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Charon was son of Erebus and Nyx (Night). It was his duty to ferry over the Styx (or Acheron) those souls of the deceased
who had duly received the rites of burial, in payment for which service he received an obol, which was placed in the mouth
of the corpse. It was only exceptionally that he carried living passengers. As ferryman of the dead he is not mentioned in
Homer or Hesiod, and in this character is probably of Egyptian origin. He is represented as a morose and grisly old man in
a black sailor's cape. By the Etruscans he was also supposed to be a kind of executioner of the powers of the nether world,
who, armed with an enormous hammer, was associated with Mars in the slaughter of battle. Finally he came to be regarded as
the image of death and the world below. As such he survives in the Charos or Charontas of the modern Greeks -a black bird
which darts down upon its prey, or a winged horseman who fastens his victims to the saddle and bears them away to the realms
of the dead.
Don't Pay The Ferryman
It was late at night on the open road, speeding like a man on the run
A
lifetime spent preparing for the journey.
He is closer now and the search is on, reading from a map in the mind:
Yes
there's that ragged hill and there's a boat on the river.
And when the rain came down, he heard a wild dog howl
There
were voices in the night
(Don't do it!)
Voices out of sight
(Dont't do it!)
Too many men have failed before, whatever
you do;
Don't pay the ferryman!
Don't even fix a price!
Don't pay the ferryman
Until he gets you to the other
side.
In the rolling mist, then he gets on board, now there'll be no turning back
Beware that hooded old man at
the rudder.
And then the lightning flashed and the thunder roared,
and people calling out his
name,
And dancing bones that jabbered-and-a-moaned on the water.
And then the ferryman said "There is trouble ahead,
So
you must pay me now."
(Don't do it!)
"You must pay me now."
(Don't do it!)
And still that voice came from beyond,
whatever you do;
Don't pay the ferryman!
Don't even fix a price!
Don't pay the ferryman
Until he gets you
to the other side
© Chris de Burgh. 1982
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This river Styx served as a crossroads
where the world of the living
met the world of the dead,
and the world of the mortal met
the world of the immortal.
Greek Mythology Gods, mortals,
and great heroes and villains made
their way across the river Styx.
Some crossed the river many times,
but for most, it was a one way trip
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