Charon is a deity of the underworld also known as the kingdom of Hades.
He was the son of the primordial gods Erebus and Nix.
Charon was also known as the ferryman
given that his main role was to cross the Acheron river
leading the souls of the dead to the other shore.
The ferryman only addressed the souls of those
who had been duly buried along with a proper compensation.
Therefore, during the funeral rites,
coins were placed under the tongue of the deceased or over their eyes.
These coins was served as a payment for the ferryman.
Those who for whatever reason did not have coins
were destined to wander for 100 years on the river shores.
The sinister figure of Charon the ferryman
is certainly one of the most frightening images of Greek mythology.