acheron. Nowhere that I've read about Charon did I see that Charon would trick the shades of the dead by asking for payment and then not taking them, leaving them to be ghosts on earth; only that those without proper death (burial or burn) rites or without a coin would not get ferried across.
Does anyone have another source that clarifies. I wonder where the information - and what story specifically indicated (for the more modern references) - that payment should be witheld until arrival at the other side of Archeron.


Anyone?
 

KODB

I'm not familiar with Gods Behaving Badly, but I think the Ferryman song is a bit of rebellion, like "if you're gonna go, go on your own terms".

I just did a quick Google search (copying you, no doubt), and I can't find any contradiction to the dead having to pay first.

I don't think you have to worry overmuch about modern interpretations being based on ancient sources. The Disney Hercules movie. 300 (comic and movie). Any of a number of modern Arthur stories.
 

PattiTheWicked

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In Aristophanes, Charon allows Dionysus to sail over but makes him row the boat himself. I think Virgil describes Charon in some detail, as an old but spry man with a long gray beard and "eyes of fire" or something. grimly turning away the unburied.

If you read the Aaenid, or the stories of Psyche, Dionysus, or Heracles, all contain reference to Charon having been paid after transport across the Acheron. I think you're pretty safe making the reference.
 

Stew21

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In Aristophanes, Charon allows Dionysus to sail over but makes him row the boat himself. I think Virgil describes Charon in some detail, as an old but spry man with a long gray beard and "eyes of fire" or something. grimly turning away the unburied.

If you read the Aaenid, or the stories of Psyche, Dionysus, or Heracles, all contain reference to Charon having been paid after transport across the Acheron. I think you're pretty safe making the reference.


(my bold) that's the part. I read excerpts from those stories but not the actual.
I'll look into it.
The rest of what you mentioned is what I was finding as well, I just didn't know about a definitive paying before/after and the consequences.


Thank you.
 

PattiTheWicked

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If you didn't pay, you got stuck wandering the earth for a hundred years, miserable and ghostly.

:::cue spooooooky music:::
 

frimble3

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I studied Greek myth years back, and yes, you have to pay the ferryman, but I don't think there's any particular difference between paying at the start of the trip or at the end, just sort of normal cab-driver caution, 'don't pay 'til you reach your destination'. If Charon didn't see you had the payment, you weren't going, but I assume you were allowed to hold your obol until you crossed. I wouldn't think trying to cheat Charon would be a smart move, though. For what it's worth, I thought the song was more 'Don't pay him and he won't take you'.
 

HeronW

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Charon has also anted to get out of the job and tries to get others to ferry instead.

One time he asks for a break for his old bones and I think Hercules agrees and is stuck ferrying until he asks Charon to take the pole while he doffs his lionskin, can't do it while poling--he's getting sweaty there--Charon does and he's got the job back.
 

Smiling Ted

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A couple of minor notes....
Charon is sometimes depicted as ferrying souls across the river Styx, as opposed to Acheron.
There was a small town in Greece called Taenarus situated near a cave that led down to the Underworld. According to the myth, the cave was the start of a path that would lead you over the river without having to take Charon's ferry, and so the Taenarans would forego the coins on the eyes of the dead. This gave them a reputation for stinginess; to "go by the Taenaran gate" was to be given a pauper's burial.
 

slcboston

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A couple of minor notes....
Charon is sometimes depicted as ferrying souls across the river Styx, as opposed to Acheron.

It's at this point that I'm to go consult my copy of Bullfinch, but I thought the river was the Styx as well. I think of the two, the Styx is the more well known reference, for what that's worth.

And for practical info, the custom of placing coins on the eyes was just to keep the eyelids from popping back open post-mortem. Which, contrary to ever Hollywood cliche, they'll do if you just use your fingers. :)
 

Stew21

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Styx was always the reference I had as well, but in doing the research I found Acheron.

???????
 

slcboston

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Okay, did some quick digging...

The River Styx was, in mythology, one of the five rivers of Hades. It is by far the most important, and an oath on it ("by the river styx") was one of the most sacred of oaths. The gods themselves would take it.

In most sources, this is the river that souls must cross to enter the land of the dead, and therefore the one Charon rows across.

However, in Dante, it is the River Acheron where we come to Charon. While the Styx is the river of hate, Acheron is the river of woe. I think the difference might depend on what the person did and how they are entering the afterlife, which river they are to cross, though I can't verify that.

I would, however, say that in classical terms the river is the Styx.
 

Smiling Ted

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Okay, did some quick digging...

The River Styx was, in mythology, one of the five rivers of Hades. It is by far the most important, and an oath on it ("by the river styx") was one of the most sacred of oaths. The gods themselves would take it.

It was also a source of magical power. Themis, mother of Achilles, made him invulnerable by dunking him in the Styx as a baby. His heel was still vulnerable because that was where she held him.