Charun
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
In Etruscan mythology, Charun (also spelled Charu, or Karun) was the psychopomp of the underworld, not to be confused with the lord of the underworld, known to the Etruscans as Aita. He is often portrayed with the goddess Vanth, a winged goddess also associated with the underworld.
The Charon of Vergil in the Aeneid is particularly cruel; according to W.F. Jackson Knight, "Vergil's Charon is not only the Greek ferryman of Aristophanes [in The Frogs], but more than half his Etruscan self, Charun, the Etruscan torturing death-devil, no ferryman at all."
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Charun" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
