By Ellie Matthews,
Suzanne Peterson, and Hannah Barta
The River Styx:
Wrapping around the underworld nine times, this river was said to separate the living from the dead. Based on the Greek word stugein, which means hate, it’s many times referred to as the river of hate. It was respected by the gods, who swore life binding oaths by it. Its appearance was putrid; bubbling with heat, poisonous, and ridden with dead bodies, and was greatly feared by all mortals.
To get across, one had to give a coin (called an obol) to Charon, the ferryman who helped souls (who were buried properly) cross the river into Hades. Once a soul gets to the other side, Cerberous, the dragon-tailed dog, allows them to enter (but never leave).
There are five rivers that separate Hades from the world of the living, they are:
1. Acheron - the river of woe;
2. Cocytus - the river of lamentation;
3. Phlegethon - the river of fire;
4. Lethe - the river of forgetfulness;
5. Styx - the river of hate.
Stories Alluding To The River Styx:
The River Styx is not subject to its own story, but is mentioned in many.
The Story of Achilles: Achilles was half God, half mortal. His goddess mother, Thetis,didn’t like that he was half mortal, so she dipped him in the River Styx, while holding his heel, to make him invincible. Unfortunately he died in the Trojan War due to a wound of his heel, the only part that remained undipped in the River Styx.
The Great Gatsby: The Hudson River and the many drawbridges that separate New York City from Long Island is an illusion to the River Styx. While Long Island is a place of prosperity and wholesomeness, New York is generally viewed as the scene of sin.
The Story of Narcissus: Narcissus met an ill fate when fell into a lake while looking at his reflection. It is sadi that, in afterlife, Narcissus enjoys admiring himself in the waters of the River Styx.
Harry Potter: In The Half Blood Prince, Harry and Dumbledore make an excursion into a sea cave (that represents the underworld) to find a horcrux that supposedly contains part of Lord Voldemort’s soul. To get there, the pair has to cross a river, much like the River Styx. Also, to advance them farther into the cave, Dumbledore must drink the deadly waters of the cave, comparable to those of Styx.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQa8sY6itiEfeature=related
What is the Meaning of It?
This was the Greek’s idea of the afterlife. They strongly believed in elaborate ceremonies and payments to the gods. This did not stop after an individual died. Although the process wasn’t pleasant, crossing this river got an individual away from the middle territory between life and death. Ultimately, this river represented the way the Greeks felt about death: they feared it, but respected it as well.