Charon, << KAR uhn or KAY rohn >>, was the ragged old boatman of the Underworld in Greek mythology. He was the son of Erebus (darkness) and Nyx (night). Charon ferried the shades (spirits) of the dead across the Styx or other rivers of the Underworld. The ancient Greeks buried their dead with a coin in their mouth as payment to Charon for this trip. Those who did not receive proper funeral rites were forced to wander along the riverbank for 100 years before obtaining passage from Charon.
Charon normally would not admit the living into his boat, but there were rare exceptions. The Greek hero Hercules forced him to provide passage. As punishment, Hades, the god of the Underworld, bound the boatman in chains for a year.
