#kharon

The Drifter and the Ferryman

"There he goes, walking away from his sin into the smokey jaws of the Styx.

Lord Hades' murderer."

Hey, I’m sorry for the late reply!

I’m so glad the prayer to Psyche helped you! I wondered how it had turned out, but since you’re on anon, I couldn’t follow up.

This is a tough one, and I may not be the best source of info, as I don’t worship the chthonic gods as a personal choice. If the person was recently deceased, I would have suggested Hermes, as he is the guide of recently departed persons. If they were close to dying, I would have suggested Hypnos to send them to sleep, and Thanatos to take them gently in rest.

However, since you mentioned that they’ve been gone for a while now, I would recommend Charon, the ferryman. Perhaps ask him to ferry them safely them over the Styx and Acheron if they haven’t already done so. If they weren’t buried with an obol ( a coin, usually of low value ) with which to pay him, they will be left to wander the embankments for one hundred years* *or so says the Aeneid.

However, I would assume that Charon would also take any form of valuables as payment. Some people in our modern times are buried with “grave goods”: family heirlooms, such as gold or silver pocketwatches, jewelry, or things of similar sentiment, which they could likely use as a substitute for an obol.

In ancient times, people were not always buried with a coin— it could also be placed beside the urn containing their ashes. This practice is also referred into modern times, as many elder generations place coins on the graves of the deceased. My grandparents taught me to do this without giving me a reason, as they didn’t know the reason themselves. Another tradition includes putting the coins in a holder beside the grave or marker. Many see this as a donation to the cemetery, though the coins are often not collected, instead left. This is seen more commonly in smaller cemeteries dating back to the 18-1900s, usually near wooded areas that originated as family plots.

Which means that if you suspect the deceased was buried without an obol or one was no put near them post-humous, you could visit their grave to place a coin of any value ( especially a penny, as copper was once viewed as being blessed by the gods ) upon the headstone or monument.

If you’d rather not do this, or don’t have that opportunity, you could probably offer the coin in prayer and then bury it, since the earth is the closest you can get to the Underworld while alive.