Charon the grumpy Ferryman

December 14, 2016

Charon or Kharon is the ferryman of Hades who ferries the newly deceased souls across the rivers Styx and Acheron which divide the world of the living from the world of the dead. To pay for the passage you need a coin to pay Charon. Normally an obolus or danake was placed in or on the mouth of the dead person to pay for this passage. If the dead could not pay the fee, or if the body is left unburied those souls were left to wonder the shores for hundred of years.

Watch how Perseus gains passage from Charon to Medusa’s Island in the 1981 movie “Clash of the Titans.”

Colleen uses the myth of Charon the Ferryman in Recreated and named the crusty old ferryman as Cherty. Lily is desperately trying to get to Amon who is stuck wandering the underworld and needs to gain the favor of Cherty to cross over to the afterlife. He’s grumpy and doesn’t want to bring a living human across the treacherous waters of the cosmic river. Cherty became sympathetic to her cause and they soon boarded the boat.

CHARON RON SWANSON

When I read the part about Lily and Cherty my mind pictured a character called Ron Swanson from the hit TV comedy “Parks and Recreation.” He’s a grouchy man’s man who loves meat and being left alone. He’s what I like to call an personality. He’s hard on the outside but soft and melty on the inside. I created a little picture with Charon with Ron Swanson’s face for fun.

Below is just how he looks most of the time!

Here’s a little clip video of Ron Swanson in the show so you can see if grouchy personality.

Remember in the Disney movie Hercules when Hades uses Charon as a taxi service to the underworld and fire blasts the spirits in the river Styx.

IN the 1st century BC the Roman poet Virgil wrote this about Charon in his rust colored skiff.

There Chairon stands, who rules the dreary coast –

A sordid god: down from his hairy chin

A length of beard descends, uncombed, unclean;

His eyes, like hollow furnaces on fire;

A girdle, foul with grease, binds his obscene attire.

The Greek hero Hercules used this strength and Charon’s own pole to wrestle his way onto the boat, and is often the first to greet the deceased. In the 14th Century the Divine Comedy by Dante, Charon is depicted beating reluctant sinners with his oar to board his boat. In most depictions Charon is unclean, grumpy, and a bit aggressive. In more recent depictions he is more like the skeletal Grim Reaper you saw in the clip from the Clash of the Titan movie at the start of this blog.

Either way Charon has a rough job and his countenance reflects that. Visitors come and go like Dionysus, Odysseus, and Theseus, but there are no days off for Charon as the cruise director of those traveling to the afterlife.

-Shara

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Author Bio

Shara Lane

I'm Shara, a wife, mother, bargain shopper, and I love to critique everything from food to mascara. I'm a sister of Colleen who lives in the desert of Arizona. My favorite time of day is when I pretend my kids are asleep upstairs, and I can catch up on my favorite shows with my handsome husband. Once Upon a Time, Dr. Who, Mythbusters (husband's choice), Big Bang Theory, Sherlock, and Castle. I turned 40 but feel around 30ish, and wonder where the time has gone. I love new clothes, new make-up, new food, and anything new to try out and critique. It's not mean, I promise, I just really like to figure out how to make things better :-)

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Charon the grumpy Ferryman

December 14, 2016

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