Definition of the glossary term Charon
In Greek mythology, Charon was the ferryman that transported the dead to the Underworld, or Hades. If the newly dead had a coin to present, Charon would move them from one side of the River Acheron to the other, at the gate of the Underworld. Without the proper fare, the dead were forced to wander the banks of the river for 100 years. In ancient Greece, the dead were often buried with a coin underneath their tongue for fare for Charon.